AIR, WASTE AND WATER

IN ADDITION TO MOVING TOWARD OUR 2030 GHG REDUCTION TARGET, we are advancing our environmental monitoring and data collection efforts across other areas of our operations. As Novolex grows, we are prioritizing efforts to better understand and quantify our operational environmental impacts. Managing processes and materials throughout our operations is critical to reducing air emissions, waste generation and water consumption.

The Director of Environmental Compliance oversees operational impacts across 57 manufacturing sites. Working with local environmental, health and safety (EHS) managers, we identify air, waste and water impacts specific to each of our facilities and develop action plans to mitigate environmental impacts. In 2022, we made significant progress toward developing a companywide waste-to-landfill metric. Additionally, we have made progress in reducing air emissions through investments in innovative equipment designed to manage volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

Air Emissions

AT NOVOLEX , we monitor our air emissions permits, focusing on nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter (PM). Emissions released by Novolex facilities vary depending on their specific processes. VOC emissions commonly arise from the use of inks for product printing, while NOx and SOx emissions result from the use of natural gas during operations.

In 2022, air emissions decreased compared to 2021 levels. This was due in part to a second regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) added in 2022 to our location in Yakima, Wash., which reduced VOC emissions at the plant. Novolex contributed a $2 million investment towards this second RTO to support ongoing emissions reduction initiatives.

*Data not collected for 2019, 2020 or 2021.