 |
|
|
|
 |
In the second year of the program, the number of businesses and organizations awarded the title of Best Workplaces for Recycling more than doubled, from twenty-one to fifty. These workplaces demonstrated the very best recycling programs in their business practices and for their employees.
Read some advice from our top recyclers (PDF, 28 K) of 2008 on how to improve the recycling practices of your workplace, or click on a business name below to learn more:
Note: all links are external
Business type: Retail – gift baskets
Address: 7945 Gilman St, Redmond
Telephone: 425-883-0189
Web site: http://www.accentsetc.com
Contact name & email: Susan Huenefeld, accentsetc@msn.com
Recycling: Accents et cetera is a small local business that creates gift baskets. They only use a mini trash can and recycle more than what they can fit in the recycle bin provided from the garbage company. There are recycle bins next to workstations. Their printer prints double-sided. Thanks to King County's "What Do I Do With…?" Web site, Accents et cetera has not had to purchase bubble wrap or Styrofoam peanuts for shipping gift baskets in the last seven years. Currently Accents et cetera is developing a line of gift baskets that do not use cellophane. One of their goals is to find biodegradable cellophane to use it place of normal cellophane. They already make many gifts in recyclable cardboard containers and include an instructional sheet with shipped baskets requesting that recipients recycle or reuse the packing materials.
Advice to Others: “Putting something in the trash should be the default only when there is no other way to dispose of it. Create a strategy for composting, reusing or recycling everything that you can."
Business type: Technology consulting
Address: 10210 NE Points Dr, Suite 200, Kirkland
Telephone: 425-691-3000
Web site: http://www.allyis.com
Contact name & email: Kristy Law, klaw@allyis.com
Recycling: Allyis has been recycling cans, bottles, and paper for over ten years, but their formal “Greener Allyis” program began in 2007. Allyis stresses employee education in their office by assigning a recycling coordinator, offering annual recycling education, and posting information about proper recycling practices so they know how the system works. They also stress convenience by having bins next to printers, copy and fax machines. In addition to recycling paper, glass and cans, they’ve added food scraps composting to their program and recently held a brown bag lunch for employees to learn how to compost and recycle both at work and at home. Allyis has also started collecting employees’ personal printer toner cartridges, cell phones, chargers, and PDAs for free recycling. In June, Allyis hosted a “Living Green” seminar for employees, which contained helpful tips on recycling at home.
Advice to others: “Work with property management to get approval and discuss improvements. If other tenants are interested in the improvements as well, that helps motivate the property management to make changes. Within Allyis, we’ve improved our recycling rate by educating employees, putting up clear signage, and making recycling bins convenient and plentiful.”
Business type: Real estate agency
Address: 3016 Benson Rd S, Renton
Telephone: 425-277-1500
Web site: http://www.americanclassichomes.biz
Contact name & email: Larry Cutting, larrydcutting@hotmail.com
Recycling: The 22 employees at American Classic Homes Real Estate established an office recycling program to capture the recyclable materials from their waste stream. Because 90 percent of the waste generated by real estate companies is paper, they noticed immediate results in their garbage. “Since switching to recycling, we have noticed that we hardly have any garbage at all. We couldn’t believe how much paper we used, until we started this program,” said Larry Cutting, owner.
Posters and recycle labels are used as reminders throughout the office, and recycling bins are located next to all work stations, printers, fax machines and garbage cans. Employees have found that having two containers for each workstation – one for paper and one for garbage – makes recycling convenient. A designated recycling coordinator monitors the recycling program by providing recycling receptacles and instructions to employees and ensuring bins are emptied regularly. American Classic Homes Real Estate employees also conserve waste in the break room by reusing their dishware, glassware and eating utensils.
“After about 18 months on the new program,” said Cutting, “I have found that the employees have stepped up their recycling efforts at home and in public. For example, we were at a community event and I overheard an employee asking one of the hosts if the bottles were going to be recycled then offering suggestions to them to make it more effective. It's a beautiful thing.”
Advice to Others: “I would like to stress how important it is to make it easy on the employees to recycle. We have both a recycle and a garbage container at desks and in the kitchen so when given the choice, they do the right thing with the paper or bottles/cans.”
Business type: Social service
Address: 690 NW Juniper St, Issaquah
Telephone: 425-274-4022
Web site: http://www.atworkwa.org
Contact name & email: Jed Vassallo, jedv@atworkwa.org;
Jane Kuechle, janek@atworkwa.org
Recycling: Described by the City of Issaquah as a community treasure, AtWork!’s mission is to provide valuable community and environmental services while employing individuals with disabilities. AtWork! Recycle Center provides the only 27 hours-a-day, seven days-a-week free community drop-off site for recyclable products. They accept, sort, ship, and re-sell office paper, plastic, glass bottles, metal cans, newspapers, magazines, and aluminum cans. Within the organization, At Work! challenges themselves to recycle as much as possible. The designated recycling coordinator works with employees to set recycling goals, track recycling progress, and provide annual employee recycling education.
Advice to Others: “Bring your recyclables over to our free drop-off center!”
Business type: Retail – refilling and remanufacturing of empty printer cartridges
Address: 1175 NW Gilman Blvd, Issaquah
Telephone: 425-391-4657
Web site: http://cwissaquah.com
Contact name & email: Elaine Mintz, issaquah369@cartridgeworldusa.com
Recycling: Ink cartridges take hundreds of years to disintegrate in the garbage dumps. Cartridge World is the leader in the refilling and remanufacturing of empty printer cartridges. They aim to have an environmentally-friendly office but also to encourage sustainable practices within the community. They offer a station to drop off old office materials for reuse, and broken merchandise or customer returns to be recycled. Cartridge World also works with local schools and encourages collection of empty ink cartridges as a fundraiser for PTAs and a means to educate children about environmental issues.
In their own office, Cartridge World employees keep recycling bins next to workstations and copy machines, and they purchase recycled office products. They also posts fliers and posters about how to recycle unwanted materials, distribute recycling guidelines in their orientation materials, and designate a recycling coordinator and team of workers to ensure the success of their recycling campaign.
Advice to Others: “In this time of chaos, we all need to save as much money as we can and help to keep our cities clean and green. Encourage employees to recycle paper and other items in the work place as well. If we all work together we can keep our neighborhoods and cities places we can be proud to call home.”
Business type: Consulting, engineering, construction, operations
Address: 11811 NE First Street, Suite 201, Bellevue
Telephone: 425-453-8383
Web site: http://www.cdm.com
Contact name & email: Petra Liskova, liskovap@cdm.com
Recycling: Founded in 1947, CDM provides consulting, engineering, construction and operations service to clients around the globe. CDM employs more than 4,000 people at more than 100 offices. As a second year award recipient of Best Workplaces, CDM has made improvements to their environmental program and now include commercial compost collection/recycling in addition to the items they have been recycling for several years. Food scraps, tea bags, coffee grounds, food soiled paper and other items can be recycled in the compost bins, which are located in common areas of the office and emptied on a regular basis. The company now generates significantly less garbage and estimates their overall recycling rate at 70 percent. The CDM Green Committee in Bellevue initiated their recycling program in 1999. Led by a recycling coordinator, the committee sets goals and tracks the progress of programs. Employees receive recycling information during orientation and are kept current with changes in recycling programs and guidelines via email updates and monthly staff meetings. CDM provides appropriately-sized recycling bins next to workstations, printers and copiers. Paper that can be reused is collected and used for printing draft documents or to create scrap paper notepads. CDM also recycles plastic, glass, cans, wood pallets, scrap metal, toner cartridges and electronic equipment. The Committee has worked closely with building management to establish and control the success of sustainability programs. CDM’s commitment also extends to reuse of such items as reusable dishware, glassware and flatware, plus old office materials.
Advice to Others: “Ongoing staff education is important to reinforce the importance of the recycle program; a Green Committee is important to keep programs active and obtain buy-in and participation from all company staff.”
