Ball Corp. recognized for embracing sustainability.

• Author: Cote, Mike
• Position: MANUFACTURING

If you want evidence that social, environmental and economic sustainability is more than a passing fad, consider an $8 billion Fortune 500 company that realizes its efforts in those arenas are vital to its success.

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Among Ball Corp.'s sustainability goals are to reduce its use of electricity and natural gas, decrease its use of materials, reduce volatile organic compounds and increase recycling. John Hayes, chief operating officer for the Broomfield-based packaging and aerospace company, talked about Ball's practices during a keynote address as part of the state of Colorado's annual Environmental Leadership Program awards.

"I'd like to say that that we have long been stewards of sustainability, but until recently we haven't called it that," Hayes told a group of a few hundred business leaders gathered Oct. 20 at the Seawell Ballroom in the Denver Performing Arts Center. "The ELP program is a great example of how our environmental success had its roots long before we started formalizing our sustainability initiative."

Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., which makes up 10 percent of Ball, has maintained the "gold" level of the Environmental Leadership Program for 10 years. Ball's metal beverage packaging division - the company's largest business - has achieved that level for six years. The program, overseen by the state's Department of Public Health and Environment, recognizes companies whose sustainability efforts have significantly exceeded the state's environmental requirements.

Last year, Ball published its first sustainability report, covering the years 2006 and 2007 and using 2005 as a...