News Feature: Committed to Our Environment

DALLAS, FEB. 23, 2010  – This past year at Vought, we got behind a number of activities to help our environment. As part of our 2009 Earth Day celebration, a companywide initiative was begun to recycle printer cartridges. Vought’s Manager of Environmental Health and Safety, Joanne Romano, outlined to employees that over 350 million cartridges are discarded in our landfills each year, and that number increases by 12% annually. Based on those numbers Vought management and employees eagerly pledged to help reduce Vought’s waste and increase our recycling efforts. Besides launching our printer cartridge recycling initiative, employees initiated a number of other recycling initiatives that have taken place this year:

• In Stuart, employees switched to using recycled paper products including paper towels and toilet paper.
• Milledgeville recently shut down a tank line significantly reducing the plant’s water usage.
• At our Hawthorne location, there is an ongoing recycling program for paper and wood crates.
• Jefferson Street held a household hazardous waste round up where employees could drop off hazardous waste such as various chemicals, fertilizers and pesticides. (shown below)
• Marshall Street recycles all its paper products.
• Nashville reduced water usage in the autoclave process and reduced air pollution by eliminating (or retiring) an old piece of equipment that was a significant source of pollution and replacing with new Shot Peen process.

By working together and participating in a variety of recycling programs, Vought is helping to protect the future of our environment. We had a great 2009 and look forward to an even greener 2010.