Business type: Technical staffing and professional services
Address: 520 Kirkland Way, Suite 101, Kirkland
Telephone: 425-827-1173
Web site: http://www.chameleontechinc.com
Contact name & email: Melissa Acton-Buzard, Melissa@chameleontechinc.com
Recycling: Chameleon Technologies is a technical staffing and professional services company which matches the career goals and skill sets of their candidates to the needs of their established clientele. In the workplace, they are not only professionals; they are recyclers. They provide recycling bins next to all workstations, including the printer, fax machine, and copier. They also conserve paper by printing double-sided and sending paperless faxes. Chameleon Technologies has designated a recycling coordinator, who uses labels and posters to educate employees on which materials are recyclable. Recycling guidelines are included in orientation materials for new employees, and all employees are offered recycling education annually. Furthermore, Chameleon Technologies purchases and uses recycled office products, has a reuse station for old office materials, and collects and returns used toner cartridges. At lunchtime, employees use dishware, glassware, and flatware rather than disposable dining utensils.
Advice to Others: “In order to be successful, environmental consciousness needs to become an integrated part of your corporate culture, avidly communicating your commitment and supporting it with tangible measures such as providing recycle bins at each employee’s desk for all recyclable materials – paper, plastic, cans, etc., placing a compost bin in the kitchen, and a location or bin for recycling electronics and computer components. Along with traditional recycling activities, we also encourage reduced consumption with printing on both sides of the paper and reuse as much as possible, resulting in even less to recycle.”
Business type: Hair studio
Address: 11616 NE 97th St, Kirkland
Telephone: 425-803-3959
Contact name & email: Debi Black, sweeetdb@hotmail.com
Recycling: Debi Black at Champagne’ Design says she enjoys finding ways to recycle and conserve. Black sets recycling goals for Champagne’ Design and tracks the progress of her success. She recycles broken merchandise as well as customer returns, offers recycling services to customers, and donates leftover food to food banks and meal programs. She makes office recycling easy by keeping recycle bins next to every workstation, and trays next to printers and copiers to reuse printed paper for scrap paper. She also reuses many products in the workplace, including mailing boxes and envelopes, and toner cartridges. The kitchen is stocked with reusable dishes and glasses to prevent unnecessary waste.
Business type: Engineering, construction, operations
Address: 1100 112th Ave NE, Bellevue
Telephone: 425-453-5000
Web site: http://www.ch2m.com/corporate/default.asp
Contact name & email: Laurie Paniccia, Laurie.Paniccia@ch2m.com
Recycling: CH2M HILL is an engineering, construction, and operations firm that was founded in Oregon in 1946. Today CH2M HILL employs more than 19,000 people worldwide. In keeping with the spirit of its origin in the Pacific Northwest, the CH2M HILL office in Bellevue is a leader in recycling. Their new initiative, “Think Outside the Bottle,” encourages staff to stop buying bottled water and work toward eliminating waste, reducing energy consumption, and using local water resources – water right from the faucet! To further this effort, the Bellevue office is providing reusable water bottles to all staff. “Think Outside the Bottle” is a regional effort with approximately 2,500 participating employees. In addition to recycling common materials like paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum, they also reuse envelopes in the mail room, collect batteries to be recycled, and use a service for recycling their office “technotrash”.
Advice to Others: “It is important to have ‘buy-in’ from upper management and to have the funding in place for any impact to labor or materials needed to implement the program. Communicate why you are implementing the changes and how it will help reduce the company's environmental footprint, and list any potential long-term cost savings. Change is sometimes difficult for some, so take it slowly, but keep moving forward by adding new items to your greening program.”
Business type: City Government
Address: 450 110th Ave SE, Bellevue
Telephone: 425-452-6932
Web site: http://www.bellevuewa.gov
Contact name & email: Kerry LaFranchi, klafranchi@bellevuewa.gov
Recycling: In April, the City of Bellevue concluded its in-house recycling campaign, “Bellevue Recycles @ Work.” This was a six month campaign that focused attention on recycling, reducing waste, and reusing office products and materials. In order to ensure the campaign was a success, the City designated a recycling coordinator, divided the City up into teams to promote competition, had a recycling steward assigned for each team, and set goals to track the progress made by employees. Elements of the campaign included placing recycling bins next to all workstations, printers, fax machines, copiers, and garbage cans, and providing recycling guidelines with the campaign’s orientation materials. The City purchases and uses recycled-content office products, and recycles less-common materials, such as wood pallets, plastic film and wrap, scrap metal, and electronics. The City tries to be proactive about waste reduction by using fewer resources wherever possible – for example, they save paper by requiring double-sided printing of documents and encourage employees to set smaller margins as their default. Also, rather than throwing away toner cartridges, the City collects and recycles them.
Advice to Others: “If setting up a recycling campaign, start by setting up a competition between the various segments of your organization. Recruit the most competitive people from each of the segments, and have them take the lead on promotion and education. This makes learning about waste prevention and recycling more fun for everyone, and leads to greater success in the long run.”
Business type: Bottling plant
Address: 1150 124th Ave NE, Bellevue
Telephone: 425-453-1757
Web site: http://www.cokecce.com
Contact name & email: Darin Croston, dcroston@cokecce.com
Recycling: The Coca Cola Bottling Company of Washington (CCBCW), located in Bellevue, makes every effort to recycle their unwanted materials. The company has designated a recycling coordinator to monitor recycling in the workplace. The coordinator sets goals, keeps track of progress, and offers annual recycling education to employees. CCBCW’s recycling bins are conveniently located next to workstations, printers, copiers and garbage cans. Instructions are posted at recycling stations to make sure everybody understands how to use the system. To save paper, employees print double-sided and receive faxes electronically. Employees also reuse durable dishware, glassware and flatware as well as office supplies, mailing boxes, packing material and envelopes. Other materials recycled at CCBCW include wood pallets and scraps, plastic film and wrap, and scrap metal. In addition, CCBCW donates left-over food, collects recycles food scraps, and offers a take-back program for such items as electronics. In 2007, CCBCW recycled 68% of all its waste, or 1,550,000 pounds. In addition, since March of this year, CCBCW has maintained a 98% recycling rate or better.
Advice to Others: “Make it convenient for employees and visitors to separate and recycle waste, and very inconvenient for them to throw away in a trash can. Work-aids, hand-outs and recycling performance communication are key elements to a successful program.”
Business type: Business-to-business – Office/facility supplies and furniture
Address: 4510 Frontage Rd NW, Suite 102, Auburn
Telephone: 253-518-7218 / 253-518-7211
Web site: http://www.corporateexpress.com
Contact name & email: Pam Maki, Pam.Maki@cexp.com; Jim Stephens, Jim.Stephens@cexp.com
Recycling: Part of a larger Corporate Express team of 18,000 employees in 300 locations, the Auburn location (185,000 square feet warehouse and office), with a staff of 150, works closely with the City of Auburn’s Recycling Coordinator. Corporate Express’s “Recycling Green Dream Team” sets goals for the company and tracks its progress. There are recycling bins next to workstations, printers, fax machines, copiers, and every garbage can. Materials that are frequently recycled are paper, plastic, glass and aluminum, wood pallets and scraps, plastic film and wrap, toner cartridges, and electronic equipment. The fax machines send paperless faxes and the printers and copiers are set to print double-sided, which is required by company policy. Corporate Express also plans to make recycling even more prevalent by adding a recycling section to their employee safety handbook in the upcoming revision and adding trays next to their printers for reusable scrap paper.
Advice to Others: “Contact the city where your business is located and partner with them. We greatly appreciate the support, educational resources and employee recycle training that we received from our city’s Recycling Coordinator. She is a wonderful resource for us.”
