In celebration of Earth Day’s 50th anniversary, this month’s blog post focuses on Crescent efforts to minimize the company’s planetary impact and in turn improve the quality of life for all. From manufacturing processes and product materials to the factory and office environments, Crescent has taken major strides to preserve our planet’s precious resources.
Crescent recycles 100% of its manufacturing waste, which translates to over one million pounds a year! While that sounds like a lot of scrap, over the past three years Crescent has implemented process changes which lowered the company’s scrap rate by over 50%.
You might wonder whether Crescent products are recyclable once they leave the factory. What can artists and framers do with scraps and off-cuts? Rest assured that all Crescent matboards and artboards are 100% recyclable.
Sustainable Forestry Sourcing
Most of the components that make up Crescent matboard are composed of wood pulp. One notable exception is the RagMat product line, which is manufactured primarily from cotton components. For the bulk of Crescent products, all the paper and raw materials are sourced from suppliers that instill sustainable forestry practices. This means that the forests are carefully managed to balance the harvesting demands and their environmental impact with the community economy, fair labor practices and global partnerships.
Even the adhesives used to manufacture Crescent boards are eco-friendly. All Crescent adhesives are inert and non-volatile, safe for artwork, and safe for the planet.
Behind the Art – notFoam™
One of the biggest non-recyclable materials that framers use is foam board. This lightweight, sturdy material is often used as mounting board and to fill the back of the frame. Most foam board is constructed of polystyrene, which is not commonly recycled. As environmental regulations get more stringent, many municipalities have already restricted the disposal of this material, and more are sure to follow.
Meet notFoam™, Crescent’s 100% recyclable mounting and backing board solution! Featuring a thick white acid-free surface with Kraft core and backing, notFOAM is “not foam” because it is recyclable, renewable, repulpable, compostable and sustainable. notFOAM Kraft is composed of E and B corrugated fluting and is 3/16″ (4.76 mm) thick, making it sturdy, lightweight and earth-friendly.
Safer Environment, Inside and Out
The commitment to a safer environment extends to every corner of Crescent’s factory and corporate offices. Starting with the air we all breathe, Crescent’s manufacturing process does not discharge any pollutants into the environment. Crescent installed efficient T5 lighting throughout the facility, which greatly improved plant illumination while reducing company electrical consumption by 50%. Motion-activated lighting is installed throughout all offices and the plant so that lighting is only used when people are present. A culture for safety awareness has led to a 64% reduction in workforce injury claims.
Crescent’s operations team has worked tirelessly to implement the company’s environmental policies. Chris Koeppen, the company’s Vice President of Operations says, “Crescent’s entire workforce – from the management team to the production team – takes pride in minimizing our environmental footprint. It’s part of the Crescent culture. Every month, we track our performance by measuring utility costs, scrap and waste metrics and compare these against past months’ and years’ performance. Our team is continually using creative thinking to further reduce our waste.”
Caring for the environment is not just a way to conduct business, it’s the only way at Crescent.