SILVER SPRING, MD - The National Ready Mixed Concrete Association's Green-Star Program continued its strong growth across the United States in October and November as more concrete producers realize the benefits of striving toward environmental excellence throughout their batch plant operations. Over the past two months, an extensive list of ready mix plants from across the U.S. operated by NRMCA members has earned the NRMCA Green-Star label, including many which are the first to be certified in their respective states. The October listings include:
- Aggregate Industries, Waltham, MA
- Cemex, Bunnell, FL - first Green-Star Plant in Florida
- Aggregate Industries, Fargo, ND - first Green-Star Plant in North Dakota
- Chandler Concrete, Salisbury, NC
- Aggregate Industries, operating as Meyer Material Company, West Allis, WI
- Aggregate Industries, operating as Meyer Material Company, McHenry, IL
- Aggregate Industries, operating as Hardaway Concrete, Columbia, SC
- Aggregate Industries, Angola, IN
- Concrete Supply Company, Concord and Gastonia, NC
- Aggregate Industries, Portsmouth, NH - first Green-Star Plant in New Hampshire
In November, the NRMCA Green-Star program's growth continued, including the 50th plant that was certified:
- Ready Mixed Concrete Company, Taylorsville, NC
- Aggregate Industries, operating as Meyer Material Company, Burlington, WI
- Aggregate Industries, operating as Meyer Material Company, Lake Bluff, IL - *the 50th Green-Star plant
- Boxley Concrete, Martinsville, VA
- Cemstone, East Bethel, MN
Click here for a complete list of NRMCA Green-Star plants.
Senior executives of these companies expressed pride with earning the NRMCA Green-Star designation.
"I am extremely proud of the employees at our Salisbury facility who worked hard to earn the NRMCA Green Star certification. It is a rigorous process and reinforces our company's commitment to being a good steward of the environment in all the communities where we operate. My goal is to ultimately have all our plants achieve this certification and we are working hard to make this happen," said Ted Chandler, president of Chandler Concrete.
"Aggregate Industries has a strong environmental management system (EMS) based on the ISO 14000 principles," said Aggregate Industries CEO and president Will Glusac. "An EMS to proactively manage environmental issues is just as important as safety, quality and production. When a company does not have a system in place for any aspect of their business (i.e.; environmental, safety, quality, etc.), the problems manage the company instead of the company proactively engaging the issues and managing the problems."
"All of the companies listed have set a series of comprehensive environmental goals and use forward thinking metrics to monitor and measure goal progress," said Denise Corrales, chairperson of the NRMCA Environmental Task Group from member company Cemex.
"This program continues its strong growth because it's a great example of the ready mixed concrete industry's commitment to environmental stewardship," added NRMCA President Robert Garbini. "Passing the 50-plant milestone in such a short time since the NRMCA Green-Star inception is very impressive, but I believe its popularity will only increase now that the benefits are well known throughout the industry."
NRMCA's Green-Star program is a plant-specific certification that utilizes an EMS-based on a model of continual improvement. Potential Green-Star benefits include:
- Favored Status - Customers favor doing business with organizations that are known to be protective of the environment.
- Increased Revenues - Organizations will attain savings through efforts in pollution prevention and waste reduction.
- Improved Efficiency - Sound, consistent environmental management methods will improve profits.
- Community Goodwill - An organization's stance on environmental policy and action may be the most important factor in achieving and maintaining a community's goodwill.
- Reduction of Liability and Risk - An organization is less apt to have environmental problems by using a pro-active EMS that documents results and is committed to continual improvement.
Through funding from the RMC Research & Education Foundation, NRMCA is currently assisting in the development of Sustainable Concrete Plant Guidelines that will provide additional guidance to ready mixed concrete companies for enhancement of their environmental footprint. The guidelines will provide details on how concrete plants can further reduce energy consumption, carbon footprint and waste and potable water use along with increasing recycled material in concrete. The guidelines provide practical solutions to meet goals outlined in the NRMCA Sustainability Initiatives (www.nrmca.org/sustainability) recently adopted by the NRMCA Board of Directors.
