NEW KENSINGTON, PA – Yerecic Label has been honored with the Environmental Leadership Award at the 2014 Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute, Inc. (TLMI) Annual Meeting on Monday, October 13th. Yerecic Label has long been a leader in sustainability, having diverted 99.4% of its waste away from landfills in order to become landfill free as far back as February 2013.
“Becoming landfill free was a big initiative for Yerecic Label in 2013,” said President Art Yerecic. “Consumers and buyers are becoming more conscious of environmental issues and are seeking products with sustainable business practices. It’s important for us to be able to assure our customers and end-users that we are dedicated to preserving the environment.”
“As a company, we are passionate about making our practices sustainable and eco-friendly,” agreed VP of Manufacturing Brian Hurst. “Since 2010, we have taken it upon ourselves to remove solid waste, eliminate chemical waste and reduce energy usage in order to create measurable environmental benefits.”
Hurst plays a big part in Yerecic's suitability initiatives as the leader of its Label Initiative for the Environment (L.I.F.E. ®) team, a TLMI program which the company has been a certified member of since 2010. He leads a cross functional group of 10 associates from all departments within the company. According to a press release, the L.I.F.E. Program assesses a company based on a variety of criteria which include clean production techniques, waste numbers and the organization’s commitment to the environment.
In addition to its landfill free initiative, Yerecic Label has also:
- 2011: Purchased 20% of its electricity from renewable sources.
- 2012: Changed from halogen lighting to T-5 high efficiency lighting, decreasing energy usage by 34% the first year, and an additional 10% in 2013, based on the square footage of the facility.
- 2013: Installed a new compactor which has diverted 2.5 million pounds, or 1,264 tons, of landfill from waste to energy. An evaluation of the BTU's generated showed this waste-to-energy program has produced enough heat since its inception to supply 290 houses for an entire year.
Yerecic Label makes it a point to help others take the same strides which have brought it so much success. An active participant on the TLMI Environmental Committee, it shares its knowledge and best practices with other TLMI members and the rest of the label industry. Yerecic Label has in fact assisted three label converters in their successful attempts to gain L.I.F.E.® certification through the L.I.F.E.® mentor program.
Congratulations on the well deserved Environmental Leadership Award, Yerecic Label!
