Green Business News - Week of July 25th
UPS Digs Deep into Footprint, Sets High Goals for Fuel Efficiency
United Parcel Service has stepped up its environmental efforts, publishing a sustainability report that shows decreased energy and water use, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and a new goal of 20% improvement in fuel efficiency by 2020.
Since UPS started compiling sustainability reports back in 2003, they have seen an improvement in most of their environmental key performance indicators. This year’s report includes more detail and provides new data about global greenhouse gas emissions.
Bicycle-powered coffee stand hits the streets of NYC
Kickstand Coffee, based in Brooklyn, uses two bicycles, a fold-up stand and a hand-cranked grinder to serve its hot and cold coffee at events throughout the city. Two 160-pound rolling carts are towed by bicycles and assembled at the location to create the coffee stand. Beans are ground by hand on an on-demand basis, and hot coffee is brewed on location using specially adapted beakers. The company has a mini folding bicycle in the works that will allow customers to grind their own beans.
Rooftop gardening provides environmental benefits in urban areas
Urban business-owners are taking the green roof concept one step further by using their roofs to grow fruit and vegetables. David Moxlow, president of Trenton Forging, which manufactures car parts in Michigan, is working to develop a way to harness the heat produced by their forge to keep their rooftop greenhouse warm enough to grow food year-round. The heat would otherwise be wasted, and the Michigan climate is too cold to support a greenhouse garden without a heat source. The produce is shared with employees and visitors. Moxlow hopes his system might help others in northern climates operate rooftop gardens year-round.
Rooftop gardening is particularly well-suited for manufacturers and warehousing operations that often have large, unused flat roofs, but little land to spare. Several systems are currently available that allow hydroponic or container gardens to be easily installed on such roofs.
Six commercial buildings save 9.9M kWh annually with new software
New energy reduction software from Optimum Energy has been employed in six locations throughout New York. Collectively, these six installations are expected to reduce heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) energy consumption by more than 9.9 million kWh annually, resulting in:·operating cost savings of more than $2 million per year;·water savings of more than 4 million gallons per year; and·greenhouse gas emission savings of more than 16 million pounds per year.
The software provides benchmarking, which allows cost savings to be easily calculated and tracked.
Hormel Foods awarded LEED Gold for new production facility
Hormel Foods Corporation’s new Progressive Processing production facility in Dubuque, Iowa has been awarded LEED Gold -- a first for a manufacturing plant. Jeffrey Ettinger, chairman of the board, president and CEO of Hormel Foods is quite proud of the accomplishment, which he hopes “sets a new standard for the food industry.”
Highlights of the new facility include:
- 25% less energy and water consumption than a plant built to meet current building codes and industry standards
- Nonirrigated landscaping, using native, low-maintenance vegetation
- Lighting and temperature controls that monitor the amount of light, heating, or cooling needed based on daylight, occupancy and time schedule.
- Sophisticated heat and water recovery processes. For example, waste water is captured and reused in toilets.
New eco-index software challenges manufacturers (and consumers)
A group of retailers including Nike and Patagonia have worked together to develop software that will track and measure the end-to-end environmental impact of their products.
The software is being compared to what Energy Star does for appliances, and will ultimately help consumers make purchasing decisions based on their personal eco-priorities and the eco score for each product. Companies will answer a wide range of questions about each product, including manufacturing, shipping and disposal.
Participating companies see the tool as a way to differentiate themselves as responsible, transparent and committed to sustainability. The eco-index tool will debut in Salt Lake City next month.
Leading Building Owners, Tenants Join Forces to Push Green Leasing
A group of leading building owners, investment advisory firms and corporate tenants have become allies in a campaign to make commercial office space more sustainable by breaking down the barriers to green leasing.
Buildings account for almost 40% of energy use and greenhouse gas emissions in the US, and studies have shown that market values increase, and vacancies and costs decrease in green buildings. However, difficulty in securing financing for green upgrades, significant upfront investments and longer-term payback for such projects often discourages landlords from making improvements.
The new coalition has signed a pledge to work together to overcome these obstacles and convert their properties according to guiding principles outlined in a Green Lease Action Plan.
