Design Highlights of Atlanta’s New Terminal:

• A separate entrance for international travelers will reduce airport lines
• Soaring glass windows for great views of the airfields
• An air-focused art collection valued at more then $5 million

Besides being more aesthetically pleasing and efficient, the Atlanta Airport also made commitments to being green. Various environmentally friendly elements put the airport on track to earn silver certification through the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program.

Sustainability Highlights of Atlanta’s New Terminal:

• Contractors used only recycled and/or regionally produced construction materials and sustainable-certified wood products
• A 25,000 cubic foot “water box” collects rain water from the roof greatly reducing the building’s impact or groundwater
• A source-separated recycling program will be used to recycle materials such as cardboard, plastics, aluminum, etc.
• Over fifty SmartPack Automatic Trash Compactors were installed throughout the terminal. While matching the airports aesthetic design, the trash receptacles also handle 8-12 more trash then a normal garbage can, saving hauling costs, labor, and trash liner use (Click here to view more photos of SmartPacks in Atlanta’s new terminal).
• Other sustainability initiatives include ensuring the quality of indoor air, preferential parking for alternative fuel vehicles, plug-in electrical chargers for ground service equipment, energy conservation, and carbon footprint reduction.

While increasing capacity for future demands for international travel, as well as being a cutting-edge LEED certified facility, Atlanta has went above and beyond to make the terminal world-class in sustainability and efficiency for years to come.

Each year, Harmony Enterprises Management and the Safety Committee team up to offer extra incentives to our employees to focus on safety and “no lost time” (a lost time accident is when anyone misses 2 hours or more of work time because of an on-the-job injury).  With the leadership of a rotating Safety Committee and the teamwork of the Harmony staff, we have hit one of our goals! Last week, the Harmony employees celebrated 200 Days without a “Lost Time” Accident with a company-wide steak dinner!

Whether on or off the job, we encourage safe habits for our employees.  We are proud of our employees for reaching this important milestone and encourage them to continue to make safety a #1 priority.

View Photos of the Harmony Enterprises Safety Celebration below!

“200 Days of No Lost Time”

The article profiles leaders from small businesses in various industries across Minnesota. Steve Cremer, President of Harmony Enterprises, was interviewed about the business of manufacturing compactors and balers for cardboard handling and recycling.  Cremer candidly shares insight on Harmony’s business, including their biggest challenge, a recent win, what’s coming up, and his proudest moment.

Here are some highlights:

A Recent Win: “We purchased a business in Toulouse France to allow us to better serve our European customers… ”

What’s Coming Up: “We have found that many businesses are still having trouble finding financing. So we have started a rental company in order to rent our equipment to our customers…”

Proudest Moment: “Installing more than 200 SmartPack automatic trash compactors in the Atlanta Airport….”

It is an honor for Harmony Enterprises to be featured in this magazine, with so many other great Minnesota businesses!

Read the complete Twin Cities Business article and let us know what you think in the comments below.

Here are a few ways that airports are going green:

• Vegetated Green Roofs – FedEx Express has a 175,000-square-foot green roof vegetated green roof at Chicago’s O’Hare airport. The green roof helps to cool the building in the summer, and keep it warm in the winter.  It will also help to reduce energy costs by up to 35% a year.
• Wind Turbines – The Boston Airport installed 20 wind turbines to help offset the building’s energy needs.
• Solar Energy – Both Denver International and Fresno Yosemite Airports recently installed solar panels in with the goal of saving money on their electricity bills.
• Recycling and Waste Management - Many airports have implemented successful recycling and waste management programs using trash compactors and balers onsite including the Atlanta Airport. With one SmartPack automatic trash compactor at each gate in four of the terminals, the units wirelessly signal the maintenance department when they are full, saving the airport a significant cost in labor.
• Other green efforts that are standard environmental practices in many airports include glass walls for more natural light, electrical connections at aircraft gates, using more efficient lower-wattage bulbs, recycled building materials, and energy and water use reduction.

Thank you to all who visited us at the Spring 2012 AAAE (American Association of Airport Executives) Conference and Exposition in Phoenix, Arizona to learn more about how Harmony Enterprises can help your airport with their waste management and recycling goals.

What other green initiatives have you seen while traveling between Airports?  If you work in an Airport, what innovative eco-friendly plans are in place?

