The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) today welcomed the Cleveland plant of Eaton, a company that provides energy-efficient products and services, into the Tennessee Green Star Partnership.

The Tennessee Green Star Partnership is an environmental leadership program that recognizes manufacturers committed to sustainability and continuous improvement throughout their operations.

“We are excited to welcome Eaton into the Tennessee Green Star Partnership,” Kendra Abkowitz, director of TDEC’s Office of Policy and Sustainable Practices, said. “Eaton displays the commitment to the environment that the Green Star Partnership looks for, and it is worthy of this recognition.”   

“Eaton is committed to minimizing the environmental impact of our operations and products wherever we do business, and to continuously improve in our environmental performance,” Rodney Bruner, plant manager for Eaton, said. “We are honored to receive this recognition for our commitment to environmental sustainability across our operations.”

Eaton’s Cleveland facility has made significant commitments to sustainability throughout the manufacturing plant. One of its major accomplishments is achieving Zero Waste to Landfill through recycling efforts, material reuse, and incineration. The facility has also achieved a 22 percent reduction in water usage as well as a 3 percent reduction in electricity usage through LED retrofits and implementation of remote motor vibration monitoring. Future projects include a major metering project to reduce electricity usage. Eaton serves as a member of the Cleveland Associated Industries Environmental Committee.

The Cleveland plant is ISO14001 and 9001 certified and can produce close to 1 million units annually. Despite significant disruptions from COVID, the Eaton facility set production records in eight of the months in 2020.

To become a member of the Tennessee Green Star Partnership, a manufacturer must operate under an ISO 14001 certification, a voluntary environmental management standard developed by the International Organization for Standardization, and/or an environmental management system that conforms to ISO 14001, and must have a minimum of three years of exceptional environmental compliance with TDEC.

More information about TDEC’s Green Star Partnership program can be found online.