Monthly Archives: March 2012

Easy Steps to Green Your Office

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While many people make an effort to reuse, reduce, and recycle at home they often forget that many of the same practices can be successfully employed at work.  Here are some tips to help you “green” your business or workplace:

  1. Use Energy Star to guide your purchasing decisions for appliances, light-bulbs, and other equipment. If you have a refrigerator or microwave in your break room, don’t just buy the cheapest model! In the long run you can SAVE money on utilities cost by purchasing an affordable Energy Star compliant appliance.
  2. Think about the temperature. Businesses use considerable amounts of electricity for heat and air conditioning, lighting and equipment use. Establish shut down policies for non-essential equipment and set thermostats at a reasonable temperature.
  3. Do a little research! See what other businesses offer employees for environmentally friendly practices. This could be discounted public transportation passes, tele-commuting, ride-sharing, and incentives for reducing energy consumption and costs.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Waste and energy impact every businesses bottom-line. With input from your employees you can come up with ways to go green and save green!

 

Asbestos Removal and Disposal

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If your construction and demolition business is also responsible for the removal of asbestos, strictly adhering to federal and state regulations is essential. Asbestos is considered a toxic substance hazardous to human health and the environment and failure to properly handle and contain this matter can lead to criminal prosecution.

In 2011, two men from the Bay City, Michigan area were sentenced for criminal violations of the Clean Air Act. The men were indicted for knowingly violating federal asbestos laws in the removal of the substance at a former automotive plant. During the job, the men directed workers to tear down the asbestos while it was dry, and to place in plastic bags without wetting it. This handling and removal violated the Clean Air Act’s asbestos regulations which requires handlers to wet the materials before removal and ensure they remain wet. The men were sentenced to a combination of federal prison time, fines, and probation.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Asbestos is a toxic substance and failure to handle properly not only endangers the environment, but your employee’s health as well. Ignoring the regulations can cost you more money (and jail time) than simply following them!

Residential Construction and Green Buildings

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Did you know that construction of residential properties accounts for 49% of the total value of building construction in America? If you’re in the business of home construction you’ve seen first-hand the grown desire for “green friendly” practices.

Each year, an increasing number of businesses in the residential construction industry recognize a need to incorporate pollution-preventative and environmentally friendly practices through green building, which is also known as resource-efficient construction, or sustainable design techniques.

Green-built homes reduce the negative affects of traditional building techniques through sustainable building practices. Sustainability is when the needs of people today are met without destroying the resources that will be needed by people in the future.

So what are the characteristics of sustainable homes?

  • conserve natural resources
  • minimize waste products
  • reduce energy use
  • create a healthy environment for the inhabitants

Home construction businesses play a major role in offering homeowners and buyers the opportunity to take an active role in protecting the environment. Pollution prevention helps everyone and leads to more efficient and sustainable communities.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Home buyers want their home to be a reflection of their lifestyle and desires – adopting green building practices to your business can help bring more “green” to your bottom line, too!

Regulations for Facility Management

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If your business resides in a building you own or if you’re working in facility management, you want to be aware of environmental compliance resources. The Environmental Protection Agency regulates many aspects of facilities management but also provides programs and resources to help prevent and re-mediate environmental problems. These opportunities can help your operations and management become more environmentally responsible and resource-efficient.The resources available include:

Compliance: These resources will assist in meeting your facility’s Federal and state regulatory obligations.It is important to remember that failure to comply may result in legal and financial actions taken against your business.

Sustainability: These resources will assist you in developing policies and procedures that go beyond regulations and will show your employees, customers, and the general public that you take environmental protection and stewardship seriously.

Common and everyday business practices can affect human health and the environment. Each decision your business makes make regarding waste management, freight transportation, facility management, and product selection can have major impacts. Using the resources that are available to your business can assist you in making better facility management decisions.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Managing your facility in a healthy and environmentally friendly manner can not only help to reduce your carbon-footprint but can also save you money!

 

Energy Star and Small Businesses

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If you own a commercial property for your business, you need lighting, heating, air conditioning, power for office equipment, and other services to stay in business. While most people associate Energy Star with energy efficiency ratings for appliances, less know about the energy assistance they can provide small and medium-sized businesses.

What kind of businesses can Energy Star assist? Auto Dealers, Lodging and Accomodations, Home Based Businesses, Grocery & Convenience Stores, General Office, Healthcare, Restaurants, Rental Property Management, Service & Product Providers, Retail, and Small and Medium Sized Manufacturers. If you’re in business, Energy Star can help you!