What does Earth Day mean to you? Here is what you told us:

“Every year on Earth Day I always plant a tree! And the last few years I dig in walnuts that fell from trees last year out at our farm!”
Chris Cremer, Vice President of Operations at Harmony Enterprises

“It’s a reminder that no matter how much we #reduce, #reuse and #recycle we can always do more and it takes very little effort.”
PA Resources Council via Twitter @prclitterbug

“Earth day is like a birthday for earth to me. It’s a day to remember to take care of our natural resources and help strengthen our resolve to reduce, reuse and recycle.”
Scott Pugh, Director of Operations for Sparrer Organization (Read their Case Study here)

“Earth day is a day for all of us to remember the environment in our busy lives. A day that reminds us to continue to do the little things that help our environment. Things like turning off the lights, the conservation of energy, plant trees, recycle, reduce, and reuse.”
Ramon Hernandez, Customer Service Manager at Harmony Enterprises

“Our philosophy at ROUND2 is that Earth Day should not be limited to a single day each year but utilized as a national forum to educate and connect with our neighbors and friends to demonstrate the importance of being a responsible citizen. Earth Day isn’t just about batteries or electronics or plastic bottles, it’s about caring for our planet and being stewards of the environment.”
ROUND2 Inc via Twitter @ROUND2 (Read their Case Study here)

“Earth Day means keep the earth clean and keep the air clean.  If you litter, pick up the litter. The earth is like our house.”
Gage Anderson, First Grader

“#earthday means appreciating/preserving our #environment by #recycling #composting & living #green to #MakeADifference :)
Wasteless Wednesday via Twitter @WastelessWed

“I have planted thousands of trees over the last 20 years on Earth day with my family. That’s how I give back to the environment. Everyone needs to give back to the earth to protect our wildlife!”
Larry Nolan, Assembler at Harmony Enterprises

“Earth Day for us in the antique/junk business is all about re-purpose, resell & reuse!”
Old Crow Antiques in Canton, MN via Twitter @OldCrowAntiques 

“To me, #EarthDay means a day to make as little impact on the planet as possible. The less we do, the more we celebrate.”
Alex Eaves, Reuse Pro & Environmentalist via Twitter @alexeaves

“Earth day is a day that reminds us to think about where we live and how to protect it for generations to come. We need to recycle our waste rather than bury it in landfills!”
Lana Soppa, Office Manager at Harmony Enterprises

“Earth Day at Werner is a time to reflect on and renew our commitment to clean energy. We are training our internal customers to be aware of the need to recycle whenever possible and to work toward implementing renewable energy solutions to reduce our carbon footprint and to reduce our dependence on fossil fuel sources. We have committed to a Solar PV system on our main corporate facility along with a wind turbine to significantly reduce our overall energy use. We will continue, under the direction of our internal ‘Green Team’, to identify recycling opportunities and implement energy saving initiatives throughout all of our facilities company wide.”
Randy Moberg, Energy Services & Solutions Manager at Werner Electric via Twitter @WernerElectric

What does Earth Day mean to YOU?  Please let us know in the comments below!

What is CIP?

Clean-in-Place is a process of cleaning equipment that is faster and less labor intensive because there is no disassembly of the equipment.  The machine would be completely hosed down from within itself and the process would be fully automatic, decreasing labor costs.

Why CIP?

Clean-in-Place would provide more convenience to our customers, especially those in the dairy, food, and beverage industries.  CIP is a reliable and repeatable process that would be safe for the operator.  Using water and other cleaning liquids would remove solids and bacterias from the equipment.

CIP and the Dairy, Food, and Beverage Industries

The majority of CIP cleaning is done in dairy plants, but the technology from the dairy industry has also been applied to other food and beverage industries as well.  With many Harmony customers who are baling out-of-date or damaged recyclables in the dairy and bottling plants, integrating CIP is a logical next step for some of our on bigger equipment like the SSHB Stainless Steel Horizontal Baler.

What do you think? Would a clean-in-place option make your processes more efficient?

Our lifestyle today includes daily use of electronics of some sort: cell phones, computers, radios, camera, TV’s, and so on. But as new products hit the market, we need to ensure that outdated electronics are discarded properly. Disposing of e-waste properly is important, not only because of the growing amount of e-waste in the landfills, but also because improper disposal can be a dangerous health issue.

Before disposing of your electronics, consider:

Donating First

Remember, “old” to you, could be “new” to someone else! It may not be obsolete yet. A school, non-profit organization, or family member may have a need for the technology. Here are 5 charities for donating your consumer electronics, and information about preparing your unwanted electronics for donation.

Recycling
Consumers have many options for recycling their devices through manufacturers or retailers (for instance Apple offers a gift card in exchange for recycling some devices). On a large scale, electronic devices have many useful materials such as glass, copper, aluminum, plastic, and other components that can be re-used. Some recyclers, like ROUND2, de-manufacture computers and other electronic waste for their customers, so they can recycle the materials for reuse and value recovery (read the ROUND2 case study here).

Supporting Green Business
A greater number of companies are becoming aware of their environmental impact and are taking extra efforts to provide greener products. Do your research and support the companies who are doing earth-friendly business. Greenpeace has been ranking the largest electronics manufacturing companies here on the Guide to Greener Electronics.

