With winter approaching again, CR wanted to tackle a long- standing heating issue. The Shipping & Receiving department has always had the problem of staying cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Well, we wanted to make sure our team members are taken care of as well as maintaining some grasp on the winter heating costs. We wondered how we could cost-effectively keep our people warm without throwing heating dollars literally out the door every time a shipment leaves the building.

Our maintenance staff came up with an interesting solution. We have purchased a waste oil burner for our facility. Between the shop machines and freight equipment we are constantly changing oil and having to take it elsewhere to be recycled. With an on-site waste oil burner, we can simply recycle the oil we already have here...as well as generate enough heat to keep our most exposed area in the plant continuously heated.

This supplemental source of energy is a perfect way to reuse a waste product. We have not yet figured out how to keep the shipping department cool for the summer yet…but I am sure we will think of something! As always, we invite suggestions on new ways to recycle.