PLEASANTON, Calif.—CooperVision has been honored by the Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association (PRMA) with a series of prestigious environmental, health and safety awards which recognize advancements in its Puerto Rico high volume production facility.

CooperVision was acclaimed in part for advances in its manufacturing process, winning the Environmental Innovation Project of the Year award. An initial reduction of 12.4 percent in alcohol use and 55 percent decrease in water demand for manufacturing purposes was reported by the company. There are plans to add two additional manufacturing lines to the environmentally-sound process this year.

According to a statement by the company, “CooperVision’s streamlined manufacturing process reduces landfill disposal, and has presented a company cost savings of $1 million in 2015, and is projected to save an additional $7.5 million in operating costs by the end of 2017.”

During PRMA’s 2016 Environmental Summit and Occupational Health and Safety Summit, CooperVision also received additional awards including the Recycling Platinum Award, the Best Practice Initiative Award and the President’s Award.

Additionally, the company won awards in awards in recycling, waste minimization, water conservation, reuse and reduction, energy conservation, and minimization of hazardous waste or substances categories. Other honorees included multinational manufacturers such as Bristol Myers Squibb, Microsoft, Hewlett Packard and Medtronic.

“Our green practices reflect a commitment to protect and maintain healthy environments in the communities in which we operate, all while creating the highest quality products and responsible economic growth,” said Rolando Torres, senior vice president, Americas Manufacturing Operations at CooperVision. “Likewise, the health and safety of our employees is paramount to our continued success. It’s an honor to receive this recognition from PRMA, especially alongside some of the world’s largest and best-known manufacturers.”

Earlier this summer, CooperVision was also recognized by the Puerto Rico Aqueducts and Sewers Authority (PRASA) for compliance among significant industrial users.

In June, the company opened a newly constructed energy efficient plant in Alajuela, Costa Rica.