Engineering Innovative and Forward-Thinking Solutions
Environmental Management
Energy Recovery delivers energy efficiency and operational profitability through reliable and high-performing equipment to build a more sustainable future. We are committed to measuring and managing our climate-related risks and our operational impact on the environment, as well as producing high-quality energy recovery devices and components for our customers. Our goals formalize our commitment to reduce emissions through our products, as well as in our own operations.
Current Goals
Goal 1
Goal 2
Goal 3
Goal 4
Goal 5
Reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity 65% by 2026 from 2021 baseline
In 2023, we announced our first-ever emissions reduction goal. We chose to measure our emissions relative to our revenue rather than set an absolute reduction target as we are pursuing substantial business growth in the same timeframe.
Reduce emissions intensity to 10 MT CO2e per million dollars of revenue by 2026 from 2021 baseline
Target:
10
2021 Baseline:
29
2022 Value:
17
2023 Value:
15
Status:
Double emissions reductions from our products by 2025
Developing technologies that save energy and reduce emissions for our customers is at the heart of Energy Recovery’s business and sustainability strategy. We aim to double this impact by 2025.
Target:
20.8 million
2023 Value:
19.7 million
Status:
Further integrate sustainability into our product innovation process
Ingenuity is a core value at Energy Recovery, as it drives our growth, allows us to maintain our market leadership in desalination, and extends our high standard of excellence to new markets. As part of our New Product Introduction process, we consider the broader implications of a new product’s impact on sustainability issues. In keeping with that philosophy, we aim to formalize and streamline this evaluation by developing and introducing a scorecard that assesses both a product’s sustainability benefits for customers and the environmental impacts of producing, using, and disposing of the product.
Target:
Develop scorecard by end of 2026
Status:
Reduce waste generated in our operations
In conjunction with our certification to the ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and our dedication to continuous improvement, we are committed to reducing the consumption of resources at our facilities through waste management strategies that promote re-use, recovery, and recycling. Building upon previous reduction initiatives, this goal formalizes our commitment by setting measurable targets to hold us accountable.
Commit to setting a hazardous and non-hazardous waste goal by 2025
Target:
Set goal by end of 2025
Status:
Recycle over 90% of alumina powder waste
Target:
Above 90%
Status:
Reduce water used in operations
As a company founded on promoting energy-efficient technologies in the desalination industry, we are keenly aware of the impact that climate change is having on global water supply. To mitigate our impact, we are committed to reducing water consumption in our own operations by implementing reduction and recycling measures.
With the installation of water meters in all our facilities, we will be able to set a specific target related to water usage by the end of 2025.
Commit to setting a water reduction goal by 2025
Target:
Set goal by end of 2025
Status:
Initiatives
Beyond our topline goals, we are committed to continuous improvement across our operations.
Managing our waste
We work to reduce the consumption of resources at our facilities through waste management strategies that promote re-use, recovery, and recycling. In manufacturing our ceramic cartridges, alumina powder is a key raw material input. Post-machining, we reclaim roughly 40% of this powder from our waste stream, seamlessly integrating it into new cartridges without compromising quality, and our aim is to increase this percentage over time. Additionally, we have made several other waste improvements, including recycling 100% of scrap metal, setting up recycling and compost streams at all facilities, and implementing a pallet collection and recycling program.
39%
Alumina used in PX production from reclaimed power in 2023
100%
Waste metal across all facilities is recycled
Water Footprint
As a leader in the water treatment market, we understand water is a valuable and often scarce resource. To better understand our own impact, we have initiated the installation of water meters in our production facilities to measure our usage more precisely for different processes and develop a targeted approach to future improvement efforts. In parallel with our efforts to measure water usage, we have taken steps to reduce our withdrawals. For example, several of our production test loops have been retrofitted to fully reclaim and recycle water, saving an estimated 20,000 gallons per year in California’s arid landscape.
Highlights
Employee Spotlight
Zitlali Lustre
Industrial Engineering Intern (now full-time Manufacturing Engineer)
For Zitlali Lustre’s internship project, she took on the task of digitizing Energy Recovery’s hard-grind manufacturing inspection process. Before this project was completed, staff would fill out a physical paper form documenting each step of the hard-grind process from fitting to inspection. At a later stage in the process, these forms would need to be scanned into a shared drive and filed away. So, while manufacturing data was backed up and stored digitally, it was not easily accessible and had to be compiled manually.
