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Makers of Better Tomorrows

Maize Facility Reduces Waste by 10%
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Corporate Citizenship

Maize Facility Leads the Way

At Worthington, being a good corporate citizen has long been a core tenet of Our Philosophy. As a member of the communities where we operate, we are invested in doing our part to make them better. Our Maize, Kansas facility, which primarily produces propane gas cylinders, is a prime example of how our employees are focused on protecting our environment and reducing waste.

Our Philosophy

Worthington Industries practices good citizenship at all levels. We conduct our business in a professional and ethical manner.
Reuse, Recycle

Driving Down Waste

Our Maize facility has an employee-led, cross functional environmental team that meets monthly to develop and implement recycling programs to reduce waste sent to landfills. In the last calendar year, Maize reduced materials sent to landfills by 10% from the previous year by diverting 4,000 tons of waste. That included 17 different categories ranging from used oil to metals such as aluminum, copper and steel, to various types of paper and plastic. 
Maize reduced waste sent to landfills by 10% from the previous year by diverting over 4,000 tons of waste.
Vendors

Partnerships Enable Progress

To achieve these results, the Maize team partners with vendors including All Metal Recycling and International Paper, which drops off packaging for our products and then backfills trailers with our bulk waste for recycling. Last year, they also recycled approximately 5,500 used wooden pallets, which were picked up by a local pallet company and processed to use as a heating source for a local biofuel facility and as landscaping mulch.
Green Star Initiative

Maize Tops Facilities with Most Environmental Awards

Maize also leads the way in Worthington’s Companywide Green Star Initiative, which aims to reduce environmental impact from operations and reward facilities for environmental performance. Facilities can earn up to five Green Stars a year for meeting the five operational criteria below. Maize has received more Green Stars than any other facility in the last six years.

  • Continuous Improvement: Completion of one or more continuous improvement projects that benefit the environment.
  • Energy: Decrease the amount of energy per unit of production.
  • Waste: Decrease the amount of waste per unit of production.
  • Water: Decrease the amount of water used per unit of production.
  • Compliance: Zero written violations.

Jeff Anderson, Maize Operations Manager

I’m proud of the Maize Recycling Team – they have really embraced the challenge of becoming engaged and empowered to make a difference.
Future Focused

Next Waste Stream Target Identified

Always set on reaching new targets, the Maize team has already identified their next initiative: recycling empty fiber drums. The fiber drums, made of paper and aluminum, contain powder coat paint used on cylinders. Maize generates about 35 empty drums per week, and today uses the empties to house other recyclables. Going forward, the team is researching machines that will allow them to separate the paper and aluminum to recycle them further.