RACINE, Wis., Oct. 6, 2011 – SC Johnson announced today that it is seeking to build two to three wind turbines at its Waxdale manufacturing facility in Mount Pleasant, Wis., as part of its ongoing commitment to provide renewable energy for the plant.  The facility, the size of 36 football fields, is SC Johnson’s largest global manufacturing plant where the company makes products such as Glade®, Pledge®, Raid®, Scrubbing Bubbles® and Windex®. 

“Today nearly 40 percent of the company’s worldwide electricity comes from renewable energy, and we’re committed to making even greater progress,” said Fisk Johnson, Chairman and CEO, SC Johnson.  “Wind turbines at Waxdale, right here in the backyard of our corporate headquarters, is one of the many ways we are working to further reduce our environmental footprint.”

The wind turbines are the latest in a series of investments at Waxdale that together will enable the site to produce 100 percent of its electrical energy on-site with approximately 60 percent of it from renewable sources. The company expects the wind turbines will produce approximately 8 to 10 million kilowatt hours (KWH) of electrical energy per year or approximately 15 percent of the electrical energy used at Waxdale.

The remaining approximately 85 percent of Waxdale’s electrical energy requirements will be produced by two co-generation units installed during the last decade that produce electrical energy and steam. Approximately 27 million KWH per year or 45 percent will be renewable energy from landfill gases used by co-generation unit one; the remaining 23 million KWH or 40 percent will be from clean natural gas used by co-generation unit two.

Wind Turbines – The Benefits

A few facts about the proposed wind turbines include:

• The wind turbines will generate approximately 10 million KWH of electricity a year. That’s enough to power more than 850 homes in a year.
• The electricity generated will be the energy equivalent of more than 750,000 gallons of gasoline every year. 
• This effort will reduce carbon emissions associated with powering the Waxdale plant by six million metric tons. 

In addition to the practical energy and sustainability benefits, the investment in the company’s Waxdale facility continues SC Johnson’s commitment to manufacturing in the Racine community.

There are a number of planning approvals required to build the wind turbines. The company expects the wind turbines to be operational by the fall of 2012. 

Reducing Resource Use

Other initiatives that demonstrate the company’s commitment to renewable energy include:

• An innovative burner/boiler system that since 2007 has enabled the company’s Medan, Indonesia, factory to run on palm shells, the remaining waste of the palm oil industry. Rather than being burned as a waste product, the shells are used as a fuel source, transferring them to the value chain with minimal environmental impact and reducing the company’s diesel fuel usage by 80 percent.
• The 2009 construction of an 80-meter-tall wind turbine tower helps power SC Johnson’s European manufacturing facility in Mijdrecht, Netherlands. It produces approximately five–six million KWH of electricity a year – eliminating 3,500-4,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. 
• Continuing to push the winds of change, the company installed three SWIFT mini-wind turbines at its Racine, Wis. Corporate Headquarters in 2010 as a pilot program, with the goal of reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions while raising awareness that renewable energy can be used in urban settings. In their first year of operation, the mini-turbines have reduced GHGs by 580 pounds.
   

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About SC Johnson                 
SC Johnson is a family-owned and managed business 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 and pest control. 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 125-year-old company, that generates $9 billion in sales, employs approximately 12,000 people globally and sells products in virtually every country around the world. www.scjohnson.com