Obviously, recycling old and outdated electronics makes environmental sense because it keeps waste out of the landfills. For companies who have a large amount of end-of-life electronics, recycling e-waste also makes economic sense because they can earn revenue back on the recyclable materials. Even consumers can benefit economically from donating or recycling their electronics, through trade-in programs or tax write-offs for donations.

Now, what electronics can you donate or recycle? 

Photo Credit: Steve Worsethandetroit

Troy Zimmerman is a Project Engineer at ROUND2 and knows the importance of finding the right equipment solutions for their specialized recycling needs.  He explains, “As an engineer within ROUND2, I am in charge of all the industrial equipment, process improvements and other technical projects in various departments. My main goal within the organization, is to keep the company running as LEAN as possible and design new ways to improve its operational efficiency.”

Troy and the team at ROUND2 first learned about Harmony Enterprises from a joint recycler who used the down stroke Harmony balers at all of their regional locations. Troy networks with other companies to find the best possible solutions to improve their operating efficiencies. His advice, “When sourcing equipment to help you manage your e-waste, speak with companies in your industry that have experience with many different machines.”

ROUND2 chooses waste management equipment based on three important factors:

1. The quality of the machine

2. The level of technical and customer service

3. The efficiency of the equipment for specific types of waste

ROUND2 has a wide array of equipment that they use to deliver their e-waste solutions to their customers nationwide. Part of their fleet of trusted products is the T60XDRC and S60XD balers from Harmony Enterprises. ROUND2 knows that when service or support is needed, that the Harmony staff is reliable and knowledgeable. Troy has observed it first-hand, “Harmony’s technical support and prompt response time has helped ROUND2 run at maximum capacity during the most crucial of times.”

T60 – Tough and Versatile
Bales plastics, motherboards, non-ferrous metals

ROUND2 uses the T60XDRC from Harmony Enterprises because it gives them flexibility. Troy explains, “The T60 is the most versatile baler we have ever used. It can bale anything from plastics, motherboards, and non-ferrous metals.” The T60XDRC is powerful enough to tackle tough jobs and Troy agrees, “The hydraulic ejection is a key feature with this machine when producing bales over a ton. The T60’s automatic cycle and rear chute allow us to constantly feed the machine while the sensors and control system prevent overloading of the baler and let us know when the bale is ready for ejection.”

S60XD – High Density Bales
Bales ABS and PE Plastic, cardboard, shrink wrap

ROUND2 uses three S60XD’s to bale ABS plastic (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) and PE plastic (Polyethylene) along with cardboard and shrink wrap. The S60XD helps Troy achieve his goal of running as lean as possible and improving operating efficiencies. Troy specified, “We chose the S60 baler because of its low cost, automatic controls and its ability to produce high density bales. The durability of the baler is great for baling rigid plastics such as ABS, and requires little maintenance or down time.”

Since the S60XD baler create high density bales, the Harmony equipment has helped ROUND2 to achieve maximum container volume for outbound shipments. Troy admitted, “The efficiency of the Harmony machines has helped us free up floor space from commodities that originally we weren’t able to bale.” ROUND2 prides themselves in helping their customers turn their green recycling initiatives into profit in the most efficient way possible. Harmony Enterprises is honored to be a small part of making that goal happen.

Check out some of Harmony’s Flickr Photos:

Horizontal Baler ready to be shipped to the Renault factory in Morrocco 
Some of our customers and their Harmony Equipment
Our building and staff in Toulouse, France
The Harmony Enterprises Staff in Harmony, MN
An inside look into the manufacturing of the SmartPack trash compactor
The Compactyre Tire Compactor in Action 

… and much more to come!  

Check back often by clicking on the Flickr icon in the header of our webpage (the logo with the blue and pink circles) or bookmark http://www.flickr.com/photos/recycleharmony

View the slideshow of all of our Flickr photos below!

The infographic below shows that in 2010, Americans generated over 250 billion tons of garbage. One-third of our garbage is being recycled, but that still means over 150 billion tons of garbage ends up in our landfills.

Landfill Waste Versus Recycling

• Out of the 70 million tons of paper discarded in 2010, 62.5% was recycled
• Out of the 31 million tons of plastic discarded in 2010, less then 8% was recycled
• Out of the 22.4 million tons of metals discarded in 2010, nearly 30% was recycled
• Out of the 13 million tons of textiles discarded in 2010, 15% was recycled

If we are only recycling 30% of our garbage right now, we can do better!  Whether you need to help establish a better recycling program for your household, city, workplace, school, or facility, small steps can be taken to make a big difference.  If Harmony Enterprises can help you find a solution for baling or compacting your waste or recyclables, please contact us.

Via: Bolt Insurance