PepsiCo opened a new manufacturing plant in China specifically designed to be more environmentally friendly than conventional company facilities.
The company expects the plant, located in western China in the city of Chongqing, will use 22 percent less water and 23 percent less energy than other PepsiCo plants in the country. The company predicts the annual savings will total 100,000 tons of water, four million kilowatt hours of energy, and 3,100 tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
It was built to meet LEED standards with 35 water and energy saving features. For example, it sports water saving fixtures, waterless lubricant for conveyor belts, a high-pressure cleaning system, while recycled water is used for landscaping
A green roof covers the facility, which also enjoys natural lighting in 75 percent of its indoor areas, along with a skylight in the warehouse and packing area. An environmental management system measures water and energy use on every piece of equipment and production line in real time, PepsiCo said.
PepsiCo Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi at the new facility in Chongqing, China
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The company called the facility China’s first green beverage plant, and is the first of five new facilities planned for the next two years. PepsiCo has committed to investing $1 billion in China, which is the company’s fastest-growing market and largest market outside the United States.
In the U.S., General Electric will receive $60 million in incentives over 12 years for a new manufacturing plant in Michigan that will produce renewable energy, aircraft engine, and gas turbine products, in addition to serving as a software development hub for advanced technologies, such as the smart grid. The $100 million research and development facility is expected to employ more than 1,100 workers.
Image CC licensed by Flickr user dno1967.
