Juana Diaz Facility Honoured for Inventive Sustainable Water Practices; Employees Clean Beaches to Support International Coastal Cleanup Program
SAN RAMON, Calif., December 18, 2019—The Puerto Rico Aqueduct and Sewer Authority (PRASA) has honoured CooperVision for the fifth consecutive year with its Pre-Treatment Excellence Compliance Award. Given to the company’s Juana Diaz, Puerto Rico contact lens production and packaging facility, the recognition is based on adherence to operating permit conditions, made possible by ongoing investment in the site’s sustainable infrastructure and employee training.
Juana Diaz manufactures a range of CooperVision brands shipped worldwide, including popular Biofinity® silicone hydrogel contact lenses.
“We place a high value on collaborating with multiple agencies, our employees and other Puerto Rico-based manufacturers to respect and help protect the island’s natural resources,” said Javier Pellicier, Plant Manager Puerto Rico Manufacturing Operations, CooperVision. “This environmental stewardship includes extensive water conservation efforts. Since 2015, our Juana Diaz facility has reduced water consumption by 35 percent, significantly cutting volumes placed into the treatment system and lowering energy use. Thanks to an inventive spirit and dedicated team, this manufacturing centre has become a locally and globally admired model for sustainable operations”
Improvements at the plant have included an overall decreased reliance on manufacturing-related water, additional production monitoring, and reuse of water used in some processes. For instance, the repurposing of manufacturing process water into cooling towers saves tens of millions of gallons annually.
Showing their personal support for Puerto Rico’s environment, CooperVision employees, family members and friends recently took part in the International Coastal Cleanup project, helping clean the Paseo Costero de Pastillo (coastal boardwalk) in Juana Diaz. Organised locally by the Scuba Dogs Society in cooperation with the Ocean Conservancy, the initiative removed car tires, cigarette butts, straws, plastics, bottles, glass, and other debris for proper recycling or disposal.
The Puerto Rico efforts are among multiple CooperVision environmental initiatives focused on saving water, conserving energy; reducing, reusing and recycling resources; and empowering people within the company and the communities in which it operates. The company also supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, focused on good health and well-being, responsible consumption and production, and partnerships. Learn more at coopervision.com/sustainability.
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About CooperVision
CooperVision, a unit of CooperCompanies (NYSE:COO), is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses. The Company produces a full array of monthly, two-week and daily disposable contact lenses, all featuring advanced materials and optics. CooperVision has a strong heritage of solving the toughest vision challenges such as myopia, astigmatism and presbyopia; and offers the most complete collection of spherical, toric and multifocal products available. Through a combination of innovative products and focused practitioner support, the company brings a refreshing perspective to the marketplace, creating real advantages for customers and wearers. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.
About CooperCompanies
CooperCompanies ("Cooper") is a global medical device company publicly traded on the NYSE (NYSE:COO). Cooper operates through two business units, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. CooperVision brings a refreshing perspective on vision care with a commitment to developing a wide range of high-quality products for contact lens wearers and providing focused practitioner support. CooperSurgical is committed to advancing the health of women, babies and families with its diversified portfolio of products and services focusing on medical devices and fertility & genomics. Headquartered in San Ramon, Calif., Cooper has more than 12,000 employees with products sold in over 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.coopercos.com.
Media Contact
Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA
McDougall Communications for CooperVision
mike@mcdougallpr.com or +1-585-434-2150