ATLANTA — Rheem has released its 2022 sustainability progress report, showcasing updates on its environmentally focused programs.

Since Rheem launched its sustainability initiative, A Greater Degree of Good, in 2019, the manufacturer has implemented programs to provide more environmentally sustainable solutions in North America and abroad, the company said in a press release. Two of the case study examples included within the new report showcase Rheem’s Friedrich and IBC businesses.

ZERO WASTE TO LANDFILL

To achieve an industry-leading Zero Waste to Landfill goal by 2025, Rheem’s global manufacturing facilities are redesigning, reducing, reusing, and recycling materials that would otherwise become trash.

As a member of the Rheem family of brands since 2021, Friedrich plays an active role in the company's commitment to sustainability. Friedrich’s Monterrey, Mexico, plant began with a landfill diversion rate of 63%. In 2022, employees switched to reusable plates and cutlery in the cafeteria, routed leftover food scraps to a local pig farm, and identified a specialized recycler for nine tons of foam.

Employees also brought the spirit of Zero Waste to Landfill into the community, filming videos with their families about how to help the environment and engaging kids in a recycled toy competition. By the conclusion of 2022, Friedrich's manufacturing plant increased its landfill diversion rate to 88%.

Friedrich’s sustainability efforts don’t stop there. At the Friedrich headquarters in San Antonio, Texas, in 2022, employees placed recycling bins throughout high-traffic areas to promote increased recycling, expanded electronic and battery recycling, and evaluated the opportunity to implement composting for organic waste. Friedrich’s dedication to recycling and sustainability recently earned it a Gold Certification from ReWorksSA, an environmental program led jointly by the San Antonio’s solid waste management department and Office of Sustainability.

CONSERVING WATER, REDUCING EMISSIONS

IBC, another Rheem brand, is innovating its manufacturing processes for residential and commercial boilers to conserve water and reduce emissions, saving money and creating a more comfortable environment.

Before the assembly of every boiler at Rheem’s IBC plant in British Columbia, Canada, is finished, its ability to bring large quantities of water to a high temperature is tested. Previously, without a recovery mechanism, the heat was rejected into the outdoor air, leading to a waste of warmth in a cold climate.

IBC’s production, operations, and research and design teams developed an in-house solution. First, they diverted the hot water to air-handling units to cool and cycle it back into production for continued use in testing. Next, they engineered the air-handling system to push the concentrated hot air back into the building to warm the plant during cold weather, achieving both energy and cost savings.

Comprehensive updates on Rheem’s A Greater Degree of Good efforts are provided annually in Rheem’s sustainability progress reports at www.rheem.com/progress.