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"Being Green" "Sustainability" Yes, these are important concepts. We embraced these concepts long before it was popular, and long before it was a marketable concept. At Middle Atlantic Products, we have always believed in doing the right thing. In many ways, being environmentally conscious also makes good business sense. At times, it is just the "right thing" to do. Starting shortly after the company began in 1979, we made our first big "environmentally friendly" choice — to finish our products using a powdercoat process, instead of using solvent-based paints, which were the industry standard. The powdercoat process doesn’t use any harmful chemicals, and doesn’t release any toxins into the air or water. In addition, the unused powder can be reclaimed and reused. Another area where we decided that respecting the environment was a choice we should make — and not driven by regulations, or customer requirements, was that of electronics recycling. In the late 90’s we took proactive steps to ensure that electronic equipment — including printed circuit boards used in our products and outdated computer equipment — was recycled. This is something that is now commonplace both in business and at the consumer level. At the time it was a challenge to even locate facilities that were capable of handling these items. It was, and continues to be, about doing the right thing. This philosophy also extends to the way our products are designed and manufactured. An example is the way we approach the use of sheet metal — so that the yield of it is maximized and waste is minimized. We have always done this, and of course recycle any leftover material. Another example is the way we have designed our latest series of enclosures, the BGR. We took a fresh look at the way we approach rack design, and have come up with one that has greater strength, and offers more function than our previous rack designs — all while using less raw materials to create. Packaging is another consideration. We continue to make efforts to reduce the mountain of material to be discarded after the products are unpacked. We look aggressively at ways to reduce the quantity of materials used — and to ensure that what is used has a minimal effect on the environment. We also understand that our products, at some point in time, will end their useful life. When this happens, they can be easily disassembled and recycled. In addition to the way our products are designed we have also begun to offer products (such as RackLink) that will help facilities monitor and log the energy that is used — this information can then be analyzed to find ways to reduce the usage at the site. Being "green" is of no value if it doesn’t help the business remain sustainable. To this end, we have achieved the prestigious ISO 14001 certification. During the process of achieving this, we documented all of our existing processes, and found further ways to reduce our environmental impact, all while ensuring that our business stays healthy. Some of the environmental regulations that we meet, or are certified to, include:
We use independent third party certification, with regular testing, to ensure that we continue to meet these. It isn’t just about the products, or how they are manufactured. It is also about our facilities. Our 425,000-square-foot world headquarters, located in Fairfield, N.J., is located on a Brownfield site — that we rehabilitated. We are continually working to reduce our water and energy usage. And reduce the toxicity of our cleaning products by replacing them with healthier alternatives. Here are some statistics:
We also take a hard look at how the products are shipped. The United States Department of Transportations’ SmartWay program: Products ship on carriers that have met this standard is over 90%. Anyone can say what we say. We can back it up. Here are some statistics for 2012:
It isn’t just about what we have done. It is also about what we are planning to do. Here are select goals for 2013
This is a journey that we have been on for over 30 years — and one that we are pursuing more aggressively each year. |
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Click here to view Middle Atlantic Products' ISO 14001 certificate. |
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Click here to view Middle Atlantic Products' ISO 9001 certificate. |
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Click here to view Middle Atlantic Products' GREENGUARD certificate. |
