SAN RAMON, Calif.—CooperVision announced in June that its manufacturing facility in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico, received top honors at the 15th annual Puerto Rico Sustainability Best Practices, Health and Safety Summit. The Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association (PRMA) recognized the site with six awards for its programs and practices relating to its sustainability, and occupational health and safety commitments, according to the announcement. The company was given the Platinum Recycling Award, which is presented to an organization that exemplifies best practice standards in alternate energy and sustainability by achieving greater than 90 percent recycling rates, as reported in VMAIL.

In addition, CooperVision earned Sustainability Gold for the site's excellence in reducing its environmental footprint and contributing to sustainable development in Puerto Rico. 

CooperVision also received an award for its Combined Heat and Power Plant (CHP) project, focused on leadership in decarbonization. By capturing and reusing excess heat and avoiding distribution losses, the company’s new natural gas-fueled CHP is significantly more efficient than conventional on-site diesel, natural gas, or propane-powered generators, according to CooperVision. It also noted that it requires less fuel to produce the same amount of energy when compared to traditional generation of power.

Finally, the company also received the Waste in Minimization Award; Honorific Mention: LEED Certification; and the President’s Award, given to companies who exemplify excellence in workplace safety.

Rolando Torres, chief operations officer, CooperVision, said, “Operating more sustainably to improve the well-being of People + Planet is a core value of CooperVision. These awards are a testament to our ongoing commitment to promoting and supporting environmentally stable practices that benefit employee wellness, health, safety and productivity.”