We use garbage, waste palm shells and wind to help power our facilities, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and use of fossil fuels. Here's a look at several of our key projects.

Clean Gusts of Green Energy

In 2008, SC Johnson secured a source of wind power for nearly half of the electricity required to run our Bay City, Michigan factory. The plant, which produces Ziploc® brand bags, was one of the first manufacturing facilities in Michigan to incorporate wind energy.

And what a difference it makes! The deal helps SC Johnson keep 29,500 tons of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere annually. The energy saved could supply 1,800 average homes in a year. And the CO2 reduction is like taking almost 3,000 cars off the road each year.

Similarly, in 2009, SC Johnson launched its first owned and operated windmill at our largest manufacturing plant in Europe, called Europlant. Located in Mijdrecht, The Netherlands, Europlant produces brands such as Glade®, Duck® and Mr. Muscle®.

The 417-foot wind turbine generates about 42 percent of the electricity to power our plant, preventing 1,650 metric tons of GHG emissions annually.

In January of 2010, we continued to push the winds of change by launching an urban wind energy pilot program at our headquarters campus in Racine, Wisconsin. The goal is to reduce our greenhouse gas usage while at the same time raising awareness that renewable energy can be used in urban settings.

In 2011, we began exploring adding two or three wind turbines at our Waxdale manufacturing facility in Racine, Wisconsin, where we produce brands such Glade®, Pledge®, Scrubbing Bubbles®, Windex® and Raid®. 

The turbines would be the latest in a series of investments at Waxdale that, together, would enable the site to produce 100 percent of its electrical energy on-site with approximately 60 percent of it from renewable sources. 

If the project receives local, state and federal approvals, the wind turbines will generate enough electricity to power 850 homes in a year. That’s the energy equivalent of more than 750,000 gallons of gasoline. Importantly, the effort will reduce the carbon emissions associated with powering the Waxdale plant by six million metric tons.

From Landfill Trash to Energy Treasure

In 2003, we built our first cogeneration turbine in Racine, Wisconsin to provide power for our largest global factory. At 2.2 million square feet, the Waxdale plant is the home of well-known products from brands like Windex®, Glade® and Scrubbing Bubbles®.

While SC Johnson and other companies have been tapping landfill resources for decades, Waxdale used new technology to create electricity for power and generate steam to heat operations. Using only landfill gas, the turbine produces 3,200 kilowatts of electricity and 19,000 pounds of steam per hour.

It was so successful that in 2004 we announced plans to build a second turbine for Waxdale, using a mixture of landfill and natural gas. The two turbines combine to generate the entire daily base load of electricity for Waxdale, as well as 50-100% (depending on the season) of the steam needed for operations. See it in action here.

Best of all, the turbines significantly reduce our reliance on coal-fired electricity and eliminate 52,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year. That’s like taking 5,200 cars off the road or returning 298 railroad cars full of coal to the ground annually.

Power from Waste Palm Shells

Indonesia is another place where we’re putting someone else's waste to good use. In 2007, we launched a biomass initiative using palm shells, the remaining waste of the palm oil industry, at our factory in Medan.

As a waste product, palm shells are often burned under uncontrolled conditions. By using them as a fuel source, SC Johnson transfers them back into the value chain with minimal environmental impact. Palm shells also work well as a biofuel. With our palm shell burner/boiler system, we’ve cut greenhouse gas emissions at our Medan factory by more than 15%, while reducing diesel fuel use by 80%.

Importantly, we’re making sure our supply of palm shells is sustainable and responsible, with supply chain policies that ensure the shells are purchased from a single, verified sustainable source.