GAFFNEY, SC - A leader in sustainability efforts in the trucking industry, Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation (FCCC) recently received the Environmental Leadership Award from Daimler AG.
The award recognizes initiatives within the vast Daimler organization that enhance environmental protection and sustainability. FCCC took top honors in the "Extraordinary Efforts for the Environment" category and was one of three Daimler Trucks North America (DTNA) projects, and one of just ten projects worldwide, to be recognized during a ceremony recently in Stuttgart, Germany.
FCCC's application, "The Evolution of Environmental Responsibility at FCCC," focused upon its Zero Waste to Landfill efforts at its headquarters and manufacturing facility in Gaffney, S.C.
In October 2009, FCCC became the first chassis manufacturer and first company within the trucking industry to reach Zero Waste to Landfill status in the United States, achieving its goal three months ahead of schedule.
"We're honored that Daimler AG recognized FCCC's commitment to reducing our carbon footprint within our manufacturing facility and company headquarters," Bob Harbin, president of FCCC said. "It is our goal to continue to lessen our environmental impact, while remaining focused on engineering and designing new alternative-fuel chassis that will help our customers reduce their carbon footprint as well. As evidence of our sustainability efforts, FCCC will persist in its efforts to look for ways to improve our environment both at the plant and with our energy-saving products."
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FCCC's Zero Waste to Landfill program and comprehensive recycling efforts resulted in elimination of solid waste disposal throughout its entire facility. Joining an elite group of solid waste-free manufacturing facilities in the United States, FCCC went from disposing 250,000 pounds per month of solid waste in January 2007 to disposing zero pounds by October 2009.
The FCCC facility recycles materials such as plastic, paper, aluminum, cardboard, metals, wood and nylon. The company's commitment to clean air technologies is in line with Daimler AG's global initiative called "Shaping Future Transportation." Launched in November 2007 in Stuttgart, Germany, the initiative is focused on reducing category emissions pollutants, carbon dioxide and fuel consumption.
"The FCCC Green Team led by Bill Harris, with support from DTNA, channeled extraordinary energy into the Zero Waste to Landfill effort, allowing the company to achieve that status three months earlier than our original target," Harbin said. "All of our employees at FCCC stepped up to the plate to make this achievement possible."
Earlier in March 2010, the South Carolina Department of Environmental Health and Control honored FCCC with a special recognition award for the company's environmental efforts.
