Mars Texas Plant to Cut Energy Costs

5/14/2008

Business at the Mars Snackfood U.S. plant in Waco has never been sweeter. Members of the company are joined by officials from the Environmental Protection Agency to flip the switch on its first landfill gas project, a venture that will cut the company's energy costs and the release of greenhouse gases into the environment. The project will use methane gas that is piped in from the city landfill to power two furnaces that create steam for the plant's candy-making operations.

"More than being a decision about the bottom line, this project is about taking responsibility for the future - for our business, for our associates and their children, for our community and definitely for our environment. And the story today is not simply about Mars alone. It is a story of deep commitment and concern by multiple partners at every level in government in Texas," says Mars Snackfood U.S. president Todd Lachman.

In addition to saving the company $600,000 a year in energy costs, the project will also reduce more than 10,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents, which has the same environmental impact of avoiding the emissions of 1,900 cars. Methane, a primary component of landfill gas, is a greenhouse gas over 20 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.

"Turning waste into energy is a smart strategy for business and the environment," says EPA regional administrator Richard E. Greene. "EPA is pleased to be working with partners like Mars Snackfood on innovative projects like this one that deliver clean, renewable sources of energy."

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