Initiatives

• Biofuel Transportation – Safe Handling handles virtually all of the biofuels imported into Maine. We’ve been handling biodiesel since 2006 and in 2007 we opened Maine’s only ethanol terminal. We plan to add similar capabilities to our Pennsylvania location. With this capability, we can economically transport biofuels to regional fuel terminals.
  Press Release
• Biodiesel-Powered Fleet – Our trucks travel nearly 2 million miles each year, powered by biodiesel. We use B20 (20% biodiesel) in the summer and B5 (5% biodiesel) in the winter. This reduces our emissions by 300 tons of CO2 each year compared to using straight diesel. This is equivalent to taking 50 automobiles off the road.
• Recycling – We recycle all of our waste cardboard, pallets, polyethylene “super sacks”, office paper, and electronics (computers, displays, printers and toner cartridges). Altogether, our recycling efforts keep nearly 200 tons of waste from being land filled each year.
• Computerized Fleet – We have recently upgraded our truck fleet with state-of-the-art, GPS-enabled computers that enable us to monitor and manage everything from idle time to excessive speeds. This allows us to optimize our fuel efficiency. For every hour per day of idling we eliminate in each of our trucks, our fleet’s emissions are reduced by 90 tons of CO2 per year – equivalent to taking 15 automobiles off the road.
• Employee Green Idea Reward Program – Recognizing that the best energy saving ideas come often from those who are actually using energy, Safe Handling has a Green Idea Reward Program that rewards employees for energy-saving ideas. This program has proven to be a powerful source of energy-saving ideas.
• High Efficiency Lighting – Working with Efficiency Maine, Safe Handling recently installed high efficiency T8 fluorescent lighting in its manufacturing facility. This saves 25-30% compared to traditional fluorescent lighting.
• Hazardous Spill Containment – Safe Handling’s spill collection and containment systems are probably the most extensive of any similar facility in North America. Each of our railcar unloading locations is equipped with an isolated spill containment systems that can hold > 110% of the volume of a rail tank car. Likewise, each zone in our manufacturing plant has an isolated spill containment system that can contain >110% of the volume of the zone’s largest tank. All of the containment structures are covered to minimize the release of vapors to the environment and have level measurement devices, sumps and suction lines for the safe recovery of the product.
• Biofuels and Renewable Energy Projects - Through our Pine Tree Brand, we are collaborating with a number of other parties to explore the development of renewable energy projects.
• Demand Response – We participate in our electric grid’s Demand Response program, reducing our usage within 30 minutes of a notification that the grid is dangerously over-loaded. This helps stabilize the grid and, more importantly, avoids the need to bring inefficient power plants on-line.

By leveraging all of our services, customers can cut transportation costs by up to 50% and reduce transportation emissions by up to 90%.