Rockline reduction

Sheboygan, Wisc.-based Rockline Industries recently announced that its manufacturing plants in Booneville and Springdale, Ark., have achieved “zero landfill” status.

The company, which produces wet wipe and coffee filter products, partnered with Marck Recycling to send all waste leaving the Rockline plants in Booneville and Springdale to be recycled or incinerated to produce energy. The waste-to-energy incineration will provide power to both residences and businesses in Tulsa, Okla., according to the Rockline statement.

“Over the past three years, Rockline has proven its commitment to environmental sustainability through a number of initiatives. By taking our Arkansas facilities to zero landfill, we have reinforced this commitment,” Nick Santoleri, Rockline’s vice president of global wet wipes manufacturing, said in a statement. “But zero landfill is only the first step in dealing with the solid waste our facilities generate, and we will continue to focus our efforts on eliminating waste at its source.”

Overall, Rockline estimated that 4,000 tons of solid waste will be diverted from landfill every year. The zero-landfill initiative will help Rockline meet its aggressive goal of reducing its landfill rate — the percentage of solid waste sent to landfill — by 5% by 2015.

The landfill reduction goal is one of the many objective, quantifiable targets Rockline has set as part of its environmental sustainability program. Rockline also has goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, wastewater, solid waste, landfill rate, and transportation emissions.

Founded in 1976, the company employs approximately 2,000 people worldwide and also has manufacturing facilities in Sheboygan; Montville, N.J.; Redditch, England; and Guangdong, China.