Business type: Water district
Address: 18631 SE 300th Pl, Covington
Telephone: 253-631-0565
Web site: http://www.covingtonwater.com
Contact name & email: Katie Swickard, KSwickard@covingtonwater.com
Recycling: The Covington Water District was formed in 1960 with fewer than 100 customers. Today the district serves nearly 16,000 customers. They have long been an environmental leader, striving to protect our region’s water quality and teaching others to do the same through a strong public education and conservation program. Recycling adheres to their mission of, "Managing water resources for existing and future generations and the environment,” and their new vision statement, “Vision of Tomorrow | Action Today.”
District employees recycle paper, cardboard, plastic, glass and cans, as well as scrap metal, wood pallets and scraps, toner cartridges, and electronic equipment. They also purchase recycled office products, helping to complete the recycling circle. This year the District has increased their reuse of durable dishware, glassware, and flatware to decrease the amount of kitchen waste produced and has saved money in the process.
In addition, Covington Water District has on on-site composting system for food waste that is used for public education in their WaterWise Demonstration Garden. The Garden showcases WaterWise principles of gardening. Visitors can stroll through a water-efficient landscape while picking up ideas for their own yard. Recycled scrap pieces of Covington’s own water system have been transformed into art for the garden, adding another creative aspect of recycling to those which employees have already accomplished.
Advice to Others: “Make recycling convenient!”
Business type: Family of ministries
Address: 19303 Fremont Ave N, Shoreline
Telephone:206-289-7946
Web site: http://www.crista.org
Contact name & email: Kathryn Stenger, kstenger@crista.net
Recycling: CRISTA is a Family of Ministries, their Corporate Headquarters located in Shoreline. CRISTA Ministries includes King's Elementary, Junior High, and High Schools; Castle Kids Day Care; World Concern; Christian Veterinary Mission; and CRISTA Senior Living, which includes apartment living, assisted care, and a nursing center. In addition to their staff of nearly 800 people, there are approximately 700 students during the school year and about 500 Senior Living Residents.
About two and a half years ago, CRISTA switched from a small recycling vendor to a company who did co-mingled recycle. It was at that point that the growth of CRISTA’s recycling program was initiated by the Facility Department and custodial staff. They started purchasing recycle bins for the whole campus, which were placed next to every trash can every workspace; by every printer, fax, machine, and copier; as well as in resident common areas, school classrooms, and outdoor spaces. Employees and residents alike were happy to see this program get put into action.
With the support of school principals, CRISTA signed up for the Green Schools Program sponsored by King County Solid Waste Division, which provided additional education and support, including assistance purchasing more recycle bins and signage for the schools. Ultimately, this liaison resulted in one of CRISTA’s staff receiving the Earth Hero Award this year. CRISTA just recently started food composting and it has made a measurable reduction in the poundage of garbage that previously went directly into dumpsters.
CRISTA recycles and reuses a wide array of materials, including paper, plastic, glass, aluminum, scrap metal, office supplies, and electronic equipment. They also recycle fluorescent light bulbs, batteries, appliances, and furniture as the need arises. CRISTA Ministries continues to expand their recycling program and are constantly looking for ways to make their campus more environmentally responsible.
Advice to others: “Get informed; a great place to go on the web is King County Solid Waste Division. Form a team, educate folks, monitor progress, and keep them informed. One recycle bin for each trash can – the more convenient, the better. Signage is important, and fun friendly reminders are good.
Business type: Restaurant
Address: 2825 S 188th St, SeaTac
Telephone: 206-277-7196
Contact name & email: David Sousa, dsousa2828@msn.com
Recycling: David Sousa, owner of Dave’s Diner & Brew, has worked in the restaurant business for over 30 years and is familiar with the amount of waste that restaurants send to landfills. To combat food waste in his own restaurant, David and his 40 employees collect food scraps for composting, offer customers a way to sort compostable food scraps, and offer recycling education to all employees annually. David has designated a recycling coordinator who sets goals and tracks the progress of the diner. In addition, there are large recycling bins next to workstations, the fax machine, and copier.
Advice to Others: “If all of the restaurants in King County would compost, tons of garbage each day could be recycled.”
Business type: Printer cartridge refill and remanufacture
Address: 11316 NE 124th St, Kirkland
Telephone: 425-820-3570
Web site: http://www.ecocartridgestore.com
Contact name & email: Dominic Pangelinan, tech@ecocartridgestore.com
Recycling: The ECO Cartridge Store is a company that recycles as part of its business. Refilling used printer cartridges keeps them out of the landfill and conserves resources used in the production of new printer cartridges. Refilling printer cartridges can also save the consumer up to 40 percent over purchasing new printer cartridges. The ECO Cartridge Store makes recycling even easier for their customers by offering pick-up and delivery service, as well as customer education. ECO's Dominic Pangelinan notes that they have “saved dozens of desktop printers from being thrown out of homes and workplaces by educating customers on troubleshooting, maintenance, and repairing their printers on their own.”
Naturally, the ECO Cartridge Store takes other steps to help the environment, including recycling the products that they use. Providing recycling bins next to printers, fax machines and copiers, the ECO Cartridge Store makes it easy for employees to recycle. The ECO Cartridge Store collects scrap paper for reuse and requires double-sided printing to save even more paper. They save money by reusing office supplies, boxes, and envelopes. They also use durable dishware, glassware and flatware to avoid producing extra kitchen waste.
Advice to Others: “Circulate reusable materials in-house. This saves money and natural resources!”
Business type: Retirement community
Address: 10901 176th Circle NE, Redmond
Telephone: 425-556-8100
Web site: http://www.emeraldheights.com/overview/welcome.htm
Contact name & email: Kay Wallin, kayw@emeraldheights.com
Recycling: Emerald Heights, a life care community established in 1992, is committed to providing an enriched life and secure future for the members of its community. Naturally, caring for the future of the Earth is part of this commitment. Employees and residents recycle everything from paper, plastic, glass and cans to wood pallets, scrap metal, toner cartridges and electronic equipment. Recycling is easy for Emerald Heights' employees and residents. There are recycling bins located next to workstations, in the copy room, in the residents' common spaces and in the lobby. Instructions at the recycling stations ensure that everybody knows what to do with their recyclable items. Along with recycling, the staff also reuses durable dishware, glassware, and flatware to reduce kitchen waste.
Advice to Others: “It’s important to make it easy for everyone in the workplace to recycle by providing the necessary resources in convenient locations.”
Business type: Travel Agency
Address: 3150 139th Ave SE, Suite 500, Bellevue
Telephone: 425-679-7240
Web site: http://www.expediainc.com
Contact name & email: Evan Cottingham, evancott@expedia.com
Recycling: Expedia, Inc. is parent company to some of the world’s leading travel companies, providing travel products and services to leisure and corporate travelers in the U.S. and around the world. In their Bellevue office, recycling is one of their top priorities. With 1,900 employees, recycling can be a challenge. Expedia makes recycling easy for their employees by providing recycling bins next to workstations, printers, fax machines, and copiers, and next to every garbage bin. Recycling guidelines are provided in orientation materials, education is offered to employees on an annual basis, and “how to” labels and posters give employees that extra reminder that recycling is easy. Expedia has designated a recycling coordinator that sets goals for the company and tracks its progress. Some of the materials that are recycled or reused at Expedia include paper, plastic, glass, and cans, plastic film and wrap, boxes and envelopes, toner cartridges, electronic equipment, and old office supplies. In addition, Expedia offers employees and customers a way to collect food waste, sort compostable food scraps, and compost their food scraps either off or on-site.
Advice to Others: “Every little bit helps. Initially it may seems like a very daunting enterprise to undertake, but with the support of your eager employees and the well established industry aids available, it is very manageable – not to mention rewarding!”
