Today the Boeing Company brought the new ecoDemonstrator to Reagan National Airport in Washington. The eco Demonstrator program was started earlier this summer by Boeing, partnering with American Airlines, the FAA and other important partners.  The program uses an all new Boeing Next Generation 737-800 aircraft.

Boeing's ecoDemonstrator at Reagan National Airport.

The goal of the ecoDemonstrator program is to help accelerate advancements and innovation in efficiency, noise, airspace modernization and to reduce the environmental footprint. The ecoDemonstrator that we had the opportunity to tour today has many unique features to help achieve these goals to lead to a sustainable future.

Perhaps the most unique feature on the aircraft is the regenerative fuel cell which converts hydrogen and oxygen gas to electricity and water. The aircraft also features an adaptive trailing edge on the wings that reduces airframe noise on takeoff and landing. To improve efficiency the aircraft has active engine vibration control which allows the engine to run at lower speeds and reduces vibration and noise in the cabin. The ecoDemonstrator even has recyclable carpet tiles that can be individually replaced instead of having to replace the entire carpet in the cabin.

Boeing is continuing test flights of the ecoDemonstrator to gain as much as data about these new features as possible. And hopefully in the future you will see these innovations when you are catching a flight on a future family vacation.

The ecoDemonstrator is another great example of how manufacturers are continuing to innovate to build better and more sustainable products.

Earlier this week Longview Fibre Paper and Packaging, Inc. released their first-ever Sustainability Report, once again demonstrating the commitment of manufacturers to sustainable business practices.  Longview’s report highlights their safety and environmental protection improvements. 

This report illustrates how businesses can both grow and continue refining their sustainable practices to benefit the community, employees, and investors.  A few of the highlights for Longview are their large reduction of direct greenhouse gas emissions as well as overall reductions in energy and water usage. 

Longview is the most recent example of manufacturers committed to melding sustainability to their production processes while experiencing business growth. Manufacturers in the U.S. continue to increase their sustainable practices and prove they are global leaders in their dedication to innovative business approaches. 

You can read Longview Fibre Paper and Packaging, Inc.’s full press release click here, additionally their full Sustainability Report can be viewed here.

Alicia Meads is director of energy and resources policy, National Association of Manufacturers.

Manufacturers continue to set ambitious goals for their sustainability programs. Last month, International Paper, announced 12 voluntary sustainability goals which included:

• 15% improvement in energy efficiency in purchased energy use;
• 20% absolute reduction in global GHG emissions associated with production; and,
• 15% global increase in third-party certified fiber volume.

Other goals focused on philanthropy, safety and water use. These benchmarks were part of International Paper’s 2011 Sustainability Report which also highlighted achievements such as an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Climate Leadership Award, improvements in worker safety and sustainability accolades from Fortune Magazine and the Ethisphere Institute.

In a press release, Chairman and CEO John Faraci stated, “At International Paper, sustainability is more than a business practice. Environmental, social and economic performance has been at the core of our company for more than 110 years. Stewardship of the forestland and surrounding habitat is ingrained in our company’s DNA.”

We applaud International Paper’s efforts and look forward to tracking the company’s progress as it works to achieve these sustainability goals.

Unilever continues to make progress towards its ten-year sustainability goals, the senior leadership team reported today during a briefing on the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan Progress Report 2011 before key opinion leaders in Washington, D.C.

By 2020, the company aims to help more than one billion people improve their health and wellbeing, halve the environmental footprint of its products, and source 100% of its agricultural raw materials sustainably. In addition, Unilever is designing new products which are more sustainable and encourage people to consume more sustainability. For example, the company manufactures food products with recyclable packaging and other products that will help consumers use less water while washing and showering.

Other highlights of Unilever’s progress include:

• Sustainable sourcing – 100% of its palm oil used in the U.S. is now sourced sustainably (find out more information on sustainable palm oil here).
• Hygiene – 48 million people reached with Lifebuoy soap’s handwashing programs in 2010 and 2011.
• Nutrition – good progress in reducing saturated fat in products and eliminating trans fat.
• Drinking water – 35 million people gained access to safe drinking water from Pureit system since 2005.

Kees Kruythoff, Head of Unilever North America, noted that the company is committed to building upon the progress it has made so far as part of its ten-year plan. We look forward to tracking the company’s success as it continues to enhance the sustainability of its products, its operations and supply chain.

The Hershey Company recently announced that three of its manufacturing facilities in Pennsylvania have achieved “Zero-Waste-to-Landfill” (ZWL) status due to the company’s ongoing recycling and waste management efforts. According to the press release, ZWL means that manufacturing waste from these three facilities has been eliminated from landfill disposal.

Approximately 90 percent of this waste is recycled, and the remaining 10 percent is converted to energy at nearby waste-to-energy incinerators in Bainbridge, PA and Harrisburg, PA. This announcement underscores the company’s long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability. Founder Milton Hershey started the company’s first recycling center in Hershey in 1937, long before recycling and waste reduction were common practices.

Terence O’Day, Senior Vice President of Global Operations stated in the release, “We are proud of our role as stewards of the environment and of our progress in eliminating waste from our operations. We achieved ZWL at these facilities through a rigorous process of eliminating waste, recycling and converting waste to energy. Our employees understand the importance of sustainability across our company and are working together to reach our reduction goals.”

In addition to its recycling achievements, the company has also invested in solar panels to generate electricity at several facilities and made commitments to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

Alicia Meads is director of energy and resources policy, National Association of Manufacturers.

Furthering its commitment to sustainability, NAM member Bayer Corporation last week opened an electric vehicle charging station for employees at its U.S. headquarters in Pittsburgh. The Bayer charging station is one of the 45 stations that will be built along Pennsylvania Interstate 376 as part of the “Energy 376 Corridor” project. The project’s goal is to create one of the most extensive charging station networks in the country. The station is located next to Bayer’s EcoCommercial Building Conference Center, which is a net-zero energy facility.

Dan Santmyer, Director of Operations at the Bayer Pittsburgh site, said in a press release, “the installation of the EV charging station is part of the company’s global commitment to sustainability. We are proud to provide our employees with the infrastructure that supports their efforts to drive, rent or purchase EV’s and reduce their personal footprint on the environment.”

Learn more about Bayer’s comprehensive sustainability program here.

Last weekend software company SAP’s unique approach to sustainability was featured on the season premiere of John Holden’s “The Green Room” on the Discovery Channel. SAP helps its customers, including manufacturers, implement programs to help their companies run more efficiently and sustainably.

Holden highlights SAP’s cutting-edge “Green IT” solutions help companies establish more energy efficient computing operations. SAP Chief Sustainability Officer Peter Graf estimates that Green IT could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 16 percent. 

Holden also notes that SAP’s commitment to sustainability does not stop with its customers. The company has a robust corporate sustainability program which aims to reduce the company’s environmental impact. SAP’s offices have high-efficiency data centers, solar roof panels, a fleet of electric vehicles and charging stations in the employee parking lots.

Learn more about SAP’s top-notch sustainability services here. Its 2010 Sustainability Report is available here. 

Alicia Meads is director of energy and resources policy, National Association of Manufacturers.