Yerecic Label Wins Environmental Leadership Award

NEW KENSINGTON, Pa. - Nov. 11, 2014 - PRLog -- Yerecic Label, a label manufacturer for the perishable industries, was honored with the Environmental Leadership Award at the 2014 Tag and Label Manufacturers Institute, Inc. (TLMI) Annual Meeting on Monday, October 13^th. The company was able to become landfill free in February 2013 by diverting 99.4 percent of waste away from landfills.

“As a company, we are passionate about making our practices sustainable and eco-friendly,” said VP of Manufacturing Brian Hurst. “Since 2010, we have taken it upon ourselves to remove solid waste, eliminate chemical waste and reduce energy usage in order to create measurable environmental benefits.”

A leader among label converters in the green movement, Yerecic Label has been certified by TLMI’s Label Initiative for the Environment (L.I.F.E. ®) program since 2010.  The initiative measures clean production techniques, waste numbers and an organization’s commitment to the environment. Yerecic Label’s L.I.F.E. ® team is a cross functional group of 10 associates from all departments within the company led by the VP of Manufacturing, Brian Hurst.

In 2013, Yerecic Label purchased a compactor to divert the waste matrix and press set-up excess from landfill to an alternate fuel program. Since installation, Yerecic Label has diverted over 2,500,000 pounds, or 1,264 tons, of landfill from waste to energy. Based on an evaluation of BTU’s generated, the heat produced by Yerecic Label’s waste to energy program is enough to heat 290 houses for one year since the program was started in 2013.

“Becoming landfill free was a big initiative for Yerecic Label in 2013,” said President Art Yerecic. “Consumers and buyers are becoming more conscious of environmental issues and are seeking products with sustainable business practices. It’s important for us to be able to assure our customers and end-users that we are dedicated to preserving the environment.”

In 2011, Yerecic Label began purchasing 20 percent of their electricity from a renewable source. In 2012, a lighting change from halogen lighting to T-5 high efficiency lighting resulted in a 34 percent decrease in energy usage in 2012 and another 10 percent decrease in 2013 based on the square footage of the facility.

Yerecic Label takes extreme pride in developing sustainable practices, but also sharing their experiences with other label industry members. As an active participant on the

TLMI Environmental committee, Yerecic label shares their green knowledge and best practices with other TLMI members and the label industry as a whole. Through the L.I.F.E.® mentor program, Yerecic Label has helped three label converters gain L.I.F.E.® certification.

About Yerecic Label

Yerecic Label is located in the Westmoreland Business and Research Park in New Kensington, PA in a facility designed for cellular lean manufacturing.  With our Esko Graphics HD and DuPont FAST pre-press/plate system delivering magazine quality images, the possibilities of what Yerecic Label can help you accomplish are endless. To learn more, visit www.YLfresh.com