September 23, 2021
BOISE — The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is recognizing Alta Forest Products LLC, J&M Sanitation, Republic Services, and Glanbia Foods as 2021 Pollution Prevention Champions for their efforts to reduce the generation of pollution in Idaho.
Each applicant demonstrated how they incorporated pollution prevention strategies into daily operations, including reducing water and energy consumption, decreasing the use of acids and chlorine disinfectants, and reusing materials and products.
The announcement comes during the celebration of Pollution Prevention Week in Idaho, as proclaimed by Governor Brad Little, and during the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Pollution Prevention Act in which Congress identified prevention as the preferred method for reducing waste and pollution.
For more information on how to incorporate pollution prevention in your business, visit http://www.deq.idaho.gov/pollution-prevention/.
Award Summaries
Alta Forest Products— Alta Forest Products is the world’s largest producer of wooden fence boards. The company’s Naples, Idaho, facility has adopted many pollution prevention strategies, including a rigorous approach to reducing energy use, deploying a zero-waste policy that focusses on reducing wood waste and reusing wood waste products, retaining stormwater on-site to protect two local creeks, and improving milling processes to minimize hazardous compounds generated during mill maintenance.
“Alta Forest Products shows how the timber industry in Idaho can lead the way in achieving sustainability and reducing waste, continuing a proud tradition in the wood products industry that is foundational to Idaho’s economy and culture,” observed Ben Jarvis, DEQ’s pollution prevention coordinator.
To learn more about Alta Forest Products, visit their website at https://www.altafp.com/.
J&M Sanitation — J&M Sanitation is being recognized as a Pollution Prevention Champion for replacing two diesel trucks with two fully electric Class 8 Automated Side Loader garbage trucks on its Kuna residential collection routes. The company has reduced its air emissions by 75% and set a future goal of eliminating the company’s air emissions entirely. The deployment of these trucks is particularly impactful due to the significant renewable and low-carbon electricity generation used to recharge the truck batteries.
“J&M Sanitation is showing Idaho that the electrification of transportation is not a distant dream but a current and effective reality, even for the most rigorous and demanding jobs. Residents of the Treasure Valley will be pleased to be reaping the pollution prevention benefits of these trucks for years to come,” noted Jarvis.
The garbage trucks serve 800 homes in Kuna every day while lifting and transporting 18 tons of waste with nearly 20% of the battery charge remaining. Connect with J&M Sanitation on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Waste-Management-Company/JM-Sanitation-Inc-586400404879654/.
Republic Services – Republic Services provides trash, recycling, and composting pickup service to residents and businesses throughout the Boise metro area. Previously recognized in 2011 for its deployment of natural gas-fueled garbage trucks, Republic Services is once again leading the way to cleaner air in the Treasure Valley by adopting a rigorous approach to sustainability and pollution prevention. Among its initiatives include the continued reliance on a primarily natural gas-fueled truck fleet, which has over 20% lower carbon intensity than conventional diesel-fueled trucks.
“Republic Services is committed to strengthening its relationship with the residents of the Treasure Valley by continuously improving its service and reducing the environmental impact of its operations. The company has been a perennial leader in demonstrating the value of conservation and pollution prevention and why it not only benefits its customers but is a financially sustainable business strategy as well,” stated Jarvis.
To learn more about Republic Services, visit their website: http://local.republicservices.com/site/idaho.
Glanbia Foods — Glanbia Foods is a manufacturer of dairy and whey-based products and is the number one producer of American-style cheddar cheese, the number one global producer of whey-based nutritional solutions, and the second-largest global producer of premixes. Their Gooding, Idaho, facility has implemented several pollution prevention measures that have allowed the company to reduce waste and resource intensity for its cleaning operations.
“Food processing is one of the most significant cornerstones of Idaho’s economy and Glanbia is demonstrating that it can be done more efficiently, with less waste and less impact on the environment. We are so happy to be able to celebrate the wonderful pollution prevention accomplishments in food processing, and hope that Glanbia’s leadership will spill over to other companies inside and outside of Idaho,” said Jarvis.
Glanbia’s most significant improvements have been the “clean-in-place” system at the company’s Gooding facility. Process improvements helped save 10 million gallons of water per year and reduced the use of cleaning acid by 40%, chlorine by 21%, and nitric acid by 13%. To learn more about Glanbia, visit their website at https://www.glanbia.com/.
Staff Contact
Ben Jarvis
Pollution Prevention & Continuous Improvement Lead
ben.jarvis@deq.idaho.gov