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Compiled by Dr. Joe Herbertson
June 2001
Sustainable Resource
Processing
Case
Study: General Motors
•GM’s commitment to
sustainability principles is in evidence with the recent launch of GMAbility.com
•GM Resource Management
Plan has reduced wastes by 30% and should save the company $15M per year
•24% reduction in US air
pollution in 98/99, eg ~ zero Zn emissions from foundries
•‘Green Car’ concepts
include the new ParadiGM power train and the Precept car with hybrid internal combustion -electric motors achieving 80 miles/gallon
Orion Assembly Plant
targeted with excellent results to date:
•Recycled waste cardboard increases from 10 tons per year to
600 tons
•Culture change as 4,000 employees look at the materials they
handle with
fresh eyes
•More than 50% coal for boilers replaced by methane
recovered from
local dump, avoiding methane emissions from decomposing trash, and reducing NOx and SOx associated with fossil fuel
by 40 and 46%
respectively