Dow's Energy/WRAP Contest- A 12-Yr Energy and Waste Reduction Success Story

Abstract

Keeping employees interested in saving energy and reducing waste is a constant challenge. Ideally, all employees should be personally committed to a philosophy of continuous improvement. Each year, they should routinely find ways of improving operations as part of their normal jobs. The Louisiana Division of Dow U.S.A. began an energy conservation program in 1981. It took the form of an annual Contest. In 1983, the Contest scope was expanded to included yield improvement, and in 1987, Dow's WRAP (Waste Reduction Always Pays) program was added. The Contest has been enormously successful in achieving a continuous improvement attitude. In Part I of this paper, we'll look at the Contest history and summarize some of the results achieved. Part II will examine how the program operates, emphasizing what works and what does not.