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As Kansas City Power & Light's generating stations produce electricity, precipitators collect one of the byproducts of the process: fly ash. For more than 30 years, we've led the industry in developing new uses and markets for fly ash. The greatest use for fly ash is as a partial replacement for cement in concrete. Fly ash also now is used extensively for other construction purposes, such as stabilizing the soil base around building foundations and beneath roads. The bottom ash from the generating plants' boilers is used by the roofing industry in producing composition shingles. KCPL recycles more than half the ash produced at its power plants. That added up to 175,000 tons of ash last year alone. The sale of fly ash benefits KCPL customers by generating revenue from its sale and by lowering the company's disposal costs. Ever wondered what happens to wooden utility poles when they're
removed from a site? Wind, sun and natural decay take their toll
on wooden poles, and then poles must be taken down. KCPL instituted
a pole recycling project that turns the heart of the wood -- either
We also seek to protect the environment from hazardous substances. As a standard business practice, we use natural substances, rather than harmful chemicals or solvents, for cleaning equipment and tools. We no longer use volatile compounds and instead use soap and water. Daily cleaning also helps reduce environmental impact. Our purchasing policies help minimize the "away stream" -- the byproducts that leave our facilities. KCPL's on-site contractors remove their waste materials for proper disposal. We even stopped using products in spray cans to reduce ozone-depleting byproducts |
Western Red Cedar or Douglas Fir -- into picnic tables, nesting boxes
for birds and other goods useful to the general public. Recycling
the wood from the poles keeps it from going to a landfill. |
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