It's Earth Day, and we at Achilles USA are proud to spotlight our ongoing efforts to minimize our environmental footprint and transition our practices into a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable world! Learn more about our practices and initiatives that are driving our commitment to a more sustainable world:
+Vantage Vinyl, Green Circle Verified
In 2023 we decided to take the next step and seek continuous improvement across all three sectors of sustainability – environmental, social, and economic performance. For the last two decades, Achilles has been working on improving our BioBased products, improving our energy savings, and expanding our buy-back programs. In 2023 we were introduced to the +Vantage Vinyl verification, a sustainability initiative of the Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC) that engages companies across the entire U.S. vinyl value chain to seek environmental stewardship, social diligence, economic soundness, open communication, and collaboration.
Achilles USA and SnoPUD Reducing our energy consumption is one of our primary goals, achieved through collaboration with Snohomish PUD. Our dedicated Achilles Energy Team has spearheaded a series of impactful initiatives aimed at enhancing energy efficiency within our manufacturing operations. These projects range from hydrothermal pump retrofits to air leak repairs, each designed to optimize energy usage and contribute to our facility's more sustainable use of resources.
Among our most successful initiatives has been the turndown project, which focuses on the simple yet powerful practice of turning off equipment when it's not in use. This initiative underscores our belief that small actions can yield significant results in the realm of energy conservation. While it may seem as simple as flipping an on/off switch, especially for large manufacturing machinery like our Calendaring Lines, it requires meticulous planning.
Achilles USA has been collaborating with PUD for over 10 years, continuously learning new ways to implement innovative solutions that promote energy efficiency and conservation. Check our last 12 months savings in this graph:
Buy-back Program
Achilles USA actively participates in recycling by efficiently managing their in-house scrap materials and purchasing post-industrial film from specific customers. Through our commitment to sustainability, we strive to minimize waste and promote the reuse of resources. Incorporating recycled content into our products, the range of regrind content varies by weight from 0 to 50%. By adopting such practices, Achilles USA contributes to a more environmentally friendly approach, reducing the strain on raw materials while supporting a circular economy.
Package Return Program
At Achilles, we prioritize sustainable practices and have implemented a packaging return program that allows our customers to return certain types of packaging, such as racks, pallets, and roll cores. By doing so, we can reuse these packaging materials for new orders instead of discarding them. This initiative reduces waste, contributes to the conservation of resources, and promotes a more environmentally friendly approach to packaging. Through our packaging return program, we strive to foster a circular economy and minimize our environmental footprint.