EPA Recognizes Saint-Gobain and its Subsidiary Verallia North America with 2013 ENERGY STAR® Sustained Excellence Award for Continued Leadership in Energy Conservation
ENERGY STAR recognition and focus on energy conservation are a competitive business advantage for Verallia North America and Saint-Gobain's other North American subsidiaries
MUNCIE, Ind., March 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Saint-Gobain and Verallia North America, a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain and one of the leading glass container manufacturers in the United States for foods and beverages, have been awarded the ENERGY STAR® Sustained Excellence Award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for the third consecutive year. The award recognizes Saint-Gobain and Verallia North America's outstanding leadership in energy management and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Through Saint-Gobain and its family of companies, the Company continues to be the only manufacturer of glass containers or fiberglass insulation ever to receive the award.
"At Saint-Gobain, we feel a responsibility to lead by example as North American businesses come together to face the urgent need to improve energy efficiency," said John Crowe, President and CEO of Saint-Gobain and its largest North American subsidiary, CertainTeed Corporation. "Our 350-year history is rooted in the innovation and manufacturing of construction materials that enable people across the globe to live efficiently and comfortably in a healthy environment – and that includes protecting our natural resources here in North America in the 265 communities in which we operate and in which our 19,000 employees live."
This is the fifth consecutive year that Verallia North America and Saint-Gobain's other North American subsidiaries have been recognized by the EPA with an ENERGY STAR Award. Saint-Gobain and its subsidiaries were awarded the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award in 2009 and 2010, and then attained the prestigious level of Sustained Excellence in 2011, 2012 and 2013. The accomplishments of Verallia North America and Saint-Gobain's other subsidiaries will be recognized at an EPA awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on March 26.
"EPA is recognizing Saint-Gobain for earning EPA's highest ENERGY STAR award - the 2013 Partner of the Year - Sustained Excellence Award," said Bob Perciasepe, Acting Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. "Verallia North America leads the field with their commitment to energy efficiency and demonstrates how all Americans can save energy, save money, and create a healthier environment."
The EPA is recognizing Saint-Gobain and Verallia North America for their leadership in implementing a wide range of process improvements and energy management practices over several years. Since 2008, Saint-Gobain has improved energy intensity by 14.9 percent. In 2012, the Company's businesses in North America, including Verallia North America, were able to reduce their energy intensity (the amount of energy used to produce a unit of product) by 3.0 percent – equivalent to the amount of energy needed to make approximately 716 million typical glass containers. In addition, the energy savings achieved by the Company equate to avoiding more than 90,503 tons of carbon dioxide emissions last year.
Besides being the only manufacturer of glass containers to ever receive the EPA's ENERGY STAR award, Verallia North America also operates the only three glass container facilities that earned the ENERGY STAR Plant certification from the EPA in 2012, placing them among the top 25 percent of similar facilities nationwide in regard to energy efficiency performance levels set by the EPA.
One of the areas in which Verallia North America continues to focus is on increasing its use of recycled glass (cullet) to replace virgin raw materials. Using cullet in the manufacturing process saves energy, reduces emissions, including greenhouse gases, reduces roadway and waterway litter, and avoids the need to use new raw materials. Verallia North America is working with its suppliers to capture and recycle more cullet, and with government officials to identify ways to improve waste stream recovery in order to increase cullet availability.
"We are so pleased to be recognized by the EPA once again for our continued commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable operations," said Joseph R. Grewe, President and CEO of Verallia North America. "At Verallia North America, we will continue to identify and implement best practices that will enable us to further improve our energy efficiency."
About Verallia North America
Verallia North America, one of the leading glass container manufacturers in the United States, designs, develops and produces glass bottles and jars for the wine, beer, beverage, spirits and food containers markets. Verallia North America has approximately 4,400 employees and operates 13 plants, a state-of-the-art machine shop and a distribution center. In 2012, Verallia North America manufactured approximately 9 billion glass bottles and jars and had sales of $1.6 billion. For more information: www.us.verallia.com
About Saint-Gobain in North America
Saint-Gobain, the world's largest building materials company, has its North American headquarters in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. As the world leader in sustainable habitat, Saint-Gobain is committed to inventing solutions to help professionals and communities around the world build and renovate comfortable, healthy, economical and energy-efficient buildings. The company has more than 265 locations in North America and approximately 19,000 employees. In the United States and Canada, Saint-Gobain reported sales of approximately $7.9 billion in 2012.
Recognized as a 2009 and 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Saint-Gobain earned the 2011, 2012 and 2013 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award, the highest level of recognition for outstanding contributions to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. For more information about Saint-Gobain in North America, visit www.saint-gobain-northamerica.com and connect with the company on Facebook and Twitter.
About Saint-Gobain
Saint-Gobain, the world leader in habitat markets, provides innovative solutions to meet today's challenges of growth, energy efficiency, and environmental protection. With 2012 sales of $55.5 billion, Saint-Gobain operates in 64 countries and has nearly 190,000 employees. For more information about Saint-Gobain, please visit www.saint-gobain.com.
About ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money, and help protect the environment for future generations. Nearly 20,000 organizations are ENERGY STAR partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, and buildings. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).
Press Contacts:
Gina Behrman, APR
Verallia North America
765-741-7092 (office)
[email protected]
Dina Silver Pokedoff, APR
Saint-Gobain Corporation
610-341-7031 (office)
[email protected]
SOURCE Verallia North America
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