Making Green From Green

The field is yours to take

Two of our clients have earned the position of being the environmental leaders of their industries. They were not particularly looking for this distinction; it was thrust upon them by the inertia of their industry and competition. It helped that they were proactive and up to date with the best environmental practices.

When one of these clients, an asphalt contracting company, modernized its existing facility, the organization paved the parking lot with water permeable asphalt. Because water runs through the pavement, there is no need for drainage, sewers, or a retention pond. With permeable asphalt no additional land is needed for runoff and drainage from the parking lot. Additionally, the company does not need to deal with pollutants that collect in retention pond water. Adding permeable asphalt was only one of the changes that contributed to the company becoming certified by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

Now, if you only consider what it costs to pave the parking lot with water permeable asphalt, in the short term it’s more expensive to pave with this material. However, when you factor in that you no longer have to build a retention pond and incorporate a complicated drainage system, paving this way is less expensive in the long run. In addition, the project comes without the environmental damage and complications that come from building a retention pond and other supportive drainage.

Additionally, this asphalt company has given numerous presentations to the Illinois Tollway Authority and recently won a project because of its knowledge and expertise on permeable and green asphalt mixes.

Will municipalities and counties follow the same lead? Is state and federal spending friendly to this kind of thought? The answer to these questions is yes. It is no longer a question of “if.” It is now simply a question of when. The concept of making green from green is coming into its own.

Another client of mine that embraces sustainability provides commercial and industrial laundry services. The company modernized its facility in the middle of Chicago’s west side. This state-of-the-art facility uses recycled water in its cleaning process. Heat from the washers is captured and used to clean clothes, and non-polluting chemicals are used by the electrically efficient washers. The benefits included saving 50,000 therms of natural gas, 5.5 million gallons of water, 3,000 gallons of chemicals and lower operating costs. This plant is an example of a green solution.

The new plant gives the organization environmental leadership status. Lots of prospective customers have been on plant tours, and its positive environmental impact on Chicago has been a selling point. In fact, an entire marketing campaign highlights this sustainable direction. These efforts have improved customer relationships and contribute to the bottom line.