Green manufacturing means using fewer hazardous materials, generating less waste and conserving natural resources such as water.
- Manufacturing Waste is Transformed Into Plastic Seedling Containers
Amgen Colorado made an innovative shift into green manufacturing by recycling roller bottles used in the production process. Previously, approximately 6 metric tons of roller bottles and caps were sent to the landfill from each production lot. Today, the recycled roller bottles are processed and sent directly to a supplier that uses the materials to make, among other things, the plastic storage containers used for plant seedlings.
- Award-winning Wastewater Treatment Plant Saves Water and Energy
Amgen Manufacturing Limited Puerto Rico has reduced water use with a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant. The plant employs reverse osmosis, membrane bioreactors and microfiltration system technologies to provide state-of-the-art treatment to wastewater. Currently, the site reuses approximately 70 percent of its wastewater—close to 600 cubic meters of water per day—in boilers and cooling towers. Besides reducing water use and cost, less energy is used to generate, supply, transport and store water, which would normally be provided by the city. Based on its successful wastewater treatment program, the Puerto Rico site received an Excellence in Compliance Award for 2008 from the Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority in May 2009. The site was also awarded second place in the 2008 Energy Conservation Awards from the Puerto Rico Manufacturer’s Association in the category of “Best Water Conservation Project.”
