SPARTANBURG, S.C.—Milliken & Co., long recognized for sustainable leadership and environmental stewardship, has launched its second partnership to harvest methane as an alternative energy source. Spartanburg County approved the initiative on the eve of Earth Day 2008, April 21.
“Milliken is constantly seeking ways to conserve energy and to reduce our footprint,” said Richard Dillard, director of public affairs for Milliken. “With the success of our methane program in LaGrange, Ga., Spartanburg County immediately realized the benefit of this proposal to the local government, our community, Milliken, and ultimately the Earth.”
Spartanburg County will be responsible for construction and operation of an enhanced methane extraction system at the Wellford Landfill and a gas pipeline from the landfill to Milliken’s Dewey plant near Inman, S.C. The landfill gas containing the fuel methane, a naturally generated by-product of landfill decomposition, will be purchased from the County.
Both Parties Will Benefit
“The project will produce financial benefits for both parties and, perhaps most importantly, it will produce significant environmental benefits and help us to reach our goals for improving local air quality,” stated County Administrator Glenn Breed.
Elaborating on details, Breed said this project will have annual environmental benefits equal to or greater than any one of the following:
• Removing the pollution emissions of 10,000 vehicles;
• Planting 14,000 acres of forest;
• Offsetting the use of 260 railroad cars of coal;
• Offsetting the use of 125,000 barrels of oil;
• Eliminating 52,000 tons of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide; and
• Removing pollution emissions from electricity generation for usage in 5,000 homes.
Milliken launched an Energy Conservation Initiative in 2007 aimed at workforce education, LEED certification, increased efficiency and reduced consumption. Milliken Floor Covering currently harvests more than 80 percent of the methane gas from the LaGrange landfill as a replacement for natural gas in carpet manufacturing. With a long history of aggressive recycling, Milliken diverts 99 percent of its waste from landfill.
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