Economy and the Environment > Success Stories

Washington State Success Stories

Cintas Inc. — a 2011 Most Valuable Pollution Prevention (MVP2) award winner

Cintas is a national industrial laundry service provider with three facilities in Washington. Cintas demonstrated their commitment and leadership in the industry by eliminating harmful chemicals in their washing process, while also reducing their water and energy use.

Cintas is moving toward safer chemical alternatives. Cintas-Washington State made changes to eliminate 25,000 gallons of detergent that contained petroleum based nonylphenol ethoxylate (NPE) the laundry process. NPE-free detergents use plant oil derivatives, a renewable resource that decreases dependence on fossil fuels. These detergents are less toxic and more biodegradable, which is better for the environment. And, the properties that make the products better for the environment also make for a safer workplace.

In addition to using safer chemicals, Cintas-Washington State facilities significantly reduced the amounts of water they use. They developed high efficiency washing formulas that saved more than 19 million gallons of water — a 33 percent reduction in water use that saved $171,000 per year. Cintas also reuses water from the laundry process to pre-wash additional loads. This saves on the amount of fresh water that would normally be used in this step – that’s an additional 72,000 gallons saved per day. Cintas is continually looking for ways to reduce energy usage. Cintas successfully reduced their carbon footprint with computer controls, reclaiming heat from waste water, optimizing truck routes, and new electrical technologies. The three facilities involved in this project together reduced energy use by 50 percent, resulting in $60,000 per year in savings.

For their leadership in pollution prevention and sustainability, Cintas Inc. was awarded a 2011 Most Valuable Pollution Prevention (MVP2) award. Cintas Inc. was one of six projects to be honored by the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable at an annual ceremony in Washington, DC. James Wagoner received the award on behalf of Cintas Inc.

See more information about Cintas’ Green Program.

About Earth Friendly Cleaning Supplies

Earth Friendly Products is a leader in developing and producing environmentally friendly cleaning supplies for household and commercial use. All Earth Friendly products are created with only sustainable plant-based ingredients that are safe for people, pets, and the planet. Earth Friendly Products also makes a complete line of safe and effective pet care products.

Venus Laboratories launched Earth Friendly Products in 1989, with its eco-friendly cleaning line. Since then, they’ve expanded from their first base in Illinois to facilities in California, New Jersey, Florida and now Washington state. The Olympia facility employs 30 full time workers, plus five temporary staff. Earth Friendly has enjoyed continued growth, as the consumer demand for non-toxic products has increased. Earth Friendly now produces more than 150 products that are available in major grocery retailers in the USA, Canada, Europe, South America, and Asia.

Earth Friendly Products has been recognized for their products’ purity and effectiveness. Earth Friendly products are completely free of petrochemicals, bleach, ammonia, phosphates, formaldehyde, hormone-mimicking toxins, artificial fragrances or colors, and a long list of other harmful ingredients. Their products achieved the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment label and they’ve won an array of other awards.

They manufacture in the U.S. only and are careful to source sustainable ingredients, avoiding resources needed to sustain endangered wildlife. All of their products are 100 percent biodegradable and their containers are recyclable. They manufacture their own bottles to use the least amount of plastic possible, and they are transitioning to translucent #2 HDPE which is much less likely to end up in a landfill.

For more information: read their pledge to sell environmentally responsible products and their Freedom Code, a list of substances from which their products are free.

Nature's Path Foods — Increased Efficiency, Reduced Water and Energy Use

Nature’s Path Foods produces organic cereal in Blaine, Washington. They decided that being a green company meant going beyond using organic ingredients in its food, but they weren’t sure how to green their manufacturing processes. Luckily, they discovered the new “Lean and Green” program in which Impact Washington (Washington’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP)), Department of Ecology (Ecology), and energy efficiency groups work with businesses to improve their operational and environmental performance.

Impact Washington and Ecology personnel lead Nature’s Path through an informative process called “value stream mapping” to find ways to increase efficiency and reduce waste. They identified numerous facility and process improvements to significantly reduce waste, and water usage. As a result, Nature’s Path initiated several waste reduction projects, including better managing airflow on equipment, installing an overhead conveyor system, and adjusting equipment speed to eliminate spill points. With additional help from Ecology, the company is working on a condensate water recapture system, which should save between $11,000 and $48,000 per year in wastewater disposal costs.

Nature’s Path also decided to pursue energy saving projects, as recommended by the Washington State University Extension Energy Program and the University of Washington’s Industrial Assessment Center. The plant purchased moisture sensors for one of their extruders, which will improve product quality and energy efficiency. The plant will receive incentive funding from Washington State University for the moisture sensors, and to help purchase equipment for a humidity control project. These improvements will help the company reduce its natural gas usage. Once these projects are implemented, the expected energy savings to Nature’s Path will be close to $30,000 per year.

So the bottom line: in addition to reducing waste, saving water, and conserving energy, Nature’s Path will save some serious “green!” Read more about "Lean and Green" Manufacturing and Nature's Path (Blaine, WA).