Blount receives EPA achievement award
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) presented Blount International, Inc. with a National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) Achievement Award for voluntarily reducing lead at its manufacturing facility in Portland, Ore. Jason Smith, environmental manager for Blount, Inc., accepted the award at an EPA ceremony March 22 in Washington, D.C.
Blount applied to the EPA’s NPEP program in June 2008 as part of its commitment to improve all aspects of its business on a continuing basis. As part of this voluntary national program, Blount’s Portland facility committed to reduce the amount of lead used to manufacture its products by 35 percent, or approximately 1,400 pounds. As a result of reducing lead in the facility’s processes, the reduction project also reduced the annual generation of related waste by 63,000 pounds and wastewater by 800,000 gallons.
“We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished in cooperation with the NPEP program in a relatively short period of time, and our partnership with the EPA is just one of many ways we demonstrate our commitment to sustainable manufacturing processes,” said Josh Collins, president and chief executive officer for Blount International, Inc. “The program is a natural fit with Blount’s other sustainability-related projects focused on reducing water discharge, minimizing use of hazardous materials, and reducing energy consumption.”
Blount International, Inc. is a global company whose principal business is the Outdoor Products segment. Blount sells its products in more than 100 countries around the world. For more information about Blount, please visit its Web site at www.blount.com.