BEST Award winner, 2009 – BEST Practices for Sustainability: Large
BEST Award winner, 2000 – Waste Reduction
Epson Portland Inc. is a manufacturing subsidiary of Japan's Seiko Epson Corporation. Through initiatives like Zero Waste to Landfill, Clean Wind, Salmon-Safe Certification and innovative energy reductions, they strive to maximize our environmental stewardship.
Epson Portland has implemented innovative recycling and waste reduction programs such as the reclamation and regrinding of waste plastic for reuse in the molding of new ink cartridge parts, the reuse of ink barrels, and the reduction of cushioning materials for bulk-packed ink.
EPI has sent zero waste to landfill since March of 2000, by paying to have non-reusable or recyclable materials sent to Covanta Energy in Brooks, Oregon, where waste is incinerated and used to create energy. In the past nine years, EPI has recycled or otherwise diverted over 8,143,000 pounds of materials from the landfill.
Ink cartridge manufacturing has to be done in a cleanroom environment, which requires a great deal of electricity. In late 2008, EPI implemented two projects to dramatically reduce energy needs. By reducing the use of two HVAC units and replacing the HEPA filtration system with more efficient filters, Epson Portland was able to cut electricity needs of the system by 49%. These changes involved a huge, coordinated effort between employees, the facilities department, and over 20 outside contractors.
In addition, Epson has purchased 10% wind power since 2003 and 15% since 2007.
Epson Portland is in its second year of certification under the Salmon-Safe program, and has had environmental engineers visit the site to identify potential areas for stormwater management enhancements.
EPI captures non-potable water from its ink manufacturing process and uses it as flush water for low-flow toilets. The company also maintains an extremely conservative summer landscape irrigation program, made possible by a switch several years ago to native vegetation instead of high-water-needs-plants and flowers.
Epson Portland has encouraged a neighboring business to join their employee-initiated Styrofoam recycling program, shared their environmental program designs with other companies to promote sustainable practices, and collaborated with Metro and other companies to offer Electronic Collection Events. In 2008, Epson Portland worked with Intel to collect over 54,000 pounds of unwanted electronics which were either refurbished and given to schools, or responsibly recycled.
The company has a long history of partnership with the Jackson Bottom Wetlands Preserve in south Hillsboro, donating well over $50,000 in the last 11 years to help support construction of its educational center, build an interactive display on natural resource conservation and recycling, and, most recently, to fund the educational programs delivered to the over 6,000 school children who visit the Preserve each year.
