SC Johnson has surpassed its voluntary goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

As a charter member of the Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Leaders program, SC Johnson committed to reduce its GHG emissions per pound of product by 23% from 2000 to 2005; by 2005 SC Johnson had reduced its GHGs by 24%. In addition the company doubled its commitment of an 8% absolute reduction of CO2 emissions by reaching the 16% mark.

"SC Johnson made this commitment to reduce GHG emissions because it's right for our business, right for our community and right for the environment," said Scott Johnson, SC Johnson Vice President of Global Environmental and Safety Actions. "This accomplishment marks the continuation of our longstanding commitment to environmental leadership."

The U.S. EPA has recognized SC Johnson as one of the first corporations to achieve its voluntary greenhouse gas reduction goals set through the EPA's Climate Leaders program.

Launched in 2002, SC Johnson was the first consumer products company to be a charter member of the voluntary Climate Leaders program. The voluntary government/industry partnership challenges businesses to develop a comprehensive GHG emissions inventory for their activities and then to set aggressive, long-term emissions reduction goals.

"By achieving their greenhouse gas reduction goals, these leading companies are proving that doing what is good for the environment, is also good for business," said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. "EPA is working hand-in-hand with business to voluntarily reduce their climate footprints in cost-effective ways."

SC Johnson significantly reduced its GHG emissions thru the use of two gas turbine/ generators installed at the company's Waxdale manufacturing facility near Racine, Wisc. SC Johnson embarked on the co-generation plan in 2003 with the start up of the first turbine, which produces 3,200 kilowatts of electricity and 19,000 pounds of steam per hour, using only landfill gas. After its first year of operation, Waxdale's emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases dropped more than 25% and fossil fuel energy use was slashed by nearly 50%.

With the completion of the second turbine in 2005, SC Johnson reduced greenhouse gas emissions by an additional 20,000 tons per year, bringing total emissions reductions from the co-generation system to 52,000 tons per year. That's equivalent to the amount of GHGs generated by 5,200 automobiles annually.

The second turbine, which uses a mixture of natural gas and landfill gas, also generates 3,200 kilowatts of electricity and 19,000 pounds of steam per hour. Together, the turbines generate the daily base load of electricity for the Waxdale site and generate anywhere from approximately half to all of the steam needed for operations, depending on the season.

SC Johnson is the first consumer goods packaging plant in the Midwest to produce nearly all of its own energy through clean-burning technologies. The twin turbines are fueled by natural gas and by waste methane generated by the Kestrel Hawk Landfill located near the Waxdale facility. As a result, the turbines have significantly reduced SC Johnson's usage of heavily-coal dependent electricity and reduced the emissions of carbon dioxide, greenhouse gases and other pollutants.