SAN CARLOS, CA – Kelly-Moore Paint Co. Inc., San Carlos, CA, has received the Green Large Business of the Year award by the Green Business Committee. Kelly-Moore was selected for its series of recycling programs that diverted 60 percent of its waste and for its ability to motivate employees to commit to recycling efforts. Kelly-Moore was also recognized for its carbon offset program, which resulted in the San Carlos plant being carbon neutral.

 

At Kelly-Moore, environmental impact has always been a big concern. In 1995, the company developed a safer, more environmentally responsible technique to dispose of leftover paint and became the first paint company in the industry to collect and remanufacture a recycled paint, eCoat. Since then, Kelly-Moore continues to invest in recycling technology.

 

Previously, when half-used paint cans were returned, the paint and cans were considered unrecyclable waste. Now, Kelly-Moore uses a system that removes the labels and residue from the cans, making them recyclable. The returned paint is extensively sorted by color and type and remanufactured into eCoat.

 

In April 2009, Kelly-Moore started a program to recycle Super Sack storage bags, cut up plastic totes and other previously unrecyclable containers. The program resulted in a 10-15 percent reduction in landfill waste. Additionally, Kelly-Moore’s factory management developed a collection system for rainwater to offset water usage and built a berm around the manufacturing plant to prevent any possible paint spillage from getting into the local creek.

 

Kelly-Moore has continued to green its manufacturing facility. It has replaced old HVAC units with energy-efficient ones, installed a new dust collector that reduced plant noise levels and energy consumption by approximately 50 percent, enrolled in a PG&E program to buy carbon offsets, captured waste heat generated from the plant’s large compressor and now uses it to heat an adjacent building, and eliminated non-recyclable Styrofoam cups.