LaGrange, GA, October 13, 2005--Milliken Carpet's move to methane is proving to be a prescient move in an increasingly tight gas market.
The international carpet and rug manufacturer has replaced 30% of its natural gas consumption through an innovative partnership launched by the City of LaGrange to harvest alternative energy from the west Georgia community's landfill.
"Milliken has long been committed to the practice of sustainable consumption," said Bill Gregory, director of Sustainable Strategies for Milliken Carpet. "Using alternative energies such as methane from our local landfill fits perfectly into this vision. As we face increasing challenges with petroleum-based energy supply and demand, stewardship of existing resources and exploration of alternatives becomes more critical."
The company currently is purchasing 80% of the rapidly renewable gas generated by the city. Adding methane as an alternative energy source has quickly demonstrated benefits. There are obvious cost savings from recent increases in natural gas prices, which have risen approximately 400% since 2002. In addition, the use of methane saves millions of cubic feet of natural gas consumption, making more natural gas available for others.
"The conversion to methane from our local landfill is part of a continuing sustainable journey to reduce our environmental impact in the communities where we live and work, he continued. "In keeping with Milliken's pledge to 'do no harm' to the environment, we are excited about the partnership with the local government to harvest methane."
