Plastic Ingenuity of Cross Plains Newest Company to Join Green Tier

Madison: Plastic Ingenuity, Inc. (PI) of Cross Plains, WI and Mazomanie, WI became the newest participant in the Department of Natural Resources’ Green Tier program during a celebration today at the company’s headquarters.

“The DNR commends Plastic Ingenuity’s commitment to protecting its natural surroundings,” DNR Secretary Matt Frank said. “Their smart recycling and energy strategies also set a strong example for other businesses to follow by bringing business and environmental goals together.”

PI is a national leader in providing thermoformed packaging, tooling and extrusion services. Since 1972, PI has built a broad range of thermoformed packaging for the food, medical, cosmetic, electronic and retail industries.

Located next to Black Earth Creek, a Class I trout stream, PI’s Cross Plains facility has taken numerous steps to protect its waters. Runoff filters and grassed swales remove pollutants from the site’s storm water, while rain gardens and a rock weeper dam reduce the temperature of the storm water before it enters the stream. In addition, the Cross Plains facility recently installed solar panels on its roof with the goal of generating 10% of its own electricity within five years.

At PI’s Mazomanie facility, a stringent pellet loss program is in place to prevent spills of the small plastic pellets that serve as their raw material, and 99% of their scrap plastic is either reused or sold instead of land filled. Through their Environmental Management System, which is an important part of participating in Green Tier, PI aims to continue to build on their environmental achievements.

“PI has been long aware of its environmental implications and our obligation to reduce these impacts along the way,” PI Safety Director Travis Ebel said. “We believe Green Tier is the next logical step in reducing our footprint.”

Green Tier is the first program of its kind in the nation. Under Green Tier, qualified businesses and associations make binding commitments to superior environmental performance. In exchange, these businesses are given incentives proportional to their environmental commitments. Green Tier enables good environmental actors to perform even better and recognizes their work. This allows DNR to focus its resources on those facilities that need greater attention and assistance in meeting environmental requirements.

PI is a Tier 1 participant in Green Tier. In exchange for a commitment to superior environmental performance, the DNR grants benefits to Tier 1 participants including a single point of contact with the department for easier communications, the use of the Green Tier logo in written marketing materials, deferred enforcements of civil violations, and annual public recognition of participation.