Lake Charles CertainTeed Polymer Plant Achieves ISO 14001 Certification, Reinforcing its Commitment to Sustainable Operations
(Valley Forge, Pa.) – Raising the bar for green operations, CertainTeed’s local polymer plant in Lake Charles, La., has earned the globally recognized International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 certification. The certification recognizes CertainTeed’s ongoing commitment to environmental responsibility at its manufacturing facilities.
ISO 14001 standards were created to help companies minimize their environmental impact and achieve continual improvement of environmental performance. In the plant’s efforts to increase its sustainable operations, it has diverted material from waste streams by recycling cardboard, metal, electronic scrap, oil, plastic bottles, grease, and batteries. In addition, the plant recently reported a 70 percent water-use reduction.
“The ISO certification instills a culture of environmental responsibility at our plant that encourages ongoing improvement,” says Cheryl Gates, Six Sigma Master Black Belt for CertainTeed’s Siding Products Group. “The example set by the Lake Charles team helps CertainTeed continue to lead the way in sustainable manufacturing.”
To secure the certification, CertainTeed developed a formalized environmental management system that underwent rigorous evaluations through a third party review. An active member of the community for 35 years, the Lake Charles team of 60 participates in Partners in Education, United Way, blood donation drives and Habitat for Humanity construction projects.
About CertainTeed
Through the responsible development of innovative and sustainable building products, CertainTeed has helped shape the building products industry for more than 100 years. Founded in 1904 as General Roofing Manufacturing Company, the firm's slogan "Quality Made Certain, Satisfaction Guaranteed," quickly inspired the name CertainTeed. Today, CertainTeed® is North America’s leading brand of exterior and interior building products, including roofing, siding, fence, decking, railing, trim, foundations, pipe, insulation, gypsum, ceilings and access covers.
A subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, the world’s largest building products company, CertainTeed and its affiliates have more than 6,000 employees and more than 65 manufacturing facilities throughout the United States and Canada. In 2009 and 2010, CertainTeed, which is headquartered in Valley Forge, Pa., was named ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a national award that recognizes environmentally responsible corporations. The group had total sales of approximately $3 billion in 2010. www.certainteed.com