Our biennial Chairman’s Sustainability Awards program recognizes outstanding achievements at the plant level across all three dimensions of sustainability: economic, environmental and social.
The program also honors the commitment of our employees to continually raise the standard of excellence by which we operate and to seek opportunities to conserve resources, enhance safety and productivity and support their local communities. Many of the initiatives highlighted by the program are scalable to other facilities, greatly extending their impact on our sustainability efforts overall.
Presenting the winners and honorable mentions of the 2016 Chairman’s Sustainability Awards
The Economic Sustainability Award acknowledges actions and projects initiated by Crown plants that have a significant, measurable reduction in the Company’s use of resources, including energy, water, freight and fuel.
13.8%
Less
Energy used per can, even as can production has increased by 18.2%
Hanoi, Vietnam (Beverage Can Facility)
Results: Over a two-year period, the Hanoi facility has decreased energy usage per can by 13.8%, even as can production has increased by 18.2%.
The Details: The Hanoi plant was recognized for taking a comprehensive approach to reduce electricity use, including the implementation of an innovative metering system and unique sensors that adjust vacuum blower speed to can density on the line. LED lamps, more efficient air conditioners and new compressors were also installed.
Our Santafe de Bogota, Colombia beverage can plant executed a multi-pronged strategy to reduce energy use. Efforts included replacing all of the electrical air extractors in the building, updating vacuum pumps, changing old electric motors for high efficiency models and substituting every lightbulb in the plant for LED technology. Taken together, these activities reduce the facility’s energy use by an impressive 2,257,000 KwH per year.
The team in our Dubai beverage can plant leveraged Six Sigma methodology to create an energy action plan to reduce electricity and water consumption. The plan assessed all aspects of the plant and generated several best practices related to chiller optimization and use of machinery during periods of low output. The effort ultimately resulted in a 5.8% reduction in electricity use per 1,000 cans and established a new benchmark of 16 kWh per 1,000 cans. Water consumption was also decreased through these efforts.
The Environmental Sustainability Award recognizes Crown facilities that demonstrate excellence in protecting the environment by minimizing the impact of the Company’s operations, reducing material consumption and improving recycling or reuse.
1,000,000 POUNDS
OF WASTE SAVED ON PLASTIC PALLETS
Agoncillo, Spain (Beverage Can Facility)
Results: The Agoncillo facility saved 1,000,000 pounds of waste on plastic pallets alone.
The Details: The plant opted to repair its plastic pallets used throughout the facility instead of discarding or replacing them. The outsourcing of the repair work to a company that hires disabled workers also allowed the plant to make a meaningful contribution to its local community and Crown’s social sustainability efforts.
Our Spartanburg, South Carolina (U.S.) aerosol plant activated a cross-functional Pollution Prevention Team, or “Green Team,” to implement a series of environmentally sustainable business practices. With a focus on source reduction, reuse and recycling, the team carried out 10 different initiatives including scrap metal recycling, reducing compressed air leaks and waste as well as reusing tooling lubricant used in the plant’s neckers.
The Social Sustainability Award recognizes plants that exhibit a significant impact on the well-being of their workforce and/or the local community.
80% Reduction
in workplace injuries since 2012
Shipley, United Kingdom (CMB Engineering Canmaking Equipment Facility)
Results: The facility has reduced workplace injuries by more than 80% since 2012.
The Details: The plant implemented a “Cool To Be Safe” employee safety initiative between 2014 and 2016 that advances Crown Europe’s Human Factor Training program. The program encourages employees to examine how their behaviors can impact their personal safety as well as those around them and explores how those actions can be modified to enhance everyone’s well-being.
Our Athy, Ireland food can plant embarked on numerous initiatives to engage with the local community and to enhance the plant’s external environment and the well-being of its employees. For example, the plant introduced an employee “Bike to Work” program to help reduce their carbon footprint while also creating an opportunity for exercise. Its programs also included support for local Athy college engineering projects, the encouragement of biodiversity through wildlife-friendly hedging and a bee-haven garden and interaction with the local community during weekly ParkRun events.