In December 2012, SC Johnson started up its newest clean energy project – two 415-foot wind turbines at Waxdale, the company’s largest global manufacturing facility. The initiative aims to help further minimize SC Johnson’s dependence on fossil fuels.

Now Made with Wind

The addition of the turbines means that products made at Waxdale – trusted brands like Scrubbing Bubbles®, Glade® and Windex® – will now be made using clean energy. The wind turbines will produce about 8 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity annually – enough to power 700 homes in a year. Combined with two cogeneration turbines that have been in place since the mid-2000s, Waxdale is now able to produce an average of 100 percent of its electrical energy onsite.

You can find out more about our new turbines by reading our press release or checking out our wind turbine infographics library.

And, that’s just part of our clean energy story.

Here’s a tour of our clean energy initiatives around the world.

Cogeneration

Mt. Pleasant, Wisconsin
SC Johnson now employs two cogeneration systems at Waxdale, its largest global manufacturing facility. Using waste methane gas from a nearby public landfill and clean-burning natural gas, the turbines generate 85 percent of the facility's electrical energy.  See it in action here.
Impact: Eliminates more than 47,250 metric tons of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions each year.

Medan, Indonesia
Using waste palm shells as a fuel source to heat water for mosquito coil production at the company’s manufacturing facility in Medan, Indonesia, SC Johnson is transferring a waste product back into the value chain with minimal impact. This has cut GHG emissions at the Medan factory by more than 15 percent.
Impact: Reduces local diesel fuel use by 80 percent and reduces GHG emissions by 350 metric tons per year.

Surabaya, Indonesia
New in 2012, a biofuel initiative at SC Johnson’s manufacturing facility in Surabaya, Indonesia uses waste husks from rice grains as a fuel source. Consuming rice husks rather than diesel fuel, the Surabaya boiler is expected to generate about 6 million kcal per hour to heat water used in mosquito coil production.
Impact: Expected to reduce GHG emissions by 7,090 metric tons per year.

Solar Power

Shanghai, China
At SC Johnson’s facility in Shanghai, China, several solar projects help provide hot water heating. One provides hot water for food service and other office needs. Solar-heated waste water from the facility’s steam piping network aids aerosol production. And, the Quality Control lab uses solar-heated water as well.
Impact: Reduces GHG emissions by about 70 metric tons per year.

Wind Power

Bay City, Michigan
Since 2008, SC Johnson has been purchasing wind power from a dedicated nearby wind farm to help power its Bay City, Michigan, manufacturing facility, which produces Ziploc® Brand bags. During 2011, the wind farm supplied 46 percent of the energy required to run the Bay City facility.
Impact: Keeps about 30,800 metric tons of GHGs out of the atmosphere annually.

Mijdrecht, The Netherlands
In 2009, SC Johnson started up its first company-owned wind turbine in Mijdrecht, The Netherlands, to power its European manufacturing facility, known as Europlant. The turbine generates 50 percent of the energy for Europlant.
Impact: Keeps 2,100 metric tons of GHG emissions out of the atmosphere annually and produced 5.5 million kWh of electricity in 2011/12 – the amount used by 1,585 households in The Netherlands.

Racine, Wisconsin
In 2010, SC Johnson began testing three SWIFT mini wind turbines at its global headquarters campus in Racine, Wisconsin. The goal has been to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and, in addition, to raise awareness that renewable energy can be used in urban settings.
Impact: Cut GHG emissions by .26 metric tons or 580 pounds in its first year of operation.

Lowell, Arkansas
In 2012, SC Johnson added three SWIFT mini wind turbines to the roof of its Lowell, Arkansas, sales office. Depending on wind conditions, the turbines should be capable of generating as much as 3,600 kWh of electricity annually.
Impact: Keeps 2.5 metric tons of GHGs out of the atmosphere annually.

Mt. Pleasant, Wisconsin
With the completion of SC Johnson’s new wind turbines at Waxdale, the manufacturing facility will be able to generate, on average, 100 percent of electrical energy onsite. The wind turbines will generate about 8 million kWh of electricity per year – the equivalent of powering more than 700 homes annually – while the remaining electrical energy will come from Waxdale’s two cogeneration turbines.
Impact: Will reduce annual GHG emissions associated with powering Waxdale by 6,000 metric tons.