Bemis Company, Inc.

Multiwall and Consumer Paper Packaging

The Multiwall and Consumer Paper Packaging Plant in Vancouver, Washington is the largest plant in the Paper Bag Division of Bemis Company, Inc., a $1.5 billion international corporation with headquarters in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vancouver plant, which manufactures multiwall industrial size shipping sacks and small paper consumer bags commonly used for foodstuffs and industrial goods, has made tremendous progress in recent years towards preventing pollution and reducing waste and its associated costs. Much of their success can be attributed to the efforts of plant engineer, Guy Davis, who has been given the freedom and opportunity to apply his talents to improve the manufacturing process.

Bemis Company, Inc. was founded in 1858 in St. Louis, Missouri. Since its early beginnings manufacturing cloth flour bags, the company has expanded to all forms of flexible packaging, packaging machinery, and specialty coated and graphics products. The Vancouver plant operates with a noteworthy level of autonomy to service approximately 400 customers in about 40 different industries. The plant employs approximately 350 people operating on three shifts, five days a week. Multiwall bags are complicated packages typically containing up to five layers, and often containing aluminized films or polyester layers for specific moisture or freshness protection.

Quality Management

In a highly competitive industry, Bemis set out to provide exceptional value to their customers by providing a high quality product at a reasonable price. So in 1992, Bemis Company began a team-based quality commitment campaign aimed to provide Total Customer Satisfaction. Although pollution prevention activities in response to regulatory concerns started before the formalized quality improvement process took effect, it soon became clear that eliminating unnecessary chemicals and polluting processes from the plant also made economic sense. Plant Manager Lee Cook is the first to admit that the primary motivation for environmental initiatives beyond compliance is cost savings. But the Vancouver plant has also made tremendous progress in cutting emissions and waste generation through comprehensive recycling and process changes.

Closing the Loop

Perhaps the most dramatic example of environmental success at the Vancouver plant has been to achieve 98.5 percent recycling and reclamation of the water used to clean ink from the printing machinery. A diatomaceous earth treatment system was first installed in 1987. The system now treats 1.3 million pounds of wastewater annually. And although they are still classified by the state as a large-quantity generator, nearly all of the water gets recycled, with the diatomaceous filter media tested and disposed in a standard sanitary landfill. The efficiency of the system has far exceeded expectations. By treating and recycling the water, the company has reduced water consumption by 170,000 gallons per year and realized substantial cost savings in the purchase and discharge of water.

Elimination of Solvents

The Vancouver plant has also completely eliminated cleaning solvents (such as methyl ethyl ketone, toluene, lacquer thinner and methylene chloride). Instead, they have moved to citrus-based cleaners and biodegradable soaps. They also discontinued their use of solvent-based adhesives. Instead, they make their own starch and water-based glue. Not only does it save them money, it also ensures that the glues are fresh and free from bacteria, and reduces handling since the glue is pumped throughout the factory directly from the mixing vat.

Eliminating solvents is also important since most of the bags are used in packaging foodstuffs. The Vancouver plant is certified by the American Institute of Bakeries (AIB). Although AIB is an industry group that promotes education and research in the science and art of baking, its standards for sanitation and safety are widely regarded in the food processing industry. As a large supplier to the food industry, Vancouver takes pride in its affiliation with AIB.

100 Percent Recycler

Bemis, Vancouver has instituted a comprehensive recycling program. All manufacturing process by-products get recycled. Scrap paper gets baled and shipped to a broker in Japan. They recycle all oils from maintenance activities. In the imaging laboratory, Vancouver recycles the chemical baths including recovery of the silver. From the negatives, they recover both silver and Mylar(tm). The Vancouver factory has also recycled its trash for some time now. In fact, this plant was among the first companies to participate in the Clark County Industrial Recycling Program.

Energy

Energy is another important area in which Bemis, Vancouver, has taken steps to conserve resources and cut costs. Plant Engineer Guy Davis has initiated a three-phase program for energy conservation which began last year when Bemis completed a re-lamping program for the entire plant. All of the old PCB-containing ballasts were removed and replaced with electronic ballasts. The entire lighting system was computer redesigned, and high energy lighting was replaced with very high- or high-output energy saving lights. Not only did the program greatly improve the working conditions, it also cut the energy bill for lighting by one third. And the investment paid for itself in only 1.5 years.

One Person Can Make a Difference

Guy Davis has been a champion for environmental improvement at the Vancouver Plant. A man with many responsibilities (he serves as: industrial engineer, mechanical engineer, maintenance manager as well as environmental coordinator), he has initiated many of the new environmental programs and inspired others in the process. According to Guy, changes have not always been easy to implement, as inertia must be overcome and all initiatives must pass fiscal scrutiny to receive financial support. But Guy also credits support for his initiatives from Lee Cook, the Plant Manager, and by the plant employees. Says Davis, "Our employees played a large part in the success of the process changes required to meet our goals." At least a third have been quite receptive to the improvements. And once they actually see the improvements, support follows from almost everyone else. As one employee commented, "It's good to change because it supports the business, the customer, and the employee, not to mention the environment." So as Bemis continues to improve its products and processes, so too will it continue to improve its environmental management practices. Especially if Guy Davis has anything to say about it.