Racine, Wisconsin – On December 16, SC Johnson celebrated the anniversary of one of its recent renewable energy investments, two wind turbines at the company’s largest manufacturing facility, Waxdale, in Mt. Pleasant, Wisconsin. These turbines have successfully cut nearly 6,000 metric tons of greenhouse gases in their first year. Combined with the site’s cogeneration systems already in place, the Waxdale facility, which is the size of 36 football fields, is now able to generate, on average, 100 percent of its electrical energy onsite.
The wind power from these turbines significantly contributes to SC Johnson’s renewable energy goals. The company recently reported that it is on track to reach its five-year goal of sourcing 33 percent of its global energy from renewable sources.
“As a family company, SC Johnson has long been committed to reducing its environmental footprint, and investing in renewable energy is a critical part of our business strategy,” said Kelly M. Semrau, Chief Sustainability Officer at SC Johnson. “The results achieved with the wind turbines at our Waxdale facility are just one example that demonstrate our desire to lessen our footprint and positively impact communities around the world.”
Over the past decade, the company has undertaken 10 renewable energy initiatives around the globe, including wind power, solar, and cogeneration. These initiatives have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by more than 110,500 metric tons per year, which is equivalent to:
- The emissions from 23,021 passenger vehicles** or
- The emissions from the total energy use of 5,519 homes for one year** or
- The emissions from 15,204 homes’ electricity use for one year** or
- The emissions from 4,604,167 propane tanks used for home barbeque grills**
Renewable Energy Results at Waxdale
In December 2012, SC Johnson commissioned two 415-foot wind turbines at Waxdale, in Mt. Pleasant, Wisconsin, and one year later, the results are impressive. The wind turbines have cut 6,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually and have produced nearly 8 million kilowatts (KWh) of electricity since December 2012 – enough energy to power 700 homes over the course of a year.*
Coupled with the cogeneration system that SC Johnson installed in 2003, which cuts 47,250 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year, Waxdale now produces 100 percent – on average – of its electrical energy on-site.* Waxdale is currently the site of the largest company-owned wind turbine manufacturing project in the Midwest and serves as the production headquarters for trusted products such as Glade®, Windex®, Pledge®, Scrubbing Bubbles®, Shout®, Raid® and OFF!®.
SC Johnson’s Global Renewable Energy Commitment
In addition to the wind energy and cogeneration projects in Mt. Pleasant, Wisconsin, SC Johnson’s renewable energy initiatives span the globe:
- Solar projects in Shanghai, China, provide hot water heating for several company operations and cut 70 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.*
- A wind power initiative in Toluca, Mexico, enables the facility to receive 86 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, which cuts 3,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.*
- The company’s first owned wind turbine in Mijdrecht, The Netherlands, was installed in 2009 and now generates 50 percent of the electricity for the local facility while cutting 2,100 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.*
- The use of waste palm oil shells in Medan, Indonesia, serves as a fuel source to heat water, which reduces local diesel use by 80 percent and transfers waste back to the value chain. This cuts 6,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.*
- A biofuel initiative in Surabaya, Indonesia, uses waste husks from rice grains as a fuel source for heating water used in mosquito coil production, which cuts 7,090 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually.*
Source: SC Johnson.
Notes:
* GHG data represents annual savings.
** Data acquired from the EPA.
About SC Johnson
SC Johnson is a family company dedicated to innovative, high-quality products, excellence in the workplace, and a long-term commitment to the environment and the communities in which it operates. Based in the USA, the company is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of household cleaning products and products for home storage, air care, pest control and shoe care. It markets such well-known brands as GLADE®, KIWI®, OFF!®, PLEDGE®, RAID®, SCRUBBING BUBBLES®, SHOUT®, WINDEX® and ZIPLOC® in the U.S. and beyond, with brands marketed outside the U.S. including AUTAN®, TANA®, BAMA®, BAYGON®, BRISE®, KABIKILLER®, KLEAR®, MR MUSCLE®, and RIDSECT®. The 127-year-old company generates $ 9 billion in sales, employs nearly 13,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. For more information, visit www.scjohnson.com.