Energy Star resources will help you to:

  1. Understand successful energy management
  2. Scale energy management for your business
  3. Locate energy savings
  4. Identify assistance programs and resources to reduce costs
  5. Communicate energy saving practices to customers and employees

What can your business expect from Energy Star?

  • Unbiased information that is free and accurate.
  • Technical support
  • A “How-to” guide for analyzing and upgrading your facility
  • A Building Upgrade Manual
  • Examples of Success Stories
  • Information about ENERGY STAR products
  • Public relations materials to promote your efforts
  • Expert help from Professional Engineers or Service & Product Providers

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: If you’re a small business owner, ever dollar counts. Learn how to reduce your energy usage and save money in both the short and long term with Energy Star!

 

Regulation for Underground Storage Tanks

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Whether you’re a commercial property owner or a construction firm, knowing about the regulations for underground storage tanks is essential. Properly maintaining these tanks is necessary as breaches or leaks can threaten human and environmental safety and health as the systems contain hazardous chemicals. Fumes from broken tanks can travel through the ground and infect basements, utility vaults, and parking garages. Once these vapors are released, they can contribute to an explosion, fire, and asphyxiation.

Gasoline leaking from underground storage tanks is one of the most frequent contributors to groundwater pollution and municipal and private wells must be shut down when contaminated by pollutants as the chemical pose a serious health risk.

Cleaning up leaks and breaches is difficult, time-consuming, and expensive, so it’s easier to exercise preventative maintenance if your property contains underground storage tanks.  One way to do this is to routinely schedule tightness testing of the complete system. If your testing reveals a leak, you are required to contact your state’s regulatory agency to report it and then begin the process of removing the substance from the underground tank, and assessing damage done to the area.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Underground Storage Tanks contain toxic material that must be disposed of in accordance with federal and state laws. Whether you own a property with tanks or involved with C&D on a site where tanks are located, taking care to maintain the integrity of the tank is essential.

 

 

Design for the Environment

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The Environmental Protection Agency’s Design for the Environment program assists individuals, businesses, and institutional purchasing agents locate environmentally-friendly cleaning products that are cost-effective, have excellent performance, and safe for the environment.

These special products are identified by the DfE label and can be found through a variety of store-based and online suppliers. A full list of approved manufacturers and their products can be found the the EPS’s Design for the Environment website. There you can find products for all ranges of cleaning needs – from domestic to institutional use.

When you see the DfE label, you can be certain that the ingredients have passed a rigorous EPA review and that every ingredient meets DfE’s stringent criteria. When people use Design for the Environment-labeled products they are protecting their families, colleagues, and customers by making safer chemical choices.

If you are a business manufacturing environmentally-friendly cleaning products, submit them to Design for the Environment (DfE) for review. If your product is successfully evaluated, you’ll be listed on the EPA’s website and allowed to use the DfE’s logo – opening up your product to new consumers interested in healthier cleaning solutions.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Alternative cleaning solutions can be effective against grime and dirt in addition to being a healthy alternative to potentially hazardous chemicals!

Recycling for Construction and Demolition

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Construction waste is a large part of the total waste stream in the United States. While most construction waste is sent to landfills, it is estimated that 90% of this material is reusable or recyclable. Recycling construction waste can help to preserve natural resources and save businesses and consumers money. Common construction items that have the potential for recycling include wood, carpet, paint, wallboard, metal, and plastic.

There are 3 methods that construction contractors can use to improve recycling:

  1. Collecting Mixed Materials – In this method, all materials for recycling are transported to a designated facility, which then arranges the sorting and recycling process.
  2. Separation at the Source – In this method, construction materials targeted for recycling are sorted from other items at the site by category (such as metal, wood, and concrete) and then transported to recycling facilities.
  3. Processing On-Site – In this method,  materials identified for recycling are processed on site and made ready for reuse.

The cost benefits that can result from construction recycling include: reduction in disposal and transportation costs, reduction in the need for new materials, and the potential for reduced labor costs.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Taking the time to effectively recycle C&D waste materials helps to save your company money while keeping materials out of landfills.

 

Lead Safe Certification for Contractors

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If you’re in the construction or renovation business, it’s important to be aware of Lead Safe certifications. Regular renovation work such as cutting, sanding, and demolition can result in hazardous lead chips and dust by disturbing lead-based paint, which has been proven to be very harmful to children, and in some cases, adults.

To protect against the risks associated with lead paint dust and chips, the Environmental Protection Agency has the Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