To spotlight our Third Annual Environmental Innovation Awards, for the next several weeks, we will be looking back at previous winners. One of the four Environmental Innovation Award categories is what we call “Beyond Environmental Sustainability.” That is, recognizing a company that has implemented unique and uniquely creative leading-edge solutions and initiatives. Our 2009 winner in this category was AllpakTrojan, a Renton, WA-based designer, printer, converter, and fabricator of packaging and displays for both consumer and industrial products and applications. AllpakTrojan practices lean manufacturing, is FSC-certified and a member of the EPA Climate Leaders Program, and in 2009 were pursuing ISO 14001 certification. They attracted the eye of our judges for a number of the company’s waste management programs, including recycling 100% of their paper trimmings and waste oil, reducing VOC emissions by 90% since 2001, implementing radiant heat that reduced the amount of energy consumed by 30%, and installing F32T8 bulbs in nearly all of their lighting units. They also buy renewable energy credits to support clean wind energy. Said Alyson Meade, Sustainability Coordinator for Allpak Trojan, in a 2009 interview with Going Green:

Although the company has been making environmental improvements for over twenty years, the program became formalized three years ago. The EMS addresses the following four key areas: Products and Equipment; Efficiency and Protection; Employees and Jobs and Commitments and Relationships. The logical first step in improving our “green” efforts was to take a look at the materials we buy, evaluate the equipment we use and the products we offer. For example, using vegetable-based inks, improving our plate-making process and becoming FSC certified. We found that we were able to make numerous improvements relatively easily. In some instances, we decided to go the extra step, so that we could offer more environmentally friendly products to our customers. The next step in our process was review how we run the facility and make improvements. Again, some changes were effortless, while some took more budgeting and planning, such as incorporating Lean Manufacturing techniques, becoming ISO 14001 certified and installing a $200,000 waste water treatment system.

Where are they now? Says Alyson Meade, “Well, since we won the award, we have increased our energy offset to 15% in support of wind power. We are SFI-certified in addition to our FSC certificate.  We are also ISO 14001 certified. Finally, we’ve installed some new pieces of equipment that significantly reduce fiber, as well as the amount of energy and manpower needed to make the box.” We will be profiling other past winners in upcoming Going Green posts. Applications are now being accepted for the 2011 Environmental Innovation Awards. Download applications here.