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Earth Friendly Products, the makers of ECOS laundry detergent and other eco-friendly cleaning products, has received Zero Waste Platinum certification by the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council. The manufacturing company’s CEO is Kelly Vlahakis-Hanks, who grew up in Itasca.
The certification was presented to EFP’s Addison facility this fall on America Recycles Day on Nov. 15. The Addison plant is the fifth among the company’s five facilities to receive the certification, making EFP the first company to have all its manufacturing facilities certified Platinum Zero Waste by the council.
EFP’s waste reduction accomplishments include:
• Diversion of more than 95 percent of all waste from landfills and incineration at all five facilities through reducing, recycling and reusing
• More than 90 percent reduction of waste sent to landfills for all facilities since 2009
• Waste diversion that exceeds local and state diversion mandates
• Savings of more than $500,000 annually from the company’s waste diversion programs
• Implementation of creative upstream efforts to prevent waste
• Creation of a template source-separation system to maximize recycling revenues and material qualities
• Implementation of employee incentives to participate in Zero Waste, the solicitation of employee feedback and the creation of collection programs that minimize contamination and increase participation
“We have created standards and baselines for the implementation of Zero Waste practices and policies for businesses that are very high and not easily attained; EFP goes above and beyond these to do the right thing, which is very impressive,” Stephanie Barger, the council’s founder and executive director, said in the release. “EFP is a shining example and leader in the Zero Waste community. It has been a member since the beginning, and we can learn from its example.”
The certification is the council’s highest possible distinction.
“At Earth Friendly Products we believe that Zero Waste programs lead us to a more sustainable future – to achieve Platinum Zero Waste level certification we implemented comprehensive training and educational programs that extend to all five of our manufacturing facilities,” Nadereh Afsharmanesh, vice president of sustainability and education at EFP, said in the release. “Operating in Zero Waste-certified facilities demonstrates how serious we are about shaping a low-carbon and zero-waste economy future. We hope other companies will follow in our footsteps.”
EFP’s other facilities are in Cypress, Calif.; Lacey, Wash.; Parsippany, N.J.; and Opa Locka, Fla. The California facility was the first to receive Zero Waste Platinum certification in 2014, followed by the others in 2015.
About Earth Friendly Products
Family-owned and operated since 1967, EFP is dedicated to providing environmentally friendly products with superior cleaning results, the release stated. EFP distributes ECOS laundry detergent and more than 150 other green cleaning products throughout the U.S. and to more than 60 countries.
EFP makes all its household and commercial cleaners using plant-based ingredients and environmentally friendly production processes. It is a carbon neutral manufacturer that saves over 53 million pounds of carbon dioxide annually. EFP received the U.S. EPA's coveted Safer Choice Partner of the Year award for its innovations in safer chemistry, and it makes more Safer Choice-certified products than any other company, according to the release. Visit www.ecos.com.