BARCELONA, Spain, September 20 /PRNewswire/ --
- Through a robust Environmental Management System, Grifols has dramatically reduced its environmental footprint relative to its increased production of life-saving plasma therapies and other healthcare products.
Grifols S.A., a global healthcare company based in Barcelona, Spain, recently reported the results of its 2006 environmental management and monitoring program which included significant reductions in key environmental outputs and the announcement of a number of new initiatives to further reduce the company's environmental impact. Grifols' announcement builds on a history of environmental responsibility and sets the stage significant environmental achievements in the future.
Grifols has established an Environmental Management System that incorporates centralized oversight with a network of division-specific teams to develop and implement environmental objectives. "Achieving our environmental objectives is a responsibility of all Grifols employees," said Jose Antonio Camacho, Director of Environmental Quality for the company. Grifols helps its employees fulfill their responsibility through training programs and ongoing communications about environmental performance.
Building on its strong history of innovation, Grifols has applied a number of creative technology solutions to achieve significant environmental gains. "Our commitment to health extends not only to the patients who rely on our therapies, but also to the environment," said Victor Grifols, Chairman and CEO of the company. Improvements in the lighting and electrical systems at a Los Angeles facility reduced energy consumption by almost 1 million kilowatt hours. In addition, nearly 60% of the company's manufacturing residues and by-products are recycled or used in production for other industries. These and other measures have the benefit of reducing the environmental impact of the company operations and also reducing operating costs.
Through careful management and monitoring, Grifols limited its consumption of natural resources and environmental emissions throughout 2006. Against the backdrop of a 21% growth in production, Grifols' relative electricity and natural gas usage decreased 15.7% and 19.6%, respectively. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions were reduced 18% relative to production. Nitrogen oxide emissions from Grifols' Los Angeles facility were reduced to the point that the company was able to sell emissions credits into the Los Angeles Regional Clean Air Incentives Market.
New environmental initiatives recently announced by Grifols include plans for the installation of a new electricity cogeneration plant at its facility in Barcelona, Spain and a new wastewater purification system. Since 1996 Grifols has relied on an electricity cogeneration plant for a significant portion of its electrical energy needs. This year Grifols announced plans to replace the existing 1.6 megawatt cogeneration plant with new generators of 6.1 megawatts that will result in 23% less greenhouse gas emissions as compared to electricity purchased from the public utility. Similarly, Grifols has begun a project to install a new biological purification system for wastewater based that utilizes ultra filtration membranes. This will result in cleaner water discharges into the public waste water management system.
Each year Grifols publishes a report on its environmental performance and objectives. In 2005 Grifols received a corporate innovation award for its recycling of a production by-product, polyethylene glycol, as an admixture in the production of cement. In 2006 Grifols production facility near Barcelona, Spain received an award from the local city officials for the company's accomplishments in reducing the environmental impact of its operations.
About Grifols
Grifols has been present in healthcare since 1940, creating innovative products and services based on the values of ethics and responsibility. Grifols' activities focus on fulfilling the needs of healthcare professionals working in therapeutics, pharmacy, diagnostics and blood banking. For more than 60 years, Grifols has developed, manufactured and marketed products designed to improve human health. We manufacture products of proven efficacy, quality and safety. More information about Grifols can be found at http://www.grifols.com.
Chris Healey of Grifols, Inc., +1-703-351-5004 phone, +1-703-276-9052 fax, Chris.Healey@Grifols.com
