Iowa companies have saved more than $1.6 million in the last year thanks to waste-reducing projects completed by 16 interns from the Department of Natural Resources Pollution Prevention (P2) Intern Program. The P2 Intern Program matches top engineering students with Iowa businesses interested in cost-effective ways to cut or eliminate waste from their operations that improve environmental performance and save money. Interns recommend and implement projects that will help Iowa businesses improve how they use resources. These projects divert waste from landfills, reduce hazardous waste, conserve water and energy, and reduce greenhouse gases and emissions.
Since 2001, companies have saved more than $81.9 million through P2 Intern Program projects. Annual environmental reductions generated in 2016 include: 1.16 billion gallons of water, 1,215 tons of solid and special waste, 1,215 tons of hazardous waste, 1.2 million kilowatt hours (kWh), 4,220 MTCO2e (metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent – used to measure emissions).
Full case summaries of the intern projects are available here.