Business type: Web services
Address: 720 4th Ave, Kirkland
Telephone: 425-739-5625
Web site: http://www.google.com
Contact name & email: Mike Nolan, miken@google.com
Recycling: Everyone is familiar with how Google helps you navigate the internet and check your email. However, not everyone is familiar with what Google does to help the environment. In their Seattle and Kirkland offices, the hundreds of employees at Google make every effort to recycle unwanted materials. "The formula that has worked for Google," says Mike Nolan, facilities manager, "has been the continuous development of best practices for workplace recycling, conservation, and sustainability programs." Google provides recycling guidelines in orientation materials for new employees and has designated a recycling coordinator. There are recycle bins next to all workstations and every garbage bin which are all emptied regularly. Google offers a reuse station for old office supplies, returns old toner cartridges for refill, and recycles much of their old electronic equipment and batteries. They also collect food waste and offer ways to sort food scraps for composting.
Advice to Others: "Make every effort to educate and inform employees of the advantages of recycling and the options available to them. The ultimate goal is to empower the individual to make an informed decision."
Business type: Car dealership
Address: 345 106th Ave NE, Bellevue
Telephone: 425-820-4549
Web site: http://www.thegreencarco.com
Contact name & email: Greg Rock, info@greencarco.com
Recycling: The Green Car Company’s goal is to bring awareness and education to the mainstream American population about how their transportation choices effect the environment. Their primary focus is on CO2 reduction to combat global warming through the use of biofuels such as biodiesel and ethanol. However, they also seek to minimize their impact on the environment by becoming a Best Workplace for Recycling! The Green Car Company makes recycling easy for their 12 employees by placing recycling bins next to workstations, in the building lobby, next to printers and copiers, and next to every garbage bin. There are separate bins for paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum, all of which are emptied regularly. Employees at the Green Car Company also collect food waste, return used toner cartridges for refill, have of the reuse station for old office supplies, and purchase recycled office products.
Business type: Engineering firm
Address: 500 108th Ave NE, Suite 1200, Bellevue
Telephone: 425-450-6200
Web site: http://www.hdrinc.com
Contact name & email: Ali Aranda, ali.aranda@hdrinc.com;
Nichole Pellett, nichole.pellett@hdrinc.com
Recycling: HDR Engineering is an employee-owned architectural, engineering and consulting firm consisting of more than 6,900 employees at 150 locations worldwide. At the Bellevue office, HDR employees have been recycling paper for over four years, but in the last two years have expanded efforts to include bottles and cans, plastic, glass, wood pallets and scraps, toner cartridges and electronic equipment. They now even have a pilot food scrap recycling program in place. In addition, HDR has switched from having plastic water bottles at meetings to using glasses and water pitchers. Finally, silverware and reusable Corelle plates and bowls were purchased for small meetings and staff use, instead of using plastic utensils and paper plates. HDR Engineering decided to implement a strong recycling program because they are working towards being a "green" company as much as possible; not only in the projects they do, but also in the daily activity of their offices.
To make recycling easy for employees, HDR has paper recycling bins located next to workstations, garbage cans, printers, fax machines, and copiers. They have also placed recycling bins for bottles and cans in the common areas. “Placing a bin next to printers for scratch paper has worked out well,” said Nichole Pellett. “So has switching to double-sided printing as the default setting.”
Providing information in the form of posters near the recycling bins located in the common areas also encourages recycling as people realize what can be recycled and how to do it properly. A recycling group, referred to as the Green Team, helps to educate employees while setting goals and tracking progress. HDR has a firm policy of reusing old materials, and therefore reuses mailing boxes and envelopes, and offers a reuse station for office supplies. HDR's business cards are even green. Business cards are made from 100% post-consumer waste, are acid free, and processed via chlorine free means. In addition, HDR will be hosting an electronics recycling event later this year, where old fluorescent bulbs and tubes can be turned in for recycling.
Advice to Others: “Have the recycling bins conveniently located, with signs at eye levelthat clearly describe what can be recycled and what can't. Also, forming a recycling team that meets regularly and works together to implement programs and track progress has been very helpful.”
Business type: Restaurant
Address: 14590 NE 145th St, Woodinville
Telephone: 425-485-5300
Web site: http://www.theherbfarm.com
Contact name & email: Carrie Van Dyck, carrie@theherbfarm.com
Recycling: Elegant, yet comfortable, The Herbfarm offers seasonally unique menus featuring foods of the Northwest. It only makes sense, then, that the management and 25 employees would make recycling in the workplace a priority. While they don’t have a formal “program” to track their recycling efforts, the owner/manager, Carrie Van Dyck, explained that they are “thorough in dispersing and using recycling bins” and recycle a great deal, from “using all parts of whole animals, to food composting, to reusing shipping materials.” The Herbfarm places recycling bins next to workstations, next to the printer and copier, and adjacent to every garbage can. In addition to paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum, The Herbfarm also recycles batteries, old computers and parts, plastic film and wrap, scrap metal, boxes, envelopes, and toner cartridges. And, of course, they collect and compost food waste.
Advice to Others: “The key to a successful recycle program is to make it easy to use: convenient and easy to understand.”
Business type: Hotel
Address: 17620 International Blvd, SeaTac
Telephone: 206-244-4800
Web site: http://www1.hilton.com
Contact name & email: Werner Schumacher, werner_schumacher@hilton.com
Recycling: The Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Center hotel is rated as one of Hilton’s top performing hotels for delivering outstanding customer service. It is also one of this year’s Best Workplaces for Recycling winners! The Hilton has recently implemented a single stream recycling process to make capturing and diverting recyclable materials easier for the staff. To make it even easier for the Hilton’s 320 employees to recycle, bins are places next to workstations, printers, fax machines, and copiers. Recycling education is offered to employees annually and a recycling coordinator has been designated to set goals and track the success of the recycling campaign. The Hilton kitchen started a food waste recycling program in March and in just over two months has already diverted three tons of organics from the waste stream.
Advice to Others:“To be successful, you have to provide the team with the proper tools and training. Everybody wants to do recycling, but both from the economical or practical points, you can’t make it complicated. The simpler you set up the program, the better the result will be.”
Business type: Retail – home improvement hardware
Address: 370 Corporate Dr N, Tukwila
Telephone: 206-574-3595
Web site: http://www.homedepot.com
Contact name & email: Anne Tipper, anne_tipper@homedepot.com
Recycling: All Home Depots in King County have active recycling programs which include cardboard, paper, plastic, organic materials, and metals. Each store has a recycling captain that ensures all associates are aware of the programs and how to maintain them. “How to” posters are placed at appropriate locations to further educate associates on proper recycling practices. Small desk-sized paper recycling containers are found throughout the store to ensure collection of paper. Just recently all Home Depot’s expanded their recycling efforts to include compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) from consumers.
Advice to Others: “Don’t give up. All programs have bumps when they start. Make sure to have a person that personally agrees with and is excited about recycling be your captain/trainer. After a while, it just becomes habit.”
Business type: Aerospace technology
Address: 15001 NE 36th St, Redmond
Telephone: 425-885-8027
Web site: http://www.honeywell.com
Contact name & email: Don Warner, donald.e.warner@honeywell.com
Recycling: Honeywell International is a diversified technology and manufacturing leader serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; and specialty materials. The Redmond site is part of the Honeywell Aerospace Guidance and Electrical System operation. Their recycling program began in 1990, with greater emphasis and expansion during the last five-to-seven years. During that time, the recycling program has helped make employees aware of everyday and unique recycling opportunities and has provided them the means to participate. For example, last year they partnered up with Total Reclaim to host Honeywell’s annual Recycling Day, which netted 35,000 pounds of recyclables. However, Honeywell also implements strong recycling practices every day of the year and strives to contract vendors and businesses with the same mentality.
Honeywell recycles all of the basics – paper, plastic, glass, and cans – as well as scrap metal wood pallets and scraps, and even unwanted clothes, shoes, backp acks, and other textiles, which if can’t be recycled are composted for organic fertilizer whenever possible. Honeywell has contracted a food vendor that recycles fryer oil and that plans to start separating food waste for composting this summer. When asked why the Redmond site decided to implement such a strong recycling program, Don Warner replied, “Because it is the environmentally right thing to do and sets the right mindset and behavior for our employees – both on and off the job.”
