Therma-Tru opens the door for green practices October 27, 2008

Since I am the Communications intern at Therma-Tru doors, and am the leader of the green initiatives movement at the Maumee location, I decided it would great to showcase all I know about Therma-Tru and what it means for them to be green.

 

As the pioneer of fiberglass exterior door industry and the most preferred brand in the business, Therma-Tru is committed to the responsible use of natural resources in creating high-performance entry and patio door systems. Therma-Tru’s environmental responsibility page of their Web site highlights their green initiatives, which include energy efficiency, durability, recycled content in their products and recycling.

 

Energy Efficiency

Ninety-eight percent of Therma-Tru fiberglass door systems are ENERGY STAR rated and filled with CFC-free polyurethane foam to offer five times more insulation than wood.  The tight seal that exists by designing complete systems with components that work together creates an energy efficient envelope for the home, stabilizing the interior temperature and decreasing energy costs.

 

Durability

Because fiberglass doors don’t crack, swell, split or rot like wood doors, their long-term durability reduces the frequency of replacement. 

 

Recycled Content

Therma-Tru qualifies recycled products for its composite wood end rails and sill substrates (materials in the bottom and top of the door) including recycled wood chips, diapers and plastic bottles.  Also, the wood products used in Therma-Tru Door systems such as the door frame components come from managed forests.

 

Recycling

Therma-Tru takes extra measures to recycle waste products in their plants, including steel, propane canisters, wood, cut-outs and scrap doors.  I know that in the Maumee facility, Therma-Tru associates have recycled over 6.53 tons of paper in 2008 thus far.

 

Green building standards

Since, the building products industry is trying to agree on a widely-accepted standard on how to validate building practices on how to be environmentally friendly, many different organizations including National Association of Home Builders, NAHB, and U.S. Green Building Council, USGBC, have created standards for green building. USGBC has developed LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the national benchmark for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. Therma-Tru doors can contribute points in the Energy category, the Materials category and in the Innovation and Design category.

 

Therma-Tru doors can also contribute 128 points to NAHB National Green Building program in the resource efficiency, energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality categories.

E-waste recycling for Best Buy October 15, 2008

There are currently over ten million unwanted or obsolete electronics that are thrown into landfills each year. However, in an article concerning electronic waste, or e-waste, Jim Harford, DEQ Hazardous Waste Compliance Assistance Special, over 97 percent of computer and other electronic content can be recycled. This provides a great opportunity for electronic companies and stores to do something about e-waste.

 

In the beginning of June 2008, Best Buy announced they would be taking on a new e-waste recycling project. Best Buy was propositioned by As You Sow, a social responsibility group, to develop a plan to help recycled old electronics to ensure they do not poison our landfills.  In the beginning, the project was available at 117 locations, but now is offered at the 922 Best Buy stores.

 

On Best Buy’s recycling Web page, they state that customers recycled more electronic products with Best Buy than any other electronic store, including Wal-Mart and Circuit City, who have similar programs. However, Circuit City’s recycling program offered gift cards to customers that recycle with them.  Also, Best Buy states, “We’re proud of the long-standing programs that help our employees, customers and communities which have seen more than 20 million pounds of e-waste and 77 million pounds of appliances recycled in 2007.”

 

They also discuss what electronics they help recycle. They will remove old or obsolete appliances, such as washers and dryers, and televisions from the customer’s home, if they purchase an appliance or television from a Best Buy store.

 

Every Best Buy store in the United States has free recycling kiosks to drop off old cell phones, rechargeable batteries or ink-jet cartridges. This is no cost to the customer, and it is located directly inside the door of the stores.

 

Best Buy sponsors and hosts Weekend Recycling Events at some of their U.S. stores’ parking lots. At these events, customers can recycle computers, monitors, printers, fax machines, TVs, Audio Equipment and DVD players.

 

E-waste is not going anywhere, and it is a great competitive advantage for Best Buy to have recycling programs that primarily deals with E-waste.

Green in the sky… October 8, 2008

Most likely, the last thing on vacationers mind is if the airline they are flying with is concerned with the environment. However, when you think about how much pollution airplanes must put into the air, it is no wonder airlines are making new initiatives to help keep the planet healthier.

 

In December 2007, Continental Airlines joined Delta, Virgin, Cathey Pacific, and SAS in allowing travelers to view their booked vacation’s carbon footprint, which is a measurement of the impact one has on the environment. The Carbon Offset Program allows travelers to view their footprint before they travel, and also gives them the option to donate to Sustainable Travel International.

 

Sustaiable Travel International is a program that supports responsible tourism, ecotourism, sustainable development and helps travelers and travel providers protect different environments they visit.  

 

Continental Airlines, along with the carbon offset program, is trying to make their company more “green.”
They are reducing global emissions from their actual aircrafts and the ground equipment. They believe the way to do this is a wave of the future, but will continue to look at the available technology. Working on the inside of their terminals and offices is another “green” initiative.

 

Airplanes are rough on the environment, and there is no real way to get around this. Airline companies, such as Continental, are just trying to find their place in the world of green messaging.

Is Wal-Mart’s plan to go green really working? October 3, 2008

In fall 2006, Wal-Mart’s CEO Lee Scott made an announcement to his workers that Wal-Mart would run 100 percent renewable energy and produce zero waste. These claims were disputed by many people right after the announcement and in the time following.

Some of the main points of Scott’s plan were:

·     Work with their suppliers to make electric products 25 percent more efficient

·     Sell only ENERGY STAR rated air conditioners by 2010

·     Double sales of home efficient products

Although people were skeptical of these promises, it seems they are headed in the right direction. TreeHugger, the leading media outlet dedicated to driving sustainability mainstream, was one of the companies that had the most doubt in Wal-Mart. However, to their disbelief, Wal-Mart actually is attempting to go through with these changes. They originally spoke of their concerns in 2006, but in the beginning of this year changed their tune. Although, Wal-Mart has not completely accomplished all their goals, they are definitely working towards them.

With all of the claims against Wal-Mart, they are still striving to prove they can become more green in their practices. Like most other companies, Wal-Mart has a page on their Web site dedicated to their environmental practices. This page highlights their commitment to Sustainability, and discusses Scott’s original plan of using 100 renewable energy and create zero waste, plus their new goals of reducing waste of their fleet trucks

The green Web page also includes different tips and recommendations about becoming more environmentally friendly. The Earth-Friendly, Budget Smart page discusses home office savings, improving car mileage, lower energy cost and watching water waste. Other practices included are Happy Family, Happy Planet about the options for healthy living, and Use Less, Save More with tips on buying in bulk to reuse, cutting electronic costs and gardening. The most interesting page is their Earth Friendly products, and it features the products Wal-Mart sells that are green. This includes apparel, bedding, furniture and appliances.

 Although there was some doubt about Wal-Mart following through on their goals to be more environmentally friendly, it seems they are taking the important steps to get there. Stay tuned to see if Wal-Mart’s plan to go green will continue to work…