january 27, 2015
Teknion Corporation today announced that it has received a Minister’s Award for Environmental Excellence from the Government of Ontario. Teknion was honored for its strong commitment to environmental excellence by using innovative approaches and new technologies to protect the environment.
"I congratulate you on being a recipient of the Minister’s Award for Environmental Excellence," said Glen Murray, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. "Climate change is the defining issue of our time, and we have made it one of our key priorities. Your good work is the type of action we will be building on as I pursue my new mandate to fight climate change and protect our environment."
In partnership with Chemetall, Teknion introduced a phosphate-free chemical at the cleaning stage of its paint finishing lines. In addition to creating less hazardous waste, the new process has also resulted in about one-third less water consumption, and less natural gas to heat the water. Less natural gas usage equals reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
"Over the years, we have remained steadfast in our efforts to shift our sustainability paradigm from doing the least harm to doing the most good," said Scott Deugo, Chief Sales and Sustainability Office. "One of our many objectives is to reduce and minimize waste at the source within the manufacturing process as opposed to dealing with pollution and waste after they have been created. We are honored that our latest sustainability efforts have earned us the Minister’s Award for Environmental Excellence."
The awards were presented at a luncheon in Toronto on January 20, 2015. The latest honor is the fourth environmental award presented by the province to Teknion. In 2010, 2012 and in 2014 Teknion was honored with Ontario Waste Minimization Awards.