Advice to Others: “Make the program sustainable, provide periodic awareness, involve everybody, including contractors and temporary employees, make it easy for employees to participate, and keep looking for new opportunities.”
Business type: Retail – furniture
Address: 600 SW 43rd St, Renton
Telephone: 425-656-2980 ext. 1364
Web site: http://www.ikea.com
Contact name & email: Laurie Helm, laurie.helm@memo.ikea.com
Recycling: IKEA has made a company-wide commitment to social and environmental responsibility. The IKEA store in Renton has taken many steps to boost its recycling program, setting an example for other retailers. They recycle paper, wood, aluminum, cardboard, plastic film and scrap metal. IKEA stores also offer free light bulb and battery take-back program for their customers. With the introduction of its “Bag the Plastic Bag” program in March 2007, IKEA set a goal of reducing its US stores’ plastic bag consumption by 50 percent in the first year. It’s now one year since the program began and the results are stunning: more than 92 percent of their customers said no more plastic bags! Expectations were exceeded and IKEA learned their customers welcome the opportunity to find new ways to be environmentally responsible. As of October 1, 2008, IKEA will take another step forward and will no longer offer plastic bags. IKEA’s consumer call-to-action is to use only reusable bags. At the Renton store, the "as-is department” recovers damaged furniture so it doesn't end up in the landfill. The store is also planning to implement a food waste recycling program on August 1st of this year as a way to further decrease their waste and save money on their garbage bills.
Advice to Others: "It's important to make recycling as simple and easy as possible for your coworkers and your customers. Educate people on what type of impact their actions are having, and how small efforts can make big differences. And be open to new and creative solutions to reducing or reusing materials. It's all about simplifying, educating, and finding solutions."
Business type: Landscape design/construction firm
Address: 23622 Bothell/Everett Hwy, Bothell
Telephone: 425-486-2180
Web site: http://www.inharmony.com
Contact name & email: Ladd Smith, ladds@inharmony.com
Recycling: In Harmony is a sustainable landscape company serving the Puget Sound region. They provide design, installation, and care of landscapes that are healthy for people, pets and the environment. To In Harmony, “sustainable” means a practice or a product that meets present needs without compromising the needs of future generations. In Harmony practices elements of sustainability in the office as well, through their in-house recycling campaign. Recycling is made easy for the 35 employees with easy access to recycle bins, “how to” labels and posters, and recycling guidelines in orientation materials. In Harmony also purchases recycled office supplies, reuses mailing boxes and envelopes, returns used toner cartridges for reuse, and collects food scraps for composting.
Advice to Others: “Get as many people on board with ideas and input. Most of our recycling efforts were built around our people’s ideas and efforts.”
Business type: Consulting engineering
Address: 32001 32nd Ave S, Suite 100, Federal Way
Telephone: 253-874-0555
Web site: http://www.kennedyjenks.com
Contact name & email: Karen West, karenwest@kennedyjenks.com
Recycling: The Federal Way office of Kennedy Jenks participates in the larger corporate “GreenSteps Program.” Recycling has always been part of their office procedure, they offer employees paper recycling bins in all offices, bins for glass, plastic and cans and management of the bins to make sure they never overfill. They also have a reuse area for mailing boxes and envelopes and other office materials as part of their office waste-reduction system. Employee education is offered, and labels and posters help keep staff up-to-date on changes or additions to the program. Additionally, they collect and return used toner cartridges, and they also donate or recycle used electronic equipment.
Advice to Others: “Raising an awareness of recycling possibilities, and providing information for our employees' participation, yields excellent results. Our efforts also provide an example to other offices company wide that are seeking ways to implement changes.”
Business type: Computer software and hardware
Address: One Microsoft Way, Redmond
Telephone: 425-421-2760
Web site: http://www.microsoft.com
Contact name & email: Michael Impala, mimpala@microsoft.com
Recycling: With 50,000 employees, Microsoft believes it’s especially important to make the workplace as eco-friendly and environmentally sustainable as possible. As such, Microsoft employees pride themselves on their effective recycling program. In order to ensure success in this endeavor, they designate a recycling coordinator to oversee the recycling system and set recycling goals, which are tracked on a regular basis. They provide recycling bins next to the printers, fax and copy machines, and post recycling information. To further prevent waste, they utilize paperless faxes, reuse boxes and envelopes, and collect/return used toner cartridges. They recycle paper, glass, cans, wood pallets and scraps, and scrap metal. Microsoft not only collects food scraps for composting, but also goes above and beyond by donating left over food and offering customers a way to sort compostable food scraps.
Advice to Others: “Educate, educate and then educate again with good use of posters, flyers, handouts, ambassadors the first few weeks of the roll out and have very clear broadcast emails and utilization of intra-company Web sites to sell the message. It is also key to have executive support like we have had at Microsoft for rolling out the programs.”
MulvannyG2 Architecture
Business type: Architecture firm
Address: 1110 112th Ave NE, Suite 500, Bellevue
Telephone: 425-463-2000
Web site: http://www.mulvannyg2.com
Contact name & email: Mitch Smith,info@mulvannyg2.com
Recycling: At MulvannyG2 Architecture, they stress the importance of sustainable living and sustainable design. MulvannyG2 Architecture’s recycling program began in 2002 with a small but passionate group of employees. Over the past six years and with the support of the firm’s management, they have provided education programs, implemented an easier recycling collection process, and increased awareness of the importance of recycling and conserving energy.
Today the entire firm takes part in the recycling efforts. The result has been a 90 percent increase in the recycling of glass, aluminum, and paper over the last six years. MulvannyG2 goes beyond the typical corporate recycling program and includes batteries, printer cartridges, light bulbs, computer monitors, hard drives, CDs and DVDs, and cell phones.
Advice to Others: “MulvannyG2 would suggest getting educated, connecting with the EPA, and forming a good relationship with its building property management, janitorial staff, and their City to ensure tangible results. Above all, keep it simple, educational, and fun!”
Business type: Utility district
Address: 6830 NE 185th St, Kenmore
Telephone: 425-398-4400
Web site: http://www.nud.net
Contact name & email: Carl Lunak, clunak@nud.net
Recycling: The mission of the Northshore Utility District is to provide the necessary services to the community in a safe, reliable, economical, and ecologically responsible manner. Recycling is made easy for the 51 employees at the worksite by ensuring that recycling bins are placed next to all workstations, including the printers, fax machines, and copiers, and all are emptied regularly. The utility also provides separate bins for plastic, glass, and cans. Wood pallets and scraps, scrap metal, toner cartridges, and mailing boxes and envelopes are reused or recycled. The office purchases recycled office products, and a reuse station is provided for employees' old office materials. All of the printers and copiers at Northshore Utility District are set to print double-sided, and paperless faxes are sent, as to reduce the amount of paper that is used in the office every day.
Advice to Others: “What makes Northshore's recycling program successful is our effort to invite all staff to participate. We work hard to create an environment in which all employees are encouraged to make suggestions that better our workplace, our community, and our planet.”
Business type: Architecture firm
Address: 10230 N Points Dr, Suite 4, Kirkland
Telephone: 425-822-4446
Web site: http://www.otak.com
Contact name & email: Kathy Thompson, kathy.thompson@otak.com
Recycling: Established in 1981, Otak, Inc.'s experts are trained in a variety of disciplines, ranging from engineering and architecture to planning and urban design. They also participate in Kirkland’s Green Business Program, practicing recycling and waste reduction methods from recycling old electronic equipment to eating lunch with reusable dishware and glasses instead of disposable products. A company of over 480, there are more than 85 local Otak staff, all of whom have recycling bins next to their workstations. Bins are also next to the printers and copiers, along with trays for scrap paper. The company sends paperless faxes and also has a reuse station for old materials.
Advice to Others: “Make recycling efforts really easy – if people don’t need to think too hard or go to a lot of extra work, new green ways of doing things are much easier.”
