The Kenworth Chillicothe manufacturing plant received the 2020 Encouraging Environmental Excellence “E3” Gold Award from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Kenworth’s largest plant was especially recognized for a significant reduction of 2.7 million pounds in its waste footprint. The Ohio EPA commended Kenworth Chillicothe for its returnable rack project, which eliminated 694 tons of cardboard waste and 75 tons of carbon dioxide emissions since its implementation three years ago.

Kenworth Chillicothe is one of only eight organizations in Ohio that received gold award recognition this year. To earn the gold award, a business or organization must have a comprehensive environmental stewardship program, go beyond regulatory compliance requirements, and complete environmental stewardship activities that reduce waste and improve environmental performance. 

The Ohio EPA also noted that Kenworth Chillicothe reduced its electric consumption by 5 million kilowatt hours. The plant switched to LED lighting, staggered air conditioning set points, and turned off rooftop HVAC systems on weekends. The plant also saved energy by conducting and optimizing preventive maintenance of equipment and machines.

“It is a special honor for Kenworth Chillicothe to receive this Ohio EPA gold award. Our plant employees are dedicated to pursue outstanding environmental excellence and sustainability on a daily basis,” said Chris Davis, Kenworth Chillicothe plant manager.

Kenworth Chillicothe produces Kenworth Class 8 trucks, including the T680 on-highway, T880 vocational, and W990 traditional long-hood conventional. 

Kenworth’s heavy-duty manufacturing plants in Chillicothe, Ohio, and Renton, Wash., earned the prestigious ISO 14001:2015 certification for their environmental management systems, which support the production of trucks in an environmentally responsible manner. Kenworth medium-duty trucks are produced at the PACCAR Ste-Thérèse, Quebec, manufacturing facility, which also has achieved ISO 14001:2015 status.