SUSTAINABILITY

OUR

PROMISE

At Lacks, we take our responsibility to our employees, our partners, and our community seriously. This means committing time and resources to continually updating our manufacturing processes.

EcoEdge Initiative 2023 is our promise to improve sustainability and reduce emissions by minimizing waste, enhancing energy efficiency, and ensuring our manufacturing processes are PFOS, PFAS, and Cr6+ free.

PROMISE

At Lacks, we take our responsibility to our employees, our partners and our community seriously. This means committing time and resources to continually updating our manufacturing processes to eliminate, recycle or remediate the materials we use in our facilities. From technological innovations to automation, Lacks is dedicated to maintaining a safe environment for our employees and a sustainable planet.

OUR

SUSTAINABILITY

IN ACTION

2007
Redesigned plating lines to improve air management
2008
2012
Eliminated PFOS use in all plants
2013
2015
Installed RTOs in all paint facilities capturing 96% of all VOCs and HAPs
2019
2020
Upgraded HEPA filtration on plating etch scrubbers
2022
2023
Water recycling process improvements reduce water use by 40% over last 15 years
2023
2023
Redesigned coating process will increase transfer efficiency and improve water conservation
2007
2008
New reverse osmosis and membrane filtration technology improves recycling and water conservation
2012
2013
Redesigned plating lines improve air handling
2014
2019
Installed granular activated carbon filters to capture residual PFAS in plating facilities
2020
2022
New solvent reclamation system cuts solvent consumption by 90%
2023
2023
New cap cleaning technology further reduces solvent use
2023

MADE IN

MICHIGAN

We live and work in Michigan. That’s why our devotion to protecting our environment goes far beyond meeting requirements. Our team is committed to managing our operations in an environmentally sustainable manner. We look at the complete life cycle of our materials and resources to eliminate employee exposure and ensure that chemical or material waste streams that leave Lacks facilities are near zero and comply with all of our state and federal government emissions and discharge requirements.

PLAN, PREPARE, PREVENT

Lacks works closely with MIOSHA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) on a continual basis so that we meet or exceed available standards and recommendations. Our facilities are ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems certified and are compliant with the Michigan Occupational Health and Safety Assessment Series 18001 standard.

REAL-TIME MONITORING

We continuously control, clean and monitor our air, soil, water and waste. Water filtration tests are conducted hourly. Facility air streams are exchanged four times per hour. No chemical waste stream leaves the facility to the environment. Our products are low-VOC, PFAS-free and CR6+-free when they leave the facility.

BALANCING MATERIALS

Managing our manufacturing process controls our material life cycle. We aim to minimize landfill waste and restore air and water quality through automated systems, remediation, and recycling.
  • We treat and return water, and only water loss is evaporative.
  • We recover metal and chemicals during processing.
  • 98% of chrome and other metals in plating are recycled on-site using counter-current flow rinsing and evaporators.
  • 100% of all recycled chrome material is reused in other manufacturing applications.

OUR RESOURCE

LIFE CYCLE

FOCUSED ON

INNOVATION

What goes into our products is as important as final product. We are continually innovating our electroplating processes to offer high-quality, durable finish alternatives that eliminate Cr6+ and PFAS during manufacturing, while still enabling the reflectivity options and color depth you get with our traditional finishes.

New Lacks finish technologies include:

  • Mirror-like finish paint
  • Colored chrome paint
  • Trivalent chrome
  • Cr6+-free etch chrome

OUR BEST

FOR YOU

Lacks has succeeded because of our products, partners and values. Trust, responsibility and quality cannot be compromised. Lacks is devoted to pioneering new practices that protect and preserve our environment. From advances in recycling and pollution prevention to improved methods of conserving natural resources, our drive for innovation permeates every facet of our work.