PLANO, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (NYSE: DPS) has been awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Certification (Silver) for its 850,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art regional manufacturing and distribution center in Victorville, Calif. LEED is the green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the leading benchmark for buildings that are designed, constructed and operated sustainably. The facility, which opened in early 2010, was designed with efficiency and sustainability in mind and is the first DPS facility to receive LEED certification.
“We built our Victorville plant to serve our customers and consumers in the Western U.S. with greater efficiency and to support the sustainable growth of our business while minimizing our environmental impact,” said Derry Hobson, executive vice president of supply chain for DPS. “Attaining LEED Silver certification is a significant milestone for DPS and the environmental sustainability efforts that are under way throughout our business.”
The Victorville facility was designed to fill a void in DPS’s distribution network as well as reduce the company’s environmental footprint. Prior to its development, DPS had to ship products cross-country from facilities on the East Coast – a process that was costly, time-consuming and resource intensive. The new hub has eliminated nine million miles of driving annually and the associated emissions.
To reduce water usage and wastewater discharge, the facility uses an innovative reverse-osmosis filtration system that recovers 50 percent of the purification system’s discharge. The plant’s production lines also include empty container de-ionized air rinsers (instead of water), advanced process and filling equipment designed to avoid unnecessary water usage and efficient equipment cleaning systems.
Among the steps taken in Victorville to reduce energy usage, the plant uses high-efficiency lighting with occupancy sensors, advanced refrigeration recovery and control systems and variable frequency drives throughout the manufacturing lines. The plant receives its electricity from a combination of renewable energy and non-renewable sources that are offset entirely by purchased renewable energy credits.
The facility was built with reflective materials and low-emitting adhesives, sealants, paints, coatings and carpet. It includes an on-site recycling center that separates recyclable materials such as PET, glass, aluminum, shrink wrap and pallet strapping.
In addition to the many water, energy and waste reduction benefits that the site offers, the company has encouraged its more than 200 employees to think about their individual contribution to the environment – right down to their commute. The facility offers close-in parking capacity for low-emitting and fuel efficient vehicles and bicycle storage.
Beyond its environmental benefits, the facility offers comprehensive regional manufacturing and distribution capabilities. Located on 57 acres, the site houses a 550,000-square-foot beverage distribution center, five filling lines with room to expand, office space and state-of-the-art beverage processing and support systems. The plant has the capacity to make more than 40 million cases of product annually and can produce DPS’s full range of carbonated soft drinks, juices and juice drinks, teas and mixers.
DPS is continuing to explore ways to improve sustainable attributes at other sites. In the past year, for example, the company has implemented numerous energy-efficiency measures at its corporate headquarters in Plano, Texas, reducing annual electricity usage by one million kilowatt hours.
For more information on DPS's sustainability efforts and goals, read “Sustainability in ACTION,” the company's 2010 corporate social responsibility report, available at http://dpsg.com/sustainability.
About Dr Pepper Snapple Group:
Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Inc. (NYSE: DPS) is the leading producer of flavored beverages in North America and the Caribbean. Our success is fueled by more than 50 brands that are synonymous with refreshment, fun and flavor. We have 6 of the top 10 non-cola soft drinks, and 9 of our 12 leading brands are No. 1 in their flavor categories. In addition to our flagship Dr Pepper and Snapple brands, our portfolio includes Sunkist soda, 7UP, A&W, Canada Dry, Crush, Mott's, Squirt, Hawaiian Punch, Peñafiel, Clamato, Schweppes, Venom Energy, Rose's and Mr & Mrs T mixers. To learn more about our iconic brands and Plano, Texas-based company, please visit www.drpeppersnapple.com.