Mercury Marine has earned “Green Master” designation from the Wisconsin Sustainable Business Council for the sixth year in a row. The news was announced in a press release from the Fond du Lac, Wis., marine engine and accessories company.

Mercury Marine’s environmental sustainability efforts are making a significant difference at the company’s Fond du Lac, Wis., facility.

The award reportedly puts Mercury Marine in the top 20 percent of the approximately 200 participating companies. Wisconsin’s points-based Green Master Program “measures companies on a broad range of sustainability issues ranging from energy and water conservation to waste management, community outreach and education,” according to the release.

“Planning and acting responsibly is a priority at Mercury, and we are proud to earn the Green Master designation for a sixth consecutive year,” said John Pfeifer, president of Mercury Marine, in the release “We are relentless in our pursuit of manufacturing the finest marine propulsion products while simultaneously reducing our carbon footprint and contributing to the health of the global environment.

In the areas of waste reduction and recycling, Mercury Marine has been able re-use manufacturing oil for multiple purposes, which reduced the volume of manufacturing oil used by 50 percent. Responding to suggestions from employees, the company “revitalized and standardized its collection of general mixed recyclables across the Fond du Lac manufacturing operations.”

Conserving and reducing the use of natural resources also has been a focus of the company’s efforts noted by the Green Master program. Aluminum die-casting, for example, is a “foundation competency” of Mercury Marine. But it’s also “energy intensive” and requires substantial supplies natural gas and electricity. An aluminum stack-melter furnace, which uses wasted heat from the exhaust gases to preheat solid aluminum before melting, was installed to reduce consumption of natural gas. According to the release, early results show a 20-percent reduction—nearly 9 billion BTU per year.

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