Zitlali worked with manufacturing and IT to develop a new digital process that was just as quick to complete for manufacturing staff but would make the manufacturing data easier to find. After starting with one successful pilot, the digital spec sheets were scaled to cover every part and implemented in both the San Leandro, CA and Tracy, CA production sites. Now our team uses SharePoint to record and input the rotor and sleeve manufacturing and inspection data, which is easily cross-referenced by serial numbers and goes into a centralized dashboard to quickly and effectively track data and allow us to identify and respond to any potential issues quickly. The process also improved the sustainability of our operations by reducing waste generated in manufacturing.
The most gratifying part has been to work with the manufacturing staff to learn about their process and how to make the digital forms work for them. I still meet with them regularly to check in on how the digital forms are working, and it’s satisfying to see it come to life.
Zitlali Lustre
Employee Spotlight
Ali Imam
Senior R&D Engineer
In 2023, we announced our first-ever emissions reduction goal, targeting a 65% reduction in scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions intensity by 2026. Because our scope 1 emissions come almost entirely from the natural gas-powered kilns that we use to fire our ceramic rotors, we need to improve the efficiency of our kiln usage to meet this goal.
Our Senior R&D Engineer Ali Imam was assigned to evaluate the sintering cycles (involved in firing our ceramic parts) for the PX Q300, PX Q400, and PX G1300 models. Through a detailed scientific analysis, Ali aimed to identify the most energy-efficient temperature profile to meet our quality standards. After research and extensive testing, he successfully developed and implemented a new kiln cycle for most of our PX products, reducing the cycle time by an average of 15%. This innovation has lowered energy consumption and resulting carbon emissions in the production of our ceramic parts, enhancing the cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and sustainability of the manufacturing process.
Ali has since been awarded Energy Recovery’s 2023 Paul Cook Award for Innovation for this significant achievement.
When I ran the tests in the R&D kiln, I knew it would work, but seeing it put to work on the manufacturing floor, and work well, felt better than winning the award. It is a great feeling to see how I can contribute to the company’s sustainability efforts.
Ali Imam
Employee Spotlight
Jason Burson
QHSE Manager
In 2022, our QHSE Manager Jason Burson noticed that we were spending a significant amount on shipping and disposing of alumina powder that couldn’t be reused in our internal reclamation process. After researching recycling methods Jason found Washington Mills, a vendor that could use our alumina powder to manufacture aluminum oxide and offset our disposal costs. Diverting our waste to Washington Mills required implementing significant changes to our alumina disposal process, including a new system to weigh and track the amount of alumina waste we had on hand.
One year later, we successfully delivered our first shipment to Washington Mills, and as of June 2024, we have shipped over 220,000 pounds of powder that we previously would have disposed of. This partnership creates a more circular process and reduces our waste costs by approximately 35% each year. It has also prompted our internal teams to consider other ways to reduce our waste, including more efficient production processes and expanding the scope of the recycling program.
As part of the HSE team, being able to contribute to our goal to reduce our environmental impact was empowering. This project has highlighted that there are opportunities all around us to make an impact if we are willing to challenge the status quo. I am grateful to work for a company that truly lives out its commitment to sustainability and continuous improvement and fosters a culture where ideas like this can be made a reality.
Jason Burson
Employee Spotlight
Jessica Vaughn
Director of Supply Management
Jessica is the Director of Supply Management for Energy Recovery, where she is challenging herself and her team to think about how the company can improve sustainability and transparency throughout our supply chain. For example, they are currently evaluating how our product packaging can strike a better balance of keeping products safe during shipping, while minimizing the carbon footprint. This includes reducing the amount of plastic material for packaging and finding lighter-weight solutions to limit pollution from freight and transportation.
Jessica received a certification in production and inventory planning, and several members of her team completed a green purchasing and sustainability training course in 2023.
Energy Recovery really differs from other companies because sustainability is prioritized from the top down. Some companies ‘talk the talk,’ and good ideas and solutions simply die on the vine. At Energy Recovery, there’s a lot of buy-in for change and we thoughtfully implement policies that matter. I believe our supply management team brings a lot of value, innovation, and creativity to the table.
Jessica Vaughn