Business type: Marketing
Address: 4122 Factoria Blvd SE, Suite 202, Bellevue
Telephone: 425-283-1800
Web site: http://www.outsourcemarketing.com
Contact name & email: Bill Boyd, bill@outsourcemarketing.com
Recycling: Established in 1997, Outsource Marketing is an integrated marketing firm that offers companies a marketing department that don’t have one, and more strategic and creative horsepower for those that do.
Over the last few years, Outsource Marketing has implemented a successful recycling campaign, making sure that employees understand the program. “Outsource Marketing challenges our partners and employees to find new ways to recycle and increase our commitment to the environment. From recycling soft-drink cans to printing internal documents on the flip side of used paper, we do our best to reduce our collective carbon footprint,” stated project manager Mary Kate Baker. The firm encourages “Responsible Marketing,” educating its clients about the strategic benefits of minimizing their impact on the environment.
Outsource Marketing assembled a recycling committee to find new ways to minimize waste. The team set recycling goals and tracks progress, posted guidelines at recycling stations and included recycling information in employee orientation materials. Each employee and partner has signed a "Green Pact," promising to reduce, reuse and recycle where possible. In addition to paper and cardboard collection, the company offers recycling for plastic, glass, cans, toner cartridges and electronic equipment. The firm also provides reuse stations for office supplies, mailing boxes, envelopes and scrap paper.
To reduce paper use, pages are printed on both sides, one-sided jobs are often printed on the backside of previously used pages, and most faxes are received via “e-fax.” To close the recycling loop, Outsource Marketing purchases recycled, Forest Stewardship Council certified paper when possible (for both internal use and 90% of client printing projects). Employees also have durable dishware, glassware and flatware to avoid producing extra kitchen waste. Through technology, the firm enables most employees to telecommute, with the goal of each staff member telecommuting one day a week.
Advice to Others: “To those considering a recycling program, a great way to begin is to designate a ‘Go Green Team,’ or nominate an individual to help the organization take some first steps. Embed environmental responsibility into the corporate culture. Employees want to be part of an organization that cares, and to many, going green feels like more of an employee benefit than a chore.”
Business type: Hospital
Address: 1035 116th Ave NE, Bellevue
Telephone: 425-688-5096
Web site: http://www.overlakehospital.org
Contact name & email: Mark Eggleston, mark.eggleston@overlakehospital.org
Recycling: Overlake Hospital Medical Center has been piloting their recycling program for a while, and officially launched it in March. The hospital is currently implementing recycling bins at each work station and public waiting rooms. Bins are placed next to every printer, fax machine and copier and “how to” labels and posters remind employees of best recycling practices. There are separate bins for paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum, all of which are emptied regularly. Left-over food from the cafeteria is donated to food banks or meal programs and food scraps are collected for composting. Recycling education is offered to employees on an annual basis and recycling bins are frequently used, not just by employees, but by patients as well.
Advice to Others: “Regarding recycling, we are using the 50/50 approach. This means that 50% of the work effort is placed on the individuals and the other 50% is placed on a centralized pick up approach. Each person is responsible for gathering their own recycling and taking it to a centralized (department specific) location where our Environmental Services department arranges for pick up. We have found that by placing half of the responsibility on individuals, it has more ownership and compliance.”
Business type: Grocery Store
Address: 4201 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle
Telephone: 206-547-1222
Web site: http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com
Contact name & email: Diana Crane, diana.crane@pccsea.com
Recycling: Founded by 15 families in 1953, PCC Natural Markets (PCC) is now the largest consumer-owned natural foods cooperative in the United States. With eight stores within King County and nearly 40,000 members, the stores’ sustainable business practices are evident throughout. PCC features naturally delicious foods from local producers, outstanding customer service from knowledgeable staff, and store environments that incorporate many eco-friendly features, so it follows that PCC would also have an exceptional recycling program.
Trained store and office staff make certain that consistent recycling procedures are in place at all PCC locations. PCC provides recycling bins with instructions next to workstations, garbage cans, printers, fax machines and copiers. Items collected include paper, cardboard, plastic, glass, cans, plastic film and wrap, wood pallets and scraps, scrap metal and toner cartridges. Unsold food is donated to local food banks and food waste is composted in all stores and PCC’s business office.
PCC purchases recycled office supplies and reuses them if at all possible. Document printers are programmed for double-sided printing of multi-page documents, and cash register receipts of more than 5 inches in length are programmed to print double-sided. Discarded documents printed on one side are reused for printing new one-sided documents; other used paper is recycled into note pads.
Advice to Others: “A successful recycling program is all about communication, clearly explaining the goals to all involved (employees and shoppers); where and how recycling is done (signage that shows what can be recycled close to designated recycling containers); and the program’s progress (measured by volume of material recycled and reduction in trash). Of most importance, recycling procedures need to be an integral part of day-to-day operations, updated and reinforced as needed.”
Business type: Dental equipment manufacturer
Address: 35301 SE Center St, Snoqualmie
Telephone: 425-396-2108
Web site: http://www.usa.philips.com
Contact name & email: Marie Hillard, marie.hillard@philips.com
Recycling: Beginning with recycling just paper and cardboard, Philips Oral Healthcare has continually improved its recycling program since its start in 1999. Now the company that manufactures Sonicare products also recycles plastics, electronics, and scrap metal in the office and factory. Recycling is made easy for the 300 employees at the worksite with recycling bins accessible to all staff, placed next to all workstations, including the printers, fax machines, and copiers, all of which are emptied regularly. There are large and plentiful separate bins for paper, plastic, glass, and cans. Recycling guidelines are included in orientation materials and the recycling program is integrated into their Environmental Management System, where objectives and targets are set and progress is reviewed by the Management Team.
Advice to Others: “Find ways to simplify processes, using existing operations and equipment, and get management support. Make sure goals are set and status reports with cost savings are then provided back to management.”
Business type: Civil and structural engineering
Address: 512 6th St S, Suite 202, Kirkland
Telephone: 425-827-5995
Web site: http://www.poggemeyer.com
Contact name & email: Tami McMinn, tmcminn@poggemeyer.com
Recycling: Poggemeyer Design group, an employee-owner firm, offers a comprehensive range of civil and structural engineering. The Kirkland location has 20 employees, all of whom have recycling bins next to their workstations. Recycling bins also are next to every printer, fax machine, copier, and garbage can, with separate bins for paper, plastic, glass, and cans. “How to” posters and labels help employees remember the best practices for recycling these materials and bins are emptied regularly to ensure there is enough space and nothing overflows into garbage cans. The fax machines send paperless faxes and printers and copiers are programmed to print double-sided to reduce paper consumption. The company also purchases office products made out of recycled materials, reuses mailing boxes and envelopes, and offers a reuse station for old office supplies.
Business type: International Airport
Address: PO Box 68727, SeaTac
Telephone: 206-835-6182
Web site: http://www.portseattle.org/seatac
Contact name & email: Stacy Fox, fox.s@portseattle.org
Recycling: Upon arrival at Sea-Tac Airport, visitors may notice recycling bins scattered throughout the terminals, an unusual sight for a major airport. What isn’t seen is all the recycling also going on behind the scenes. In April of this year, the Port of Seattle Commission approved the design of an incentive recycling program for off-aircraft trash by partnering with Seattle-Tacoma International Airport airlines, thus reducing waste sent to landfills and saving over $250,000 each year. With an estimated 40% of off-aircraft waste identified as recyclable, the Port of Seattle is leading the way nationally to expand the airport's recycling program. In 1995, the Airport used nearly 37 tons of hazardous waste a year; today it uses about three-and-a-half tons, or a reduction of almost 90%. The Port of Seattle's waste reduction and recycling programs recycle more than 30 different materials, from the usual paper and plastic to items such as cooking oil, asphalt, concrete, petroleum contaminated soil, pallets and shrink wrap. It has also recently implemented a food donation and recycling program. As much as 500 pounds of leftover pre-packaged foods such as sandwiches and salads are sent from participating vendors to a south King County food bank each week. In addition, the airport has expanded their coffee grounds recycling to include other organic materials such as food scraps and food contaminated compostable items. These materials are collected from 60 coffee shops and food stands for off-site composting. They have also begun utilizing compostable hot and cold cups in the Airport Conference Center.
