On August 13, 2015, Ohio EPA Director Craig W. Butler presented Honda’s Marysville, East Liberty and Anna plants with the Agency’s highest award for environmental stewardship — the Encouraging Environmental Excellence (E3) Gold-Level Award.
“It’s quite an accomplishment to have three facilities within the same company earn gold status in our E3 program. Honda is the first,” said Ohio EPA Director Craig W. Butler. “Honda is known for its efforts to go beyond what is required for corporate success.”
In 1979, Honda of America opened its first plant in Marysville. Today, Honda is one of Ohio’s largest manufacturers. The company employs approximately 13,000 people at four separate manufacturing locations near Marysville.
In 2011, Honda achieved and has since maintained zero-waste to landfill status and was selected as an Ohio EPA E3 Silver Award-winner in 2013. Since then, Honda has continued its environmental improvement efforts and is now being recognized for:
"Our associates strive each day to reduce energy use and the environmental impact of our manufacturing operations," said Tom Shoupe, Executive Vice President, Honda of America Mfg., Inc. "This recognition is a testament to their ongoing efforts in waste reduction, efficiency and recycling, which are all part of Honda's Green Factory initiatives.”
- Achieving zero waste to landfill status by sending more than 94 percent of manufacturing waste materials to recycling during 2013, 2014 and 2015;
- Substantially reducing electricity and natural gas usage by implementing hydrogen fuel cell technology in industrial vehicles (forklifts, etc.);
- Producing “free” electricity by installing a hydropower system that generates approximately 50,000 kilowatt-hours per year from water flowing from a roof-mounted cooling tower to a floor level sump;
- Converting lighting in many areas to more efficient fluorescent and LED lighting;
- Using next generation e-coat material to, reduce the generation of Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs by approximately 40 percent; and
- Providing strong management support to the implementation of ISO 14001 environmental management systems (EMS) that drive continuous environmental improvements at these facilities.
The E3 program acknowledges Ohio businesses and other organizations for completing environmentally beneficial activities and serves as an incentive to commit to ongoing environmental stewardship. The program has three levels: Achievement, Silver and Gold. To earn a Gold-Level Award, a business must have an excellent environmental compliance record, exceed regulatory compliance obligations and commit to long-term strategies to reduce waste, lower emissions and improve environmental performance. The award is open to business, industry, professional and trade organizations and government entities in Ohio.
