JOPLIN, Mo. — TAMKO Building Products said it has used more than 1 billion pounds of recycled materials in the manufacture of its products since 2013.

“We are proud to use recycled materials and incorporate sustainable practices that benefit our business, customers, employees and communities,” said TAMKO President and CEO David Humphreys. “We care about the health and safety of our communities because our people live and work here too.”

Since 2013, TAMKO has used 1.1 billion pounds of recycled paper, cardboard, sawdust, plastic and other materials to manufacture its products. At TAMKO’s Knoxville, Tenn. facility alone, more than 89 million pounds of recycled cardboard was used to manufacture products in 2018, which averages to more than 244,000 pounds every day.

As part of using recycled materials, TAMKO reused 54 million pounds of material during this time period, reintroducing it back into its production processes. Additionally, 549 million pounds of materials that could not be reused were sent to other recyclers rather than to a landfill.

In addition to its recycling efforts, TAMKO also continued its focus on reducing consumption of natural resources and promoting healthy environments for its employees and surrounding communities. Specifically, improvements at TAMKO’s Phillipsburg, Kan. facility, reduced potential air emissions by 70 million cubic feet per year. Other process improvements reduced parked idling truck traffic on the street outside TAMKO’s Dallas  facility by 100 percent and reduced total loading time, resulting in a 25 percent reduction in potential idling truck emissions.

TAMKO also looks for ways to reduce its use of natural resources. A rainwater capture and recycling system reduced TAMKO’s Frederick, Md. facility’s water consumption by approximately 100,000 gallons a year. A project at TAMKO’s High Street facility in Joplin, Mo. recycled water from within its own processes, resulting in a 74 percent savings in overall water use at the facility.

“We strive to protect the environment, and the health and safety of the public, our customers and employees through the goal of 100 percent compliance, 100 percent of the time by 100 percent of the people,” Humphreys said.

Since implementing a Zero Incident Safety Culture (ZISC) in 2005, TAMKO has reduced its number of OSHA recordable injuries by 74 percent. Through all its efforts, TAMKO continuously strives to work safely, produce quality products and protect the environment of the communities where the company operates.