Clean UtahLa-Z-Boy Utah is one of the initial applicants to the Clean Utah Program. Part of a well-known national chain which manufactures upholstered residential furniture, the Tremonton facility currently employs 1,000.
To be accepted as a Clean Utah Partner, the facility had to first pass a compliance screen to ensure that environmental regulations were consistently being met. DEQ, EPA, and the Local Health Department each confirmed that is the case.
DEQ verified the facility has an effective Environmental Management System (EMS). DEQ staff and a multi-interest review panel reviewed the proposed projects and recommended the company be admitted. DEQ Executive Director Dianne Nielson sent a letter dated February 17, 2005 welcoming La-Z-Boy Utah as the one of the two first Clean Utah Partners.
In September 2003, plant management decided to further enhance environmental performance by establishing a formal EMS. The format selected was established by the American Home Furnishings Alliance. The program is known as Enhancing Furniture’s Environmental Culture (EFEC).
Senior plant leadership committed to the EMS process from the very beginning and made sure everyone throughout the plant knew about the new program. An EFEC team was established and charged with implementation. A formal environmental policy was published, followed by a comprehensive assessment of the plant and its manufacturing processes. From this assessment, goals aimed at improving the plant’s environmental performance were set.
Employees were given special training concerning the new program. Many great suggestions from the employees have been implemented into the program.
La-Z-Boy Utah passed an EFEC certification audit in May 2004 and is currently the only facility in La-Z-Boy Incorporated to be certified by the American Home Furnishings Alliance.
Goal: Reduce, through recycling, the amount of solid waste being sent to the landfill.
Approach : Initially, then continually, evaluate what is in the trash stream to see what can be recycled. Locate a source to take the material, then establish a program to collect and recycle it.
Accomplishments: The plant has been recycling - scrap poly foam, scrap Dacron and fiber, cardboard boxes, pallets, scrap metal and saw dust - for years. However, after implementing an EMS, the employee team found there were other items going into the trash that could be recycled.
A recycling goal was first discussed in December 2003. Over the next three months, the team determined that plastic bags, paper, plastic pop bottles and cardboard tubes should also be recycled, found a recycler, and established an in-house program. The first pick-up of the newly identified recyclable material was in April 2004. The overall amount of trash that is sent to the landfill is monitored monthly. Also known is the weight of the recyclable materials that would have gone to the landfill had the new program not been started.
La-Z-Boy Utah has since reduced trash going to the landfill by 7% - 2% above the initial goal. The company has also cut trash hauls to the landfill from twice to once a week. Revenue realized in the first 11 months - between revenue generated and cost avoidance for landfill and hauling fees – was $28,800.
This table depicts the new items recycled after the implementation of the EMS program.
| Year | Weight to Landfill (Ton) | Recycled Weight (Tons) | Total Weight (Tons) |
Percent weight recycled |
| 2002 | 1154 | 0 | 1,154 | 0 |
| 2003 | 745 | 0 | 745 | 0 |
| 2004 | 787 | 88 | 875 | 10 |
The recycled poly foam goes back to the original vendor. The cardboard goes to a paper mill for reuse. Rocky Mountain Recycling picks up our plastic, pop bottles, paper and cardboard. Pallets are recycled through Pallets of Utah and the scrap metal is recycled through Valley Metal. The sawdust goes to a live stock dealer to use as live stock bedding.
Total for all materials recycled in 2003 was 2.7 million pounds with a generated revenue of $502,655. The total for 2004 was 3.02 million pounds (increase from the additional items identified in the EMS) and a generated revenue of $617,508.
Impact : Reducing the amount of trash going to the landfill has meant an increase in revenue through recycling. La-Z-Boy Utah has also seen a change in the attitude of its employees. They have become excited about the program and have actually helped come up with ideas on how to recycle more than was originally envisioned.
Future Commitments : La-Z-Boy Utah is committed to continue to look for additional ways to reduce the amount of solid waste generated. The majority of the trash going to the landfill is fabric scraps. At this point, the company has been unable to find a source to recycle this fabric. It is still a goal.
Employees are frequently reminded of the goal. Their involvement is sought to generate new ideas. Proof that the program is working is the fact that there are a couple of suggestions received each month with improvement ideas.
Goal: Enhance the facility’s energy efficiency and, subsequently, reduce air emissions from the boiler.
Approach: As the employee team evaluated energy use, it saw the greatest opportunity for improvement was in the air conditioning system. The efficiency of the steam absorption chiller was not good. Summer natural gas usage was twice that of the winter when the plant was being heated. The team realized that if it made the air conditioning system more efficient, it would also reduce emissions from the gas boiler.
An engineering study of different air conditioning systems was completed to determine the most efficient system. The study, including estimated cost savings, was forwarded it to Corporate offices for consideration. The savings were so substantial, La-Z-Boy Utah was granted an out of cycle budget request.
In addition, year-to-date, we have decreased the air emissions from our boiler by 72%. We continue to monitor, on a monthly basis, both energy consumption and emissions.
Accomplishments: A steam absorption chiller was replaced with a state-of-the-art electric chiller.
Impact: Becoming more energy efficient has saved money for the plant while, at the same time, reduced air emissions. Overall energy usage and emissions are closely monitored. While the electric bill has gone up some, the natural gas bill has gone down significantly.
Total energy use in the plant decreased by 41% compared to the previous year. The decrease in energy use resulted in an 18.4% savings in energy costs. The installation of the new chiller allowed the gas boiler to be shut down during the summer months. The positive result of this was a 67% decrease in emissions from the boiler over the calendar year.
When La-Z-Boy compared actual utility bills (2003 to 2004), it found that the utility cost was $120,509 less. However, if the change in chillers had not been made and the company had paid for the natural gas at the 2004 price, it would have paid $213,000 more for utilities.
(The amount of gas burned is used to track the natural gas burning equipment. Emissions are calculated using AP-42 factors. Emissions from the finish room are determined by engineering calculations. The amount of finish products used is tracked. The plant has the manufacturers’ technical data such as Certified Product Data Sheets for each product. Based on the application system, La-Z-Boy is able to calculate emissions.)
Future Commitments : La-Z-Boy Utah has committed to becoming energy efficient as economically feasible. It is working with Utah Power to conduct an energy study of the plant and will develop further specific goals based upon study results.
Clean Utah requires facilities to conduct public involvement activities.
Several news releases about the EMS program have already been published in the local newspaper. During the Box Elder County Fair, the plant sponsored a booth that contained information. During an August 2004 plant open house, everyone who came by was given a presentation. Each year, classes of Utah State University Environmental, Engineering, and Industrial Hygiene students come through the plant and are given an overview of our environmental program as part of the tour. La-Z-Boy Utah has committed to continue to find ways to interact with the public to make them aware of its environmental goals and program.
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