New Port Richey, Fla.-based Manitowoc Foodservice in conjunction with its parent company, The Manitowoc Co. has released its first Corporate Sustainability Report.
In a press release today, the company discussed notable portions of the report:
At Manitowoc Foodservice we believe it is our mission to be a responsible manufacturer, industry leader, and employer, not only for this generation, but for future generations. We routinely engage our customers, industry partners, employees, strategic suppliers, domestic and international government agencies and associations, and the communities that we serve around the world.
In 2009, Manitowoc Foodservice’s sustainable product designs were validated by our customers through their continued investment in our foodservice equipment, even during recessionary markets. We attribute this to our innovative product designs that help customers operate in both a more environmentally friendly and a more profitable manner.
Extended Product Life
Extended product life is the foundation of our products and customer sustainability initiatives. By working to extend the life of our products, Manitowoc Foodservice reduces the demand for raw materials and energy consumed when new products are manufactured, packaged, and shipped.
New Product Introduction
We’ve incorporated guidelines for use of sustainable and environmentally-friendly materials into our new product introduction process, along with similar guidelines for energy and water saving. This discipline helps us to maintain rigorous focus on these important initiatives as we design products for the future. As a result, we are incorporating more environmentally friendly materials into our design. Of the materials in our products, the refrigerants we use as both a blowing agent in insulating foams and as a refrigerant in our refrigeration systems have the greatest potential impact on the environment. We continue to look for substitute blowing agents for applications where high insulation properties are required and an effective substitute has not yet been found
2010 ENERGY STAR Partner
We don’t just say we’re environmentally responsible, we prove it. In 2009, we increased our ENERGY STAR portfolio by 140 models, an increase of over 50%, to a total of over 400. We did this through new product development, product line extensions, and existing model upgrades. As a result of the increased number of products meeting ENERGY STAR criteria, coupled with our dedication to the research and development of energy-efficient foodservice products, Manitowoc was named a 2010 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Because not all foodservice equipment has a category monitored by ENERGY STAR guidelines, we have instituted our own EnerLogic system of measures based on third party assessment. To date, Manitowoc Foodservice manufactures more than 1,000 products that comply with either ENERGY STAR or our own EnerLogic program.
Helping Customers Reduce Their Footprint
In addition to our own environmental and social initiatives, we recognize our role in helping our customers reduce their global footprint. As a result, Manitowoc Foodservice has directed much of our sustainability efforts on designing innovative energy and water efficient products as well as the use of more environmentally friendly materials.
Virtually 100% of our packaging materials are recyclable. The pallets we ship our equipment on are not only constructed with materials that can be recycled, but they are also made of recycled materials. To encourage customers to recycle a high percentage of packaging materials, we include recycling instructions with our products, complete with universal symbols. We have also reduced the amount of packing materials used with many of our products.
U.S. Green Building Council
As an active member of the US Green Building Council, Manitowoc Foodservice builds EnerLogic products that are designed to contribute to and support the US Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Rating System. Improving numerous products so that they meet the U.S. Green Building Committee’s water standards is another example of our commitment to assisting customers in decreasing their environmental footprint, while at the same time decreasing their cost of doing business.
Manitowoc Foodservice intends to expand on its current efforts to include sustainability into product design, development, and manufacturing. At the product design stage, energy savings, environmental impacts, and safety continue to be planned into new product offerings.