Operating our business to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs is a good working definition of sustainability.
It’s also part of the philosophical framework that has guided Nufarm since its inception in the 1950s. Today, we are placing increasing emphasis on sustainability across our entire organization of more than 4,000 associates.
In this area, Nufarm is working to become a zero-emission organization. Over the last few years, we have made dramatic strides in measuring, managing and reducing water use and the generation of solid and liquid wastes from our various facilities around the world.
Globally, our water use per ton of product manufactured has dropped from over 8 tons to less than 2.5 tons in the last several years, thanks to a wide array of conservation measures. Less measurable, but no less impactful, is the extensive promotion by Nufarm of water-saving farming methods, particularly in our home country of Australia, where water is perennially scarce. Here in the United States, our Chicago Heights formulation plant has been at the forefront of our water conservation efforts. The plant manufactures millions of gallons of product per year, and does so with zero liquid emissions from manufacturing processes. Instead, water used for clean-up is captured and recycled (after appropriate testing) into future production batches. Rainwater from building roofs is likewise captured and used internally, and even the drainage from our parking lot is impounded and tested to ensure it is not contaminated prior to release to the local sewage treatment facility.
Our solid waste reduction efforts are equally impressive. While the site does generate solid waste, nearly half of that waste is recycled. By focusing on ‘upstream’ sources of waste (such as raw materials packaging) we reduced the amount of solid waste by 23 percent from 2007 to 2008. Beyond the plant, we have worked with customers to shift higher-volume products from jugs and barrels to reusable ‘totes’ and to bulk product shipped in tractor-trailers. For our glyphosate products alone, this eliminates the use of about 3 million disposable jugs per year.
Over the last several years, Nufarm has made significant advances in decreasing CO2 emissions, from 260,000 tons worldwide in 2000 to less than 120,000 tons in 2008. At the same time, production volume has increased dramatically – from 320,000 tons in 2000 to nearly 500,000 tons in 2008.
Our reductions in CO2 are primarily the result of a shift to lower energy-intensive formulations. At our U.S. formulation facility (Chicago Heights, Ill.), calculated emissions of CO2 and NOX have increased slightly in total, but at a rate in line or lower than the increase in our production volume.
For 2010, we are shifting our transport method from truck to rail for products shipped from our Chicago Heights location to Canada. This change will decrease greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 245 tons per year. Additionally, we are moving to a contracted warehouse that features energy efficient lighting, resulting in about 30% lower energy use. And, in the spirit that even small steps matter, our headquarters building now features motion sensitive office lighting to further reduce our carbon footprint.
As a global company with sales in more than 100 countries and manufacturing in 25 countries, Nufarm is committed to providing fulfilling, sustainable employment to local residents whenever possible. At the same time, we bring the same high standards to the area of human resources as we do to technical processes.
Our aim is to engage a healthy, skilled and involved workforce dedicated to responsible, ethical and safe production. Over the last 10 years, extensive training and improved processes have helped us decrease our lost time injury frequency rate (LTIFR) by more than two-thirds. Likewise, our medical treatment injury frequency rate (MTIFR) and the severity of incidents have decreased dramatically. We offer U.S. employees extensive, affordable benefits including healthcare, life, long-term disability and long-term care options. Just as importantly, we engage all of our associates worldwide in proactive efforts, such as free, comprehensive health screenings, that can identify emerging health issues (such as hypertension or diabetes) which can be better managed with early detection. At our Chicago Heights facility, we have recently added automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) at several locations in the plant for use in case of cardiac arrest, and we have expanded the size and capabilities of our first aid station. We also offer first aid training to any permanent employee who wants it – a benefit not only at work, but in their homes and communities as well.
Nufarm associates take pride in being deeply involved in and committed to their communities. Our policies – such as matching contributions – encourage this involvement, and our leadership demonstrates commitment to community in numerous, innovative ways.
The newest of these is our online auction, a website that allows Nufarm and its employees to sell excess goods with the proceeds donated to charitable causes. Nufarm administers the site (and even covers shipping costs for employees buying goods).
Our Chicago Heights team has adopted a local school – Kennedy Elementary – in a project that funds school activities through money raised from recycled toner and ink cartridges.
Yearly, a team of Nufarm volunteers meets at Arlington National Cemetery to engage in “Remembrance and Renewal,” a green industry initiative to maintain and improve the grounds of the nation’s largest and most important cemetery. In 2009, more than 50 Nufarm associates and family members lent their energy and expertise to this effort.
