There's nothing sexy about methane. But, there is something beautiful about what BMW is doing with it: Saving enough energy every year to travel around the earth over 4,000 times (or 100,000,000+ miles).
BMW first flirted with using methane as an alternative energy source for its manufacturing facilities back in the early 90s when it set out to build a new plant dedicated to producing the racy BMW Z4 and BMW X5 in Germany.
A huge landfill located just under 10 miles away from the facility grounds.
Naturally, BMW decided it wise to take advantage of the mass amounts of methane released by the refuse. Effectively, the Bavarian automaker built a pipeline that runs from the landfill to the Spartanburg plant.
The benefit is two-fold. In addition, to BMW's tremendous energy savings outlined above, the automaker is saving 17,000 tons of greenhouse gases from going into the atmosphere. 17,000 tons.
Of course, this is just one example of the many green efforts BMW has undertaken across the globe. Collectively, they have resulted in a dramatic, 30-percent decrease in carbon emissions over the past 10 years.
Speaking on its initiatives, BMW proudly says, "?As an independent company, we have the power of putting our money where our mouth is in order to share our beliefs with the word."1
Schomp BMW is curious to know how BMW's clever use of methane has changed your perception of the brand. We invite you to leave a comment below and share your thoughts.
?Personally, we have a lot more respect for the brand - something we didn't think was possible.
Be sure to stay tuned to learn more about BMW's green endeavors. And, if you're interested in seeing the automaker's green technologies in action, swing by 1190 Plum Valley Lane Highlands Ranch, CO 80129 for a test drive.
Source: 1 http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Content/Explore/News/BMWInTheCommunity/CommunityandEnvironment.aspx