Industrial Manufacturer Milliken Cut GHG Emissions by 12.4% in 2019

(Photo: Milliken’s textile manufacturing in the United States. Credit: Milliken)

Diversified global manufacturer Milliken & Company reported this week that it had reduced indexed greenhouse gas emissions by 12.4% in 2019. The company aims to cut emissions 25% by 2025 against a 2018 baseline.

Milliken’s manufacturing business spans textiles, flooring, specialty chemicals, and healthcare. They have 42 manufacturing locations globally: 28 textile, eight flooring, four chemical, and two healthcare. The company first began reporting on its sustainability in 2018. Last year they joined the UN Global Compact and the Alliance to End Plastic Waste.

“In 2019, we reduced our GHG emissions through our steps to eliminate coal as a fuel source,” the company said. “We continue to explore more solutions, including how to advance management of biosolids and prepare for big leaps in our waste reduction goals.”

The manufacturer invested $25 million in combined heat and power (CHP). Milliken reported that this allowed them to reduce energy consumption by capturing wasted heat and increasing energy reliability by generating electricity onsite.

At global headquarters in Spartanburg, South Carolina, the manufacturer doubled solar capacity and completed a $1 million LED lighting upgrade. Changing the lighting reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 495 metric tons in addition to saving more than 1 million kilowatt hours of energy.

Milliken said that the flooring business is currently doubling its Environmental Product Declarations and asking suppliers for more transparency to increase the accuracy of the company’s Life Cycle Assessment data. “In order to reduce our carbon footprint, we continually seek to improve data and reduce the carbon impacts of our products,” according to company.