​As part of its global initiative to reduce the impact of manufacturing on the environment, Honda presented its Green Factory Environmental Achievement Recognitions to five OEM suppliers in North America that have excelled at conserving natural resources, reducing energy use and eliminating waste to landfills. Two recipients dramatically reduced landfill waste by implementing recycling programs. Another saved enough electricity to power 275 households. And two implemented systems that cut water use by 58 percent and 74 percent, respectively, reducing the volume sent to municipal wastewater treatment systems by millions of gallons each year. Honda presented the recognitions during its 19th annual Environmental, Safety and Ergonomics Symposium held in Dublin, Ohio, near Columbus. In addition to recognizing top environmental achievements, the suppliers attended seminars and roundtable sessions on environmental topics ranging from energy and waste reduction to environmental compliance. The event recognizes environmental stewardship among Honda’s nearly 600 OEM suppliers in North America, and reflects Honda’s ongoing commitment to reduce the environmental impact of its products and operations, including its parts supply chain. “Honda encourages supplier excellence in energy reduction, pollution prevention and conservation of natural resources,” said Tom Lake, division manager of Honda’s North American Purchasing Division. “This program recognizes suppliers that benefit society by working to reduce their environmental footprint, and provides an opportunity to share best practices and environmental initiatives.” Honda’s history of presenting environmental recognitions to suppliers dates to 2002. Since then, the company’s environmental recognition programs have evolved to focus not only on recognition but also on the sharing of knowledge and ideas within the supplier base. “We evaluate each project for its innovation and transferability to other areas, in addition to the Green Factory benefits,” said Robert Bottom, staff engineer, who manages the program. “The results are two-fold, both helping their operations and benefitting the environment.” All five 2011 recognition winners presented their initiatives to more than 85 suppliers attending the symposium. Nissin Brake Ohio, Inc., recipient of Honda’s 2011 Corporate Citizenship Award, also provided an overview of their operations and their award-winning activities. The annual award recognizes well-rounded corporate citizens with strengths in six different areas, including ethics and compliance, health and safety, community involvement, government relations, diversity and the environment. *2011 Honda Green Factory Environmental Achievement Recognitions Pollution Prevention Highland Industries, Inc., Cheraw, S.C.* Highland implemented a recycling program that resulted in an 88 percent weight reduction in landfill waste. Highland supplies fabric for airbags. Delphi Delco Electronics de Mexico de R.L. de C.V. Delnorte Operations, Matamoros, Mexico Delphi Delco Electronics began multiple recycling and source reduction activities, which have eliminated over 500,000 pounds of landfill waste. This facility supplies security electronics and immobilizers. Energy Reduction Delphi Delco Electronics de Mexico de R.L. de C.V. Deltronicos Operations, Reynosa, Mexico Through multiple energy reduction activities, Delphi Delco Electronics reduced electricity consumption by more than 3 million kWh per year, enough electricity to power 275 U.S. households. These activities included reducing power demand during non-production periods, the reduction of chilled water system setpoints and improved equipment utilization. This facility supplies safety system electronics and major radio components. Conservation of Natural Resources Celina Aluminum Precision Technology, Inc. (CAPT), Celina, Ohio Celina Aluminum re-engineered their wastewater system to allow for reuse, reducing discharge to the city sewage treatment facility by 58 percent. CAPT manufactures pistons, cylinder heads, lower blocks and brake knuckles. UGN, Inc., Somerset, Ky. UGN is using an existing, on-site decorative pond as a heat sink to cool process water from its plastics molding operations. This reduces the use of fresh water and eliminates the need to add chillers, reducing water and electricity consumption. Annual wastewater reduction exceeds 25 million gallons, approximately 74 percent of the total generated by the facility. UGN, Inc., offers a variety of materials that support acoustic automotive trim applications. About Honda’s Environmental Initiatives Honda is a leader in the development of leading-edge technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions, including vehicles powered by advanced gasoline engines and natural gas-powered engines, as well as gasoline-electric hybrid, battery-electric and hydrogen fuel cell-electric vehicles. In 2010, Honda was named America’s “Greenest Automaker” for the fifth consecutive time by the Union of Concerned Scientists. The award is earned by the company with the lowest combined score of its smog-forming and greenhouse gas emissions (primarily CO2) in its U.S. automobile fleet. Further, Honda earned the #1 ranking on the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy list of the “Greenest Vehicles” for the 11th year in a row in 2011. In addition to its ongoing efforts to improve the environmental performance of its products, Honda has worked to reduce the environmental footprint of its manufacturing operations in North America, where the company has the capacity to produce more than three million Honda and Acura products each year. These comprise automobiles (including engines and transmissions), all-terrain vehicles, general-purpose engines and power equipment products. Honda’s “Green Factory” initiatives include efforts to increase energy efficiency, reduce emissions and waste, and enhance recycling activity. About Honda in North America Honda opened its first auto plant in the U.S. in 1982, in Marysville, Ohio, and today has the capacity to build 1.63 million automobiles at its seven auto plants in North America. In 2010, more than 87 percent of the Honda and Acura products sold in the U.S. were built in North America, using domestic and globally sourced parts. Last year, Honda purchased more than $17.5 billion in parts and materials from more than 600 North American suppliers. For more information on Honda’s environmental leadership, including additional initiatives by Honda’s manufacturing operations and their suppliers, go to http://corporate.honda.com/environment/2011-report/