Naturally Attached to Our Environment
The Velcro Companies’ commitment to sustainability means better quality, higher value products made in ways that preserve our natural resources and reduce production costs.
From environmental building design to resource-conserving manufacturing, we work in harmony with our New Hampshire environment—without compromising on quality or service.
Our commitment to sustainability is an investment in our collective future. It means meeting our present needs while preserving the planet for those who come after us. Our goal: A brighter future for our customers, our suppliers, our employees, and our neighbors.
Download our Sustainability Practices Fact Sheet
We’re Off the Grid
One hundred percent of the electrical and thermal power in the Velcro Companies’ New Hampshire headquarters is self-generated. By carefully using the heat left over from generating our own electricity, we achieve higher efficiency than public utilities. This reduces our emissions by over 60 tons.
A tour of our headquarters reveals these energy-conserving benefits:
Velcro USA Inc. reuses or recycles more than 27% of the waste it generates.- Onsite 5 MW gas turbine generator includes a 25,000 lb/hr heat recovery steam generator.
- Steam heats buildings and water, and provides thermal energy for material processing.
- Reusing excess heat from electricity generation has reduced emissions by more than 60 tons.
- Turbine combustion technology minimizes NOx-based pollutants.
- New operations cooled by high efficiency centrifugal chillers with variable frequency drives to conserve energy use.
- Waste heat is used in absorption chillers to air condition work spaces.
- Selective catalytic reduction systems on back-up diesel generators curb NOx emissions by 80%.
- Waste heat melts snow and ice under facility sidewalks, replacing salt spreads and chemical treatments and providing safer walkways.
Making it Green, Making it Better
Velcro USA Inc reuses or recycles more than 27% of the waste it generates.
Every day our manufacturing processes demonstrate our pledge to incorporate sustainability in everything we do. Production methods economize energy use and provide better quality products.
- Recapture, recapture, recapture. Edge trimmings from our plastic film carriers are pelletized and recycled using our thermal energy pipeline. Bulk material spools are retrieved from customers for winding and distributing new orders.
- We were the first in our industry to remove solvents from coating processes and the first to substantially reduce the use of heavy metals.
- Recycled non-contact cooling water cools down the dye equipment. Heat from dye process wastewater is recovered by heat exchangers and used to pre-heat incoming water. Outgoing water is clean, cold, and compliant with all environmental standards.
- Efficient thermal management processes keep our nylon fibers at optimum temperature and moisture conditions no matter what the weather.
More Bright Ideas
We light our New Hampshire facilities using the most efficient methods, both man-made and natural.
- T5 fixtures provide brighter, lower energy light than high-energy halide fixtures.
- Skylights provide operations and office areas with free, natural light.
- Occupancy sensors shut off lights in rooms not in use.walkways.
Certified to ISO 14001 Environmental Management Standards
The Velcro Companies are ISO 14001 certified for our environmental management system (EMS). Since 2003, we have met or exceeded our annual goals while managing more than 1300 environmental aspects. While expanding our manufacturing facilities, we have reduced our overall environmental impact by 15% in that same time period. By continually maintaining focus on our environmental impact and expanding our EMS, we are not only able to minimize our effects on our natural environment, but we can produce higher quality products with greater efficiency and competitive costs.
Sticking Together for a Sustainable Future
Our commitment to sustainability is an investment in our collective future. It means meeting our present needs while preserving the planet for those who come after us. Our goal: A brighter future for our customers, our suppliers, our employees, and our neighbors.
As an intellectual property-driven company we can provide nearly every customer with an effective attachment solution. We regularly partner with consultants, customers, suppliers, and neighbors to rethink how we can positively affect our environment – and then put those ideas into motion.
