Success Stories
Massachusetts Companies Making an Impact
2004-2007 Industry Champions of Toxics Use Reduction
TURI has recognized the following companies for achieving impressive business and enviornmental results by voluntarily reducing their use of toxic chemicals.
Allegro MicroSystems, Inc., Worcester, Massachusetts, a mid-sized semiconductor manufacturer in Worcester
- Allegro evaluated their water conservation technology to reduce the use of expensive and hazardous water treatment chemicals that resulted in an estimated savings of $275,000 annually.
- Allegro has continuously sought safer chemicals for its core manufacturing operations, and has greatly reduced its use of nitric acid, sulfuric acid and isopropyl alcohol, yielding a combined annual savings of about $425,000.
Acushnet Rubber in New Bedford, Massachusetts
- The company cut air emissions of methylene chloride, trichloroethylene, and Freon by more than 50 tons a year, saving over $100,000 in chemical costs alone.
- Through conservation, the company saved $1.75 million per year in water and sewer costs, and another $160,000 by reducing annual energy consumption by 2 million kilowatt hours.
- Acushnet was the second company in the United States to become ISO 14001 certified, and several of its Toxics Use Reduction (TUR) projects have been the subject of case studies by the Toxics Use Reduction Institute, the Office of Technical Assistance, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Texas Instruments Incorporated, Attleboro, Massachusetts
- Texas Instruments reduced its reliance on trichloroethylene from 850 tons a year in 1985 to less than two tons.
- Other victories include eliminating over 2 million pounds of anhydrous ammonia, and cutting its use of cyanide compounds from 35,000 pounds in 1996 to just 5,000 in 2000, for which TI received the Massachusetts Governor's Award for Excellence in Toxics Use Reduction.
Hyde Manufacturing Company, Southbridge, Massachusetts
- Hyde reduced its use of toxics to levels well below the reporting thresholds by 1995. In the past decade, Hyde has reduced hazardous waste by 93% and non-hazardous waste over 85%. Hyde continues to achieve $150,000 in annual cost savings.
Teknor Apex in Attleboro, Massachusetts
- Teknor Apex has been an innovator of toxics use reduction in Massachusetts since the inception of the Toxics Use Reduction Act more than 15 years ago.
- Provided valuable insight into UMass Lowell Plastics Engineering Department’s research, conducted under TURI’s grant program, to find innovative ways to use nanoclays and phthalate-free formulations for wire and cable applications, an important industry sector in the Commonwealth.
- Lent expertise to TURI for the “Five Chemicals Study” that led to a scientific and credible assessment of alternatives to DEHP.
Teradyne, Inc., North Reading, Massachusetts
- Teradyne, a long-time leader of promoting innovative methods and chemistries, has openly shared lessons learned that encourages other companies to find opportunities to reduce toxic chemical use.
- The company has hosted two Environmental Management Systems Industry Peer Mentoring Work Groups that provide opportunities for companies to learn from each other's experiences.
- By lending their technical expertise and equipment to the New England Lead-Free Consortium, they have helped the group identify viable lead-free options for the electronics industry, a necessity for Massachusetts companies to stay competitive in the global marketplace.
Vicor Corporation, Andover, Massachusetts, an employer of 950 people and the only company in their marketplace that exclusively manufactures all products in the United States, was recognized for demonstrating environmental leadership through innovation.
- As a result of complying with the European Union Directive RoHS, Vicor expects to eliminate more than 3,400 pounds of lead usage annually, reduce lead air emissions by 99.96% annually, and reduce disposal of lead-based hazardous waste off site by 100%!
- The company then volunteered to share with other Massachusetts companies how they accomplished this monumental task through the TURI 2006 Industry Demonstration Site Program.
Ceramics Processing Systems (CPS), Chartley (Norton), Massachusetts, a employer of 105 people, the company worked with the Toxics Use Reduction Institute’s (TURI) Laboratory to eliminate a hazardous triple acid bath wash for cleaning composite parts. A new chemistry was found that is both safer and more economical— CPS operators are cleaning two to three times more parts in the same amount of time, or less, with fewer rejects.
Solutia, Inc., Springfield, Massachusetts is know for manufacturing Saflex plastic interlayers that help protect people by strengthening glass in cars and buildings worldwide.
- Solutia received an Environmental Management System Matching (EMS) Grant from TURI to help them become ISO 14001 certified – an international environmental standard – by the end of 2005.
- In 2005, Solutia hosted five companies (Judd Wire, Lane Construction, Nova Chemicals, Green Mountain Coffee, and TiteFlex Corporation) at their facility for on-going EMS workgroup meetings with the goal of improving environmental performance.
- The plant has earned numerous environmental, safety and health awards, and maintains the designation as a VPP “Star” site, which is OSHA’s highest level of recognition for excellence in voluntary safety and health programs.
M/A-COM, Lowell, Massachusetts, has made substantial contributions to the TURI-sponsored New England Lead-free Electronics Consortium for the past several years. Because of approaching international regulations that ban the use of lead, the Consortium is charged with finding an alternative for tin-lead solder, which has been the industry standard for 60 years.
AlphaGary, Leominster, Massachusetts, is a major contributor to TURI’s Wire and Cable Supply Chain Workgroup. AlphaGary has been instrumental in coalescing wire and cable suppliers, customers and competitors for the common goal of finding safer alternatives. With sales of over $800M and more than 3,400 employees, the wire and cable industry is a meaningful part of the Commonwealth’s industrial manufacturing base.
This page updated Thursday February 07 2008