Advice to Others: “Designate and individual or team to manage the waste reduction and recycling program. Obtain upper management support to establish waste reduction and recycling as a fundamental value within the office culture. Seek out new and creative waste reduction opportunities by developing a thorough understanding of your waste stream. Provide recycling education and training to employees while soliciting feedback from the office ‘front lines’. Monitor your progress by collecting and analyzing waste reduction metrics.”
Business type: Retail – outdoor and camping equipment
Web site: http://www.rei.com
Locations:
Recycling: Recreational Equipment, Incorporated (REI) began as a co-op in 1938 with a group of 23 mountain-climbing buddies, and is now the nation's largest consumer cooperative with 3.5 million members. Because REI values quality outdoor experiences, it only makes sense that the company would also be an environmental leader. In three of the King County locations highlighted here (Kent, Southcenter/Tukwila, and Issaquah), recycling is taken seriously in the workplace.
Recycling bins with instructions are placed next to workstations, garbage cans, printers, fax machines and copiers. The bins are picked up every morning so that the workplace stays clean and organized. Because they receive so much gear and clothing in cardboard boxes, recycling cardboard has always been a top priority. Along with cardboard, aluminum, plastics and paper are also recycled. Closing the recycling loop, REI employees are also masters of reuse and do their best to make sound decisions to reduce their carbon footprint. REI locations have implemented a program to recycle light bulbs and batteries and are working to minimize as much trash as possible, saving money that can instead be spent on new products, and saving natural resources. They also reuse durable dishware, glassware and flatware to avoid producing extra waste.
Additionally, REI does not dispose of any returned or safe defective merchandise – it is all either donated to a non-profit or sold at one of their “garage sales” (special events there REI members can buy used or returned merchandise for a large discount). At most of the REI locations, recycling has been an important issue since they opened their doors.
A large community reception was part of the grand opening of the Issaquah store. The event was catered and about 200 guests attended. One of the goals of the event was to produce zero waste. REI worked with Cedar Grove Composting to get the right compostable materials in their dining area – they used compostable cutlery, plates and cups, all of which were cleared through Cedar Grove’s District Manager. After the guests were finished eating, they threw remaining items into one of several compost bins. The following day, the material was sent to the composter.
Advice to others: “Get your employees on board by engaging them in the process. Ask for their ideas and implement them when possible. When employees are engaged in the process it becomes apart of the business culture and that will ensure a successful recycling program.”
Business type: Document management, reprographics
Address: 1850 130th Ave NE, Bellevue
Telephone: 206-624-2040
Web site: http://www.repronw.com
Contact name & email: Patrick M. Clark, pclark@repronw.com
Recycling: Reprographics Northwest specializes in digital imaging for Western Washington’s architectural, engineering and construction industries. Their Green Plan, which was drafted in 2006, includes a gradual shift to low-emissions vehicles, a push to provide customers with a variety of post-consumer paper products, further development of on-site digital solutions, and of course, an aggressive recycling campaign. The company believes that educational signage and the strategic placement of bins are an unbeatable, no-excuses combination when it comes to everyday recycling. They strongly encourage reusing one-sided prints as notebooks or pads, and have discontinued the use of non-recyclable CD cases in favor of 100% post-consumer paper sleeves.
Advice to Others: “Make sure that no employee can say ‘I didn’t know those were recyclable.’ Post signs near recycling bins to guide co-workers in their recycling efforts, and make sure your orientation materials include at least a paragraph on your recycling goals. Many vendors will recycle their own product containers free of charge or for a small fee. It’s worth the phone call to find out. We think the stand-alone garbage can is a thing of the past. It should be as easy to recycle an item as it is to discard it.”
Business type: Civil engineering firm
Address: 2600 116th Ave NE, Suite 100, Bellevue
Telephone: 425-869-9448
Web site: http://www.rothhill.com
Contact name & email: Dawn Gonzales, dgonzales@rothhill.com
Recycling: Roth Hill’s recycling program aims to involve and educate its staff. Recycling bins are located at all workstations, as well as the conference rooms, reproduction room, kitchen, and by all printers and copiers. Larger bins for glass, plastic, and aluminum recycling were recently added in all common areas. In an effort to reduce paper towel usage, cloth towels are at all in-office sinks and are laundered weekly. The coffee machine automatically discards coffee grinds and filter paper into a bin so that interested employees can take the grinds and paper home for composting. Several years ago, Roth Hill set all printers to automatically print double-sided; employees are encouraged to print on the back sides of used paper when printing for internal review. Most documents are printed on 30% recycled paper; printers and copiers use recycled unless non-recycled is unavoidable. The company also recycles toner cartridges, old cell phones, and batteries. With the long-term idea of eventually going paperless, Roth Hill implemented companywide scanning procedures last year. Scanners are located at many workstations and at other strategic locations for electronic documentation via the Adobe PDF program. Various documents previously printed and distributed are now distributed through email via the Adobe Primo PDF program.
Advice to Others: “New employees are educated on our recycling program and are encouraged to bring new recycling ideas forward. Roth Hill’s goal is not only to help protect and preserve our planet and its resources, but also to educate and encourage our staff with the hope that they will bring these practices home to their families which, in turn, ‘pays it forward’, so to speak, to the future generations.”
Business type: Property management and development firm
Address: 1595 NW Gilman Blvd, Suite 1, Issaquah
Telephone: 425-395-9563
Web site: http://www.rowleyproperties.com
Contact name & email: Lisa Cuevas, lisac@rowleyproperties.com
Recycling: Founded in 1954, Rowley Properties is a family-owned and operated property management and development firm that purchases, develops, leases, and manages property throughout Western Washington. Rowley Properties has a comprehensive waste recycling program. Materials such as copper, steel, brass, gypsum wallboard, and lumber are collected and recycled from every project without exception. In addition to these materials, cardboard, paper, plastic, aluminum and other typical materials are collected and recycled. Whenever possible, existing structures and materials are reused. This is accomplished through cooperative efforts between Rowley Properties and tenants during the design phase of the tenant improvement process. Some examples are: wall assemblies, doors, relights, hardware, light fixtures, cabinets, and plumbing products. Finally, the use of recycled and rapidly renewable products is emphasized during material selection. Millwork, floor coverings, steel studs, gypsum wallboard, ceiling tiles, and cove base are all examples of opportunities to use these products.
Advice to Others: “The key to a successful recycling program is minimizing disruptions and maximizing convenience. We hope that someday everyone will recycle because it’s just the right thing to do. Some people don’t want to be disrupted, so if you make recycling just as convenient as throwing the same material into a garbage can, almost everyone will recycle.”
Business type: Hotel
Address: 3201 S 176th St, SeaTac
Telephone: 206-241-2000
Web site: http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/seawa-seattle-airport-marriott
Contact name & email: Ed Bergman, ed.bergman@marriott.com
Recycling: The Seattle Airport Marriott Hotel recycles their cardboard, paper, and plastic and has recently implemented a commingled or, single stream, recycling process for their staff to capture and divert these recyclables. The hotel also started a food waste recycling program in March of this year and is currently up to approximately 3 tons of organics diverted since implementation of the program. Organic recycling was implemented at both the main hotel as well as their public meeting spaces and their contamination levels have been very low since they started the program. “Our most recent implementation of organics recycling went very smoothly due to the commitment from our Executive Chef as well as having proper containers and signage,” said Ed Bergman, director of engineering. “We are continuing to look for ways to increase our recycling and one of our goals is to ‘flip’ our compactor from a waste compactor going to landfill to a recycling compactor. We are on our way to achieving this goal and with some continued hard work, we are confident that we will make this happen.”
