April 21, 2015 – Rolla, MO – It’s big, it’s blue, and it’s preventing approximately 30 tons of waste materials from winding up in a landfill every year. Brewer Science today announced its latest initiative to achieve and maintain zero-landfill status: a giant blue trash compactor that turns garbage into electricity.

Visitors to Brewer Science may notice “Big Blue,” a large compactor located on its campus headquarters. Items that would normally go to the landfill are now placed in the compactor and the contents taken to a waste-to-energy facility where it is used as fuel to make electricity. Generating electricity from items that would otherwise be discarded is another effort by Brewer Science to be a good corporate citizen that shares the values of its customers, employees, and community who want a stronger and healthier environment.

“We know ‘Big Blue’ will prevent approximately 30 tons of waste materials from going to the landfill each year. In simpler terms, it means that each compactor box will fuel approximately four houses or power 480 light bulbs for a month," said Dr. Terry Brewer, President and CEO of Brewer Science. "Strong environmental stewardship has always been an important value for Brewer Science. In 2002, Brewer Science began our mini-bin recycling program, which has resulted in recycling nearly 538 tons of waste. With the installation of more efficient water and electrical fixtures, we have reduced our water, electricity, and natural gas consumption. We have continued to challenge ourselves to find additional opportunities that make a positive difference in our environment and our community. With the addition of ‘Big Blue,’ we are not only reducing waste, we are harnessing a new energy source."

Brewer Science has continued a partnership with the community by helping stakeholders properly dispose of waste and adopting surrounding streets in our industrial park. By working with the City of Rolla, the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Meramec Regional Planning Commission, and the Phelps County Commission, Brewer Science provides area residents with community collections that have enabled Phelps County to properly dispose of almost 811,000 pounds of waste over the past 11 years. This partnership has contracted disposal companies and provided volunteers who collected appliances, electronics, and tires from area residents, which would have otherwise been disposed of in a landfill. Brewer Science continues to support these efforts and will host an annual Electronic Waste and Tire Collection on May 30, 2015, from 8 am to noon at the Rolla Campus.

About Brewer Science Brewer Science is a global technology leader in developing and manufacturing innovative materials, processes, and equipment for the reliable fabrication of cutting-edge microdevices used in electronics such as tablet computers, smartphones, digital cameras, televisions, LED lighting, and flexible technology products. In 1981, Brewer Science revolutionized lithography processes with its invention of ARC® materials. Today, Brewer Science continues to expand its technology portfolio to include products enabling advanced lithography, thin wafer handling, 3-D integration, chemical and mechanical device protection, and products based on nanotechnology. Brewer Science recently unveiled a new high-volume manufacturing facility at the Rolla National Airport to accommodate increased product demand and demonstrate the company’s commitment to continuous improvement. With its headquarters in Rolla, Missouri, Brewer Science supports customers throughout the world with a service and distribution network in North America, Europe, and Asia.

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Dr. Terry Brewer's anti-reflective coatings revolutionized microelectronics manufacturing and ushered in today's high-speed lightweight electronic devices... Brewer Science is once again prepared to lead the industry into the next generation!