Honda's Marysville and East Liberty auto plants have received Energy Star awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in each of the last four years for operating energy-efficient auto plants. The EPA bases the award on the amount of energy needed to produce an automobile, taking into account factors such as vehicle size and production volume.

The state of Ohio's Environmental Protection Agency in 2009 recognized the efforts of Honda's Ohio plants with its Environmental Stewardship Award. In recognizing Honda's efforts, the Ohio EPA pointed out that Honda reduced waste sent for disposal in landfills by 34%, electricity use by 62.5 million kwh, natural gas usage by more than 417 million cubic feet in one year, and reduced ground water use by 43 million gallons per year.

Controlling air temperature and humidity levels in painting operations consumes the most energy in auto plants. Honda's "Intelligent Paint Booth" technology reduces CO₂ emissions by as much as 25 percent. Since starting this patented control system at the Marysville Auto Plant in 2008, Honda has implemented the system at its auto plants throughout North America.

Honda's Anna Engine Plant uses carbon from coke to produce iron for casting steel engine and drivetrain parts. By changing to slightly larger chunks of coke, engineers in the plant's ferrous casting department discovered they could get more carbon from a given quantity. As a result, the plant has reduced CO₂ emissions from processing coke by about 25 percent. The reduced use and shipment of coke at the Anna Engine Plant eliminates an estimated 2,700 tons of CO₂ emissions.

Powering production equipment and processes, compressed air also can be energy intensive. Honda's initiatives focus on managing compressed air to provide it at the right pressure and at the right times. This includes reducing overall pressure during weekends when production is not taking place, installing smaller systems and automatic shut-off to serve areas more efficiently, and replacing compressed air with high-speed blow-off fans where possible. Honda also uses ultrasound technologies to identify and repair air leaks.

Installation of highly efficient variable-frequency motor drives and impellers has optimized the management and flow of pumped fluids during changing conditions. As with the efficient use of compressed air, these motors are being installed to serve areas more efficiently, and they automatically turn off when not needed.

Real-time metering of operations at the East Liberty Auto Plant and Anna Engine Plant allows Honda associates to monitor energy use and turn off equipment during non-production times on weekends and between shifts. The systems also help identify the best locations to conserve energy use and to measure the impact of installing new systems.