Advice to Others: “Implementing a comprehensive recycling program ultimately represents change which can be challenging in any environment. We implemented our recycling program one piece at a time and tried not to rush into changing everything at once. Training and education are key components and we held recycling education sessions with our Green Team, Housekeeping, Banquets and the Kitchen department. We believe that ongoing education is important to continue to energize our goals and objectives with all of our associates.“
Business type: Community College
Address: 16101 Greenwood Ave N, Shoreline
Telephone: 206-546-4514
Web site: http://www.shoreline.edu
Contact name & email: Bob Roehl, broehl@shoreline.edu
Recycling: Shoreline Community College, just north of the City of Seattle, employs nearly 1,000 part- or full-time workers and serves over 10,000 students. With the aid of a centralized recycling coordinator to help the college set goals and track progress, the school uses a multitude of recycling techniques. Their recycling methods range anywhere from plentiful distribution of recycling bins to the purchase and use of recycled office products. Materials that are always recycled include paper, plastic, glass and cans, wood pallets and scraps, plastic film and wrap, scrap metal, and electronic equipment. Materials that are often reused on the campus include mailing boxes and envelopes, toner cartridges, and office supplies. Shoreline Community Colleges also offers students and employees a way to sort and compost food scraps, which they officially started in April of this year in cooperation with CleanScapes. Food scraps are mainly collected from the dining areas and kitchen within their Student Union Building, where a majority of food consumption occurs on campus. Green containers and appropriate signage help differentiate food scrap containers from other recycling containers and trash bins. All of the food scrap containers are collected and dumped into 96 gallon containers, where they are picked up each Friday by CleanScapes.
Advice to Others: “Keep it organized. Identify a central coordinator who communicates with your recycling vendor(s), including handling any contracts. Also, the central coordinator should keep track of progress, and work with all worksite groups to get them involved, possibly set up as a committee. Work on an ongoing communication strategy that encourages and helps everyone to recycle.”
Business type: Ski resort
Address: PO Box 1068, Snoqualmie Pass
Telephone: 425.434.6726
Web site: http://www.summitatsnoqualmie.com
Contact name & email: Trevor Kostanich, tkostanich@summiti90.com
Recycling: The Summit at Snoqualmie ski resort has its own designated recycling coordinator who transports recyclables from staging locations amongst the base areas to the Snoqualmie Pass Recycling Center. This person works with various departments in the resort to increase awareness and efficiency of recycling. While they recycle large volumes of cardboard, mixed, paper, plastics, and glass during the winter season, they also make sure to transfer materials such as old radio batteries, hard drives, monitors, and light bulbs to recycling locations in eastern King County. This year some recycling-minded employees took a field trip with to the Smurfit Stone factory in Kent to observe the filtering and baling process the Summit’s recycled products go through after leaving Snoqualmie Pass. This experience highlighted the importance of a "clean" bin and helped the Summit increase education to their staff. The Summit at Snoqualmie continues to try to increase training to their employees and improve ease of recycling to their guests.
Advice to Others: “Our tipping point was hiring a recycling coordinator and empowering them. Like most endeavors, you need to have a champion and then provide the resources for this champion to succeed. While we have many individuals who want to do well with recycling, it took a dedicated position to really make the whole program successful.”
Business type: CAD data and conversion specialists
Telephone: 253-631-1513
Web site: http://www.tailormade.com
Contact name & email: Scott Taylor, staylor@isomedia.com
Recycling: Since 1990, Tailor Made Software has specialized in the conversion and display of CAD data. In the office, President Scott Taylor is also a specialist at recycling. He ensures that recycle bins are placed next to workstations, printers, fax machines, copiers, and next to every garbage bin. He also makes sure that “how to” posters and labels are visible to employees and customers. There are separate bins for paper, plastic, glass, and cans, all of which are emptied regularly. Tailor Made not only purchases recycled office products, but offers a reuse station for employees to reuse unwanted office supplies. Old electronic equipment is either donated or recycled and toner cartridges are collected and given to businesses that can reuse them.
Advice to Others: “We try to avoid creating as much recyclable material as possible and are very aggressive on recycling what waste we do produce. A major ‘pre-cycling’ thing is to really think about what we print. We do not routinely print anything. In fact we print as little as possible. As a result we are very careful with electronic backups of everything so we can maintain a record of all non-junk email, etc.”
Business type: Multi-media publisher
Address: 3401 Lind Ave SW
Telephone: 425-656-3621
Web site: http://www.topics-ent.com
Contact name & email: Carlene Velasquez, cvelasquez@topics-ent.com
Recycling: Founded in 1990,TOPICS Entertainment is the largest, privately-owned multimedia publisher of educational, reference and language learning product in the United States. TOPICS Entertainment is proud to be a company that adheres to the principle of business where corporate responsibility is as important as profits and growth. With 55 employees, a recycling program was initiated over 10 years ago to encourage and progressively enhance companywide environmental responsibility. Employees are educated about proper recycling practices through guidelines in orientation materials and “how to recycle” posters and labels. To promote recycling efforts, bins are placed at each workstation, printers, fax machines, and copiers, as well as every garbage bin. The utilization of waste disposal arrangements has enabled TOPICS to downsize their large dumpsters from two 10-yard dumpsters with collection service twice a week, to a single 5-yard dumpster with once a week service. With this downsize, their smaller dumpster rarely reaches a capacity of 60 percent.
Materials that are recycled at TOPICS Entertainment include paper, plastic, glass, and cans, as well as wood pallets, industrial scrap, plastic film and wrap, and old toner cartridges. Damaged, discontinued or returned merchandise is also recycled. In their break room, reusable dishware, glassware, and flatware are provided to reduce waste. TOPICS’ recycling efforts are not limited to in-house operations; the company collaborates with retailers and suppliers to consider sustainable techniques, using recyclable materials, reducing the amount of materials required for production, and utilize distribution methods that require the least amount of transport. As a result of TOPICS’ recycling efforts, their operational expenses have decreased by $15k annually, significantly decreasing the volume of waste generated at the company.
At TOPICS Entertainment, business is built on the foundation of learning and development, and so is their commitment to education and protection of the environment to ensure a strong legacy for children and future generations.
Address: 2840 Riverwalk Dr SW, Auburn
Telephone: 253-931-3907
Web site: http://www.parks.wa.gov
Contact name & email: Davida Hendrickson, Davida.Hendrickson@Parks.Wa.Gov
Recycling: “One of our responsibilities as a Washington State Parks office is to be stewards of our state's natural resources,” said Davida Hendrickson. “Also, as a public agency it is our duty to save tax-payer dollars whenever possible. Recycling helps us to accomplish both.”
The recycling program has been a joint effort between management and employees. To make recycling as easy as possible, they keep recycling bins near garbage cans; they also use recycled office products; recycle wood pallets and scraps, plastic film and wrap, and scrap metal; and collect and return electronic equipment. They also plan to add on-site composting and continue to educate staff about recycling.
Advice to Others: “Keep it simple and convenient. Also, educate without overwhelming.”
Business type: Yoga Studio
Address: 2255 140th Ave NE, Bellevue
Telephone: 425-746-7476
Web site: http://www.yogacenters.com
Contact name & email: Kirsten Elfendahl, Kirsten@yogacenters.com
Recycling: Established in 1992, Yoga Centers has a commitment to the environment, demonstrated by their recycling efforts. Large recycling bins are provided next to each workstation, printer, fax machine and copier, and emptied before they overflow. Along with paper, cardboard, plastic, glass and cans, Yoga Centers also recycles used toner cartridges and electronic equipment. The business also purchase recycled office products, completing the recycling circle, and reuse mailing boxes and envelopes, saving money on new items and saving natural resources used in the production of new items. They also have reusable dishware, glassware and flatware which reduce the amount of kitchen waste produced. For Yoga Centers employees, health is a way of life. Environmental health is the way to keep the planet alive.
Updated: Sep. 23, 2009
