Sivyer Steel Corp. took the occasion of Earth Day to announce a company-wide recycling program. The Bettendorf, IA, steel foundry, which also has machining and heat-treating capability, said its new “Going Green” initiative involves installing recycling bins throughout its three plants for workers and others to deposit aluminum, plastic, and paper waste.
To encourage participation in the new recycling initiative, nearly 400 workers at Sivyer’s two plants in Bettendorf, IA, and one plant in Moline, IL, were presented with an 80% recycled-content tote bag containing information on sustainability, a mouse pad, and a reusable water bottle or coffee mug.
Sivyer produces ferrous castings in high volumes for various markets, including mining equipment, military vehicles, and recycling and scrap processing operations. The company noted it has long been recycling steel as a raw material source, and sand for its internal production process.
To kick off the “Going Green” initiative, Sivyer Steel staged an on-site gardening competition among its plant departments. Employees recycled old pallets into garden boxes, and each department will plant its own garden that will be judged for creativity and productivity later this year.
Last year, Sivyer Steel agreed to a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 7 concerning violations of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). As part of the settlement, Sivyer Steel agreed to pay a civil penalty totaling $54,786, and clean up residual used oil that may have leaked from storage tanks on the site.
Sivyer stated it has made numerous efforts in recent years to comply with EPA and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, including recent installation of new dust collectors rated at a total of 165,000 ft3/min., and a thermal sand reclamation system that (along with a previously installed mechanical reclamation system) helps the foundry to reuse 80% of its molding sand.