Michelin Retread Technologies has installed a regenerative thermal oxidizer at its tread rubber plant in Covington, allowing the plant to burn off volatile organic compound emissions prior to their being released into the atmosphere.
The emissions system upgrade is the latest in a series of moves Michelin has made at the plant in the past decade to reduce the facility’s environmental footprint, which is part of a company-wide commitment to what it calls sustainable mobility.
“The success in reducing the environmental footprint of the Covington site is a credit to both the plant and central teams who are working together to ensure continued progress toward this key ambition,” said Terry Redmile, Covington plant manager, in a news release.
“There are still opportunities for further improvement, which is why our teams remain actively engaged in further reducing the site’s energy consumption and finding outlets where remaining waste streams can be reutilized.”
Michelin did not disclose its investment in the thermal oxidizer unit.
The Covington facility has lowered its environmental footprint by 75 percent in the critical areas of emissions, energy consumption, use of water and waste management over the past decade, Michelin said.
As part of managing its waste per ton of product, the Covington plant is able to recycle all of its cured rubber scrap, Michelin said, and the operation itself is SmartWay certified under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.
Michelin opened the Covington plant in 1999 to produce “Pre-Mold” precured tread rubber to supply the firm’s network of licensed MRT retreaders and has expanded the facility several times since.