Forklift factory earns zero-landfill status

A lift truck manufacturing plant may not strike anyone as a paragon of sustainability—unless, that is, the plant is run by New Bremen, Ohio-based lift truck maker Crown Equipment Corp. In October, Crown added a sixth location to its roster of facilities that have achieved zero-landfill status.

Employees at the company's Troy, Ohio, manufacturing plant led the effort to evaluate the facility's operations for waste-reduction opportunities beginning in 2017, according to Crown. They soon found ways to recycle or reuse a range of waste products, including coolants, used oils, aerosol cans, paint waste, disposable towels, cardboard, and wood pallets. Any remaining waste not reused or recycled is sent to a waste-to-energy facility. In total, Crown expects to divert more than 6,000 pounds of the facility's waste from landfills each year.

Crown credits both its employees and the community for its success. "An important factor of the Troy facility achievement was our manufacturing neighbors and recycling partners, who have worked closely with us to help us reach our goal," Tonja Rammel, Crown's environmental health and safety manager, said in a release. "With this achievement, we will now embark on achieving ISO 14001 certification."