Durham Manufacturing Gets Environmental Award

The Durham Manufacturing Company was among more than two dozen businesses, individuals and civic groups honored with an environmental award Friday during ceremonies in Hartford.

The company was chosen for the GreenCircle Award, given by the state’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, because of recycling efforts it undertook in recent years.

The GreenCircle Awards are given annually and recognizes individuals, nonprofits, civic groups and businesses that undertake efforts aimed at energy conservation, transportation, pollution prevention, conservation and overall environmental awareness.

Since it was established in 1998 the program about 1,000 entities have been recognized for 1,425 projects that the DEEP says has made a difference in preserving natural resources and protecting the quality of the state’s air, water and lands.

About 75 people gathered at the DEEP’s Hartford headquarters Friday for the annual awards ceremony presided over by DEEP commissioner Daniel C. Esty.

“We know very much in this department that the (environmental) agenda is big and broad and we can’t do it alone, so I’m very appreciative to those who are helping us move the ball down the field,” Esty told the participants. “We are really grateful of that sweep of support that we get. Cumulatively, it makes an enormous difference for the environment here in Connecticut.”

Durham Manufacturing was selected for the GreenCircle for an inhouse recycling program it began in 2008.

In the past, the company disposed of pallets, paper and plastic items in the general trash dumpster on-site that would be picked up and taken to the landfill.  Corrugated scrap was placed in a separate container, but required a separate pick up and drop off by their waste hauler. 

In late 2008 and 2009, Durham implemented a program whereby waste containers were located throughout the facility (both offices and factory) to collect copy paper, colored paper, bottles and recyclables.  The containers are taken to the local transfer station for recycling. 

Corrugated scrap and pallets are also now being collected at the company by a supplier for reuse and recycle.  The return haul is taking place on a trailer that previously would have been empty upon its return to the supplier.  All flourescent light bulbs, batteries, ballasts and computer equipment at Durham Manufacturing are now being sent to a recycler.