Greentech Lead America: Sage Products will purchase
Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) for 50 percent of the company’s annual
electricity consumption.
Sage’s investment is estimated at 2,963 MW hours of
renewable energy this year, which represents a reduction of at least 3,248,011
pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.
“As one of the largest users of energy in our community,
we have to reduce our carbon footprint. Sage’s support of renewable energy is a
part of our commitment to reduce waste. Our goal is to be respectful of the environment
while manufacturing products that help healthcare providers achieve
extraordinary prevention outcomes,” said Sage President and Chief Operating
Officer Scott Brown.
The purchase of RECs enables Sage to support the
operation and development of facilities that generate renewable energy.
Constellation, a business unit of Exelon, will supply RECs. They are Green-e
Energy Certified and sourced from wind energy facilities located throughout the
United States.
Several of the Sage products help conserve natural
resources for healthcare facilities, which are consistently among the top water
users in their communities.
Water use for sanitary purposes such as bathing and
laundry contributes to almost half of a healthcare facility’s total water
consumption. Hospitals use an average of 139,214 gallons of water per day, or
40 to 350 gallons per day per patient.
Sage manufactures all of the products it sells in the
USA. The majority of its manufacturing processes are based in-house at its
headquarters in Cary, Illinois. This central location helps reduce energy usage
and pollution due to transportation.
Sage sources raw goods from local vendors whenever
possible to limit long-distance transportation. Additionally, Sage partners
with vendors that share its commitment to sustainability. For example, the
company’s third largest vendor supplies cellulose fibers made exclusively with
wood pulp harvested from sustainable forest plantations in the United States.
Other ongoing initiatives include purchasing corrugate that
is made from 30 to 100 percent recycled content for packaging, minimizing
packaging size to reduce solid waste entering landfills, recycling whenever
possible, and implementing green practices in the operations and maintenance of
the facility.