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JAMESTOWN, N.Y., July 28, 2008—In support of its long-time commitment to the environment, Bush Industries-a leading global manufacturer of ready-to-assemble (RTA) and OfficeReady™ furniture for home and office-has expanded its “green” manufacturing and operational initiatives.
“At Bush, we’re environmentally conscious from the beginning to the end of our manufacturing process,” said CEO Jim Sherbert. “Most Bush products start with recycled or recovered wood fiber; and after the furniture is manufactured, we reuse or recycle many of our factory byproducts.”
Bush Industries’ wood chips and sawdust byproducts are recycled or reused for everything from boiler fuel to cow bedding on local farms. Scraps such as paper, plastic, cardboard, light metal, and heavy steel also are recycled or reused. Similarly, Bush operational processes help to minimize materials sent to landfills
through the recycling of equipment and office supplies such as computers, monitors, printers, fax machines, copiers, light bulbs and batteries. And, when Bush takes one of its manufacturing machines out of service, it is stripped down for parts’ reuse and recycling. The company even makes its own pallets from
factory scrap.
In addition to recycling, Bush has launched a variety of initiatives to cut energy use, including: equipment efficiency upgrades, closely-regulated 24-hour temperature controls, and weekly energy audits that identify and correct potential energy waste from equipment pipe air leaks, power to equipment not in use, and afterhours’ lighting.
The company’s commitment to the environment doesn’t stop there-sustainability is critical to the Bush Industries’ design process as well. Products are designed to minimize waste creation, and a Bush manufacturing team has been charged with developing waste-reduction and energy-efficiency solutions. Team innovations led Bush to switch to high-performance stretch films and shrink-wrapping improvements that reduced material use by 25 percent. The team also drove improvements that have generated a 60 percent reduction in angle-board material use.
In addition, Bush products are manufactured in an Environmentally Preferable Product (EPP) Downstream Licensed Facility. EPP Downstream is a program for manufacturers of finished or semi-finished products using composite panel materials (CPM) defined as particleboard, medium density fiberboard, and hardboard. To participate in the program, at least 50 percent of the CPM purchased for use at the facility must be certified to the CPA Environmentally Preferable Product Specification CPA 2-06.
Bush Industries, Inc. is a leading global manufacturer of ready-to-assemble (RTA) and OfficeReady™
furniture for home and office. The company’s business model focuses on researching and understanding
consumer values, driving them through innovative product design, and then sourcing and distributing valueadded
furniture products. The company is headquartered in Jamestown, N.Y., with manufacturing plants
and offices in New York and Pennsylvania in the United States, as well as in China and Germany.
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