Parsippany, NJ—Earth Friendly Products, makers and manufacturers of over 150 green cleaning products, recently celebrated the grand opening of their new high-tech manufacturing facility on Earth Day.
After the formal ribbon-cutting ceremony, attendees enjoyed a luncheon using ingredients from local New Jersey farms. Several speakers made presentations at the luncheon, including keynote speaker Jim Jones, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, who praised the company’s “ initiative to become a leader in chemical safety.”Over 40 of the company’s products meet the standards for the EPA’s new Safer Choice label programs for chemical ingredients, a statistic that is unmatched. Other speakers included David Levine, co-founder and CEO of the American Sustainable Business Council , Zach McCue, project specialist at the Office of Senator Cory Booker, and celebrity chef Maria Loi of Loi Estiatorio. The afternoon concluded with a tour of the facility.
One of the points emphasized multiple times throughout the ceremony and tour was the company’s commitment to sustainability and efficiency. Earth Friendly Products has recently achieved carbon neutrality following several sustainability initiatives, and they followed through on this commitment the moment work on the facility began. Rather than expend resources and create pollution through a lengthy construction process, the already existing 80,000-square-foot building was renovated with energy-efficient measures, including solar panels, LED lighting with occupancy sensors, cool roofing to reduce heat island, and motion sensors to reduce water usage. The company also plans to introduce energy monitoring equipment in its new California facility later this year, and eventually roll the technology out to all their facilities. This tenet of sustainability extends to employees as well, with incentives for employees who carpool, install solar panels at their homes, move closer to the facilities, and more. According to a official release from the company, the new location has created 45 jobs in the state of New Jersey, and pays one of the highest minimum wages in the country at $17 an hour.
In addition to sustainability and efficiency, Earth Friendly Products also stressed attention to detail in the formulation of their products. Strict testing procedures are used throughout the formulation process to ensure uniform viscosity and chemical balance, all while accounting for the variance that happens when using natural ingredients like lavender oil, cedar, and parsley. This even manifests in waste disposal, with recyclables being rigorously separated and sent to recycling facilities, helping the environment and making money for the company.
Posted on 5/4/15
