NEC Electronics plant garners EPA WasteWise award

NEC Electronics America Inc. announced that its semiconductor manufacturing plant in Roseville, Calif., has received a fifth consecutive WasteWise award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. This "Partner of the Year" award for mid-size business recognizes NEC Electronics America for its commendable achievements and successful efforts to prevent and recycle waste and reduce the consumption of raw materials in the manufacturing process. The achievement will be acknowledged today at a ceremony that is part of the EPA's 2006 WasteWise & National Partnership for Environmental Priorities (NPEP) Conference in Arlington, Va.

This is the fifth consecutive year the EPA has selected NEC Electronics America's manufacturing facility for one of its prestigious WasteWise awards, and the company is one of only 10 organizations to receive the Partner of the Year award this year.

WasteWise (www.epa.gov/wastewise) is a voluntary EPA program through which organizations can eliminate costly municipal solid waste to benefit both their bottom lines and the environment. This flexible program allows partners to design solid-waste reduction programs tailored to their individual needs.

With a 77 percent diversion rate in 2005, employees at NEC Electronics America's semiconductor manufacturing plant in Roseville kept 414 tons of waste out of the landfill, marking another successful year for the company's waste reduction program. Programs that were implemented to achieve these successes included a packaging reduction program, reusing 6,600 plastic shipping boxes, and a recycled products purchasing program that prevented the disposal of nearly five tons of material, by reusing plastic shipping boxes that contained 100 percent recycled material. In 2005, NEC Electronics America also established an office reuse area and implemented a green procurement program. The company has more than 20 different types of materials that are recycled as part of its program, proving that recycling is not only good for the environment but also can generate substantial revenues. In addition to recycling, the company significantly reduced its use of certain greenhouse gases, which contribute toward global warming, by identifying and successfully implementing the use of alternative gases that are less harmful to the environment.

"EPA is pleased to honor NEC Electronics America for its commendable achievements, ongoing dedication and continued commitment to waste reduction," said Susan Bodine, assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. "Through their ongoing efforts and innovative programs, this company is continuing to be a leader in environmental protection."

"It is a privilege for NEC Electronics America to be honored for the fifth consecutive year with a WasteWise award from the EPA. Our employees have worked very hard to develop, implement and maintain effective environmental programs to reduce waste, which benefits our local community and has a positive impact on the environment," said Gabe Kim, vice president of manufacturing operations and plant manager, NEC Electronics America. "As a further testament of our pledge to corporate social responsibility, we are dedicated to protecting the environment and conserving natural resources."

NEC Electronics America's environmental management systems at the company's manufacturing facility in Roseville, Calif.; headquarters in Santa Clara, Calif.; and facility in Irving, Texas, all have been certified for conformance to ISO 14001:2004, an internationally accepted standard governing environmental management systems.

NEC Electronics America Inc., headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., is a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC Electronics Corporation, a leading provider of semiconductor products encompassing advanced technology solutions for the broadband and communications markets; system solutions for the mobile, PC, automotive and digital consumer markets; and multi-market solutions for a wide range of customer applications.