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Friday, 06 July 2007 |
 In effort to reduce its environmental footprint, Poland Spring Water Co. (a division of Nestlé Waters North America, Inc.) has moved to use B5 Biofuel for its tankering fleet--stainless steel tanker trucks that deliver spring water for bottling--as opposed to traditional diesel fuel. The switch-up, which took place last month, will reduce the tanker fleet's carbon emissions by more than 1.8 million pounds this year and will reduce fuel consumption by 70,000 gallons, recounts Ron Dyer, Poland Spring environmental manager.
The company conducted trials from December of last year through March to ensure that the right fuel was being chosen. Ken Rogers, Poland Spring Northeast regional manger, explains there are four common grades of bio diesel, B2, B5, B10 and B20, each number representing the percentage of renewable biofuel in the mixture. Rogers adds that the higher the number, the greater the chance of running into complications with the fleet.
"For our drivers, this is an entirely new concept," he says "and B5 seemed like the right mixture to start out. We are absolutely confident B5 will not cause issues with safety, reliability or performance."
C.N. Brown, a Maine-based energy supplier, is supplying the water company's 52 tankers and 12 contracted trucks with B5 Biofuel. The cost of the fuel is a few cents more per gallon than diesel fuel, but according the Dyer, Poland Spring's use of B5 Biofuel could help stabilize the price of fuel in Maine. Under agreements with Poland Spring, area filling stations will retail the fuel, also making it available for third party trucking companies as well as the public.
"Poland Spring will become a major customer of B5 Biofuel in Maine, and our agreements with area filling stations mean the fuel will be more available for everyone," he says.
"We hope our fleet's switch to B5 Biofuel could help serve as a catalyst to increase the fuel's use in Maine," Dyer continues. "More widespread use will encourage increased availability, lower prices and, of course, further reduction in carbon emissions."
But changing the fuel used by its fleet isn't the only step Poland Spring Water Co. has taken to become more environmentally safe. Dyer relays that the Maine-based company that contributes more than $100 million to the state's economy each year, has achieved a 91 percent internal recycling rate at its plants by recycling materials such as corrugate; PET, LDPE, HDPE plastics; bottle pre-forms and pallets. In addition, plants have completed Maine Department of Environmental Protection STEP-UP programs and have achieved LEED Certification of all new buildings.
Dyer adds that the company's effort to reduce carbon emissions (in the plants and by company employees outside of the workplace) has amounted to 408 tons. |
