Throughout the world, sustainable business practices are becoming more and more important in order to keep up with competitors, hire and retain top talent and make responsible decisions for the environment. So, what is Tate doing to reduce the environmental impact of our data center operations? More than you might think!
As a leading manufacturer of data center solutions, our products help improve data center efficiency and reduce carbon emissions. Our line of data center containment products prevent the mixing of hot and cold air, which also helps improve the facility’s overall energy efficiency. Our airflow panels and controls precisely deliver airflow directly to the equipment, increasing cooling capacity and minimizing the energy needed to control the building’s climate. In fact, we’ve found that the energy our customers save in the first year of using the data center products manufactured in our facilities fully offsets the carbon generated to manufacture them. Year after year, as these products continue to be in operation in data centers, they will continue to save huge amounts of carbon from being produced. And when you consider all the data center products we have produced over the years, that is a lot of energy and carbon saved and a big win for the environment.
As a division of Kingspan, Tate is part of the company’s ambitious ten-year global sustainability program, Planet Passionate. All Kingspan companies throughout the world participate in the initiative, which aims to impact three major global issues: climate change, circularity and protection of our natural world. Through Planet Passionate, we’re driving energy and carbon out of business operations and supply chains, increasing recycling of rainwater and waste and accelerating participation in the circular economy. The Planet Passionate initiative was predicated by a Net Zero Energy initiative which commenced in 2011, with the goal of obtaining Net Zero Energy by 2020. Tate was proud to obtain Net Zero Energy by the 2020 goal and is on track to achieve many other company targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other sustainability objectives established in the new Kingspan Planet Passionate initiative over the next 10 years.
Another target of the Planet Passionate initiative is eliminating all waste going to landfill from our manufacturing facilities and offices. We’re proud to announce that in 2020 we achieved this goal and eliminated all waste being sent to the landfill from our commercial and data center operations. This goal was achieved through a combination of reuse, recycling and energy generation. Cement aggregate wastes are reused for pavement solutions. Cardboard, steel and aluminum wastes are recycled. All other non-recyclable general waste, which accounts for 15% of the total, is incinerated at local county solid waste facilities to generate energy.
Another win for our sustainability achievements is one that might not be as obvious as a Planet Passionate initiative or eliminating waste to landfill. It’s our geographic location. Our headquarters and two of our manufacturing facilities are located just south of Baltimore, Maryland. This location puts us close to Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia, arguably the largest data center region in the world. Being a regional supplier for these major markets means that our products have a much shorter distance to travel, reducing carbon emissions created through the shipping process.
At Tate, we’re committed to sustainability and making the environment a priority. We do that through the production of energy-efficient equipment and by achieving specific goals that reduce our waste and increase our green practices. Our geographic location also helps, since our data center manufacturing facility is located near the largest data center region in the world. These actions come together to help make Tate a more sustainable and environmentally friendly company, which is better for our employees and for you, our customer.