Trailblazing & Groundbreaking Solutions for Sustainability
This article appeared in the Jul/Aug 2024 issue of MiMfg Magazine. Read the full issue and find past issues online.
Michigan manufacturers focused on sustainability and environmental protection are devising bigger, more in-depth and more regenerative solutions in an effort to make a revolutionary and lasting impact.
Industry professionals have been looking in every direction for solutions that will lead to a more sustainable future for manufacturing, and many have employed new and fresh ideas into their products and services. In these cases, sustainability concepts have led to innovations that may positively impact processes as well as enhance and meet businesses’ conservation goals.
“A circular economy is at the foundation of what we do; using all of our materials to make our products is essential to our continued success,” says Michael LeMonds, Chief Sustainability Officer and Vice President of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) for Holcim U.S., a top building materials provider in the world and the leading cement producer in the United States.
Sustainability efforts aimed at lowering emissions, recycling, minimizing the use of natural resources and reducing waste help to increase efficiency, reduce cost and protect the Earth for future generations. To meet these objectives nationwide, decarbonization, carbon sequestration, the use of anaerobic digesters and recycling and reusing construction materials are among trending topics in the industry today.
Decarbonization and Carbon Sequestration
Commonly discussed strategies aimed at reducing CO2 emissions include wind deployment, the use of solar energy and transitioning to electric vehicles.
A lesser-known solution is geologic carbon sequestration. The process involves capturing carbon dioxide from natural gas power plants, ethanol plants, cement plants and any other common source of emission before it enters the atmosphere. Afterward, the CO2 is placed into geologic formations 1 to 1.5 miles down into the Earth, where the products can be stored permanently.
“In order to make a difference today, we have to have solutions that are shovel-ready today,” says Harry Faulkner, CEO and President of Lambda Energy Resources. “We think that carbon sequestration is the right thing at the right time to make a difference immediately.”
Lambda, which has a large gas facility in Kalkaska, owns 300 miles of pipelines in northern Michigan from Manistee to Alpena. The business is adapting its existing oil and gas infrastructure to enable the storage of 160 million metric tons of captured CO2 in what is known as the Carbon-Free Industrial Zone. These captured CO2 can be used for the production of low carbon-intensity transportation fuel, cement, natural gas and other products to assist the state in achieving its decarbonization goals.
“The Carbon-Free Zone, which is comprised of former or depleting oil and gas production fields, offer 300 million tons of storage capacity in the Carbon-Free Zone, and we have the lion’s share of it,” Faulkner says. “Carbon sequestration is going to be good for Michigan, good for jobs and good for the environment.”
To meet environmental and sustainability goals, businesses that put CO2 into the atmosphere must figure out how to reduce these emissions by capturing the CO2 at the source, he says.
“This provides Michigan with a way to reduce their carbon dioxide outputs immediately,” Faulkner says, adding that the captured CO2 can be transported via pipeline, rail or truck.
Limiting the release of carbon into the atmosphere is a critical solution to the climate crisis, he says.
“Solar, wind, storage batteries and EVs are great ways to reduce CO2 emissions,” he says. “However, with many of the industrial processes there is no substitute that is clean and green without carbon sequestration. We think sequestration is ready to go today, and we need to be doing it en masse for the U.S. and the rest of the world.”
Because Michigan is a manufacturing- and agriculture-centric state, it would gain a competitive advantage in terms of attracting businesses, he adds.
In fact, the MMA Environmental Policy Committee has been focusing on making the carbon capture process more feasible and attainable for manufacturers throughout the state. Caroline Liethen, MMA Director of Environmental & Regulatory Policy, says manufacturers must go through a lengthy process in order to establish an injection site but a stakeholder group of over 60 organizations is drafting legislation that would make the process accessible at the state level of government.
Circular Economy
Holcim has developed several innovative solutions with a goal of reducing waste, reusing products, protecting the environment and creating sustainability options for other manufacturers.
As part of its commitment to reducing the environmental consequences related to cement production, Holcim has transitioned to low-carbon cement, known as OneCem®, manufactured in Alpena.
“OneCem now accounts for almost 90 percent of our U.S. production,” LeMonds says, adding that their solutions help make state highways, critical infrastructure and other building and construction projects more sustainable and environmentally conscious for their customers. “It’s the right thing to do for our company and the environment, and it’s what our customers are expecting.”
LeMonds adds that, as they are focusing on moving away from traditional fuels and toward alternative fuels, they have begun a program to use recycled used tires for fuel to run the plant in Alpena. Additionally, they are adding a solar array to generate electricity on site and are reusing concrete at the end of its life. With goals of protecting the water and minimizing emissions, they also are working with city and state governments to obtain larger vessels that would reduce the frequency of their shipments on the Great Lakes.
“It’s exactly the type of project that can make the shipping network more efficient and more environmentally responsible on the Great Lakes,” LeMonds says.
To further assist manufacturers in making environmentally conscious decisions, Holcim provides Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) featuring comprehensive scientific and technical details about the global warming potential of products.
“They’re becoming more mainstream in the construction space, and they’re vital requirements in bids, especially with government contracts and green building certifications,” LeMonds says. “The labels provide transparency based on data that consumers can use to make good decisions.”
Another sustainable process involves Duro-Last Roofing Systems, which Holcim acquired in 2023. Duro-Last collects trimming as it manufactures PVC roofing, as well as end-of-life roofing materials from customers. The company then recycles these items on site to be used in the manufacturing of new roofing or commercial flooring. As a result, their customers also benefit by eliminating waste, enhancing efficiency and contributing to their own environmental protection goals.
An additional trending topic is the use of anaerobic digesters, which divert compostable waste, manure, wastewater biosolids, food waste and other organic materials into reusable energy.
“MMA led legislative changes several years ago to amend the definition of ‘waste’ to allow more reuse and recycling of products, and many companies are taking advantage of that flexibility,” Liethen says.
Any manufacturer that works with organic materials can benefit from the use of anaerobic digesters, with the food processing industry being one of the main beneficiaries, she says. MMA’s leadership currently is actively engaged in recently introduced House bills that would clarify reporting, compliance and registration requirements for owners and operators of anaerobic digesters.
These examples of trailblazing solutions for sustainability are only a handful of many in progress. Manufacturers throughout the state are looking closely at various internal processes to determine how they could be more environmentally friendly while remaining efficient and productive. The result is the creation of innovative ideas that can have a profound impact on other manufacturers, the state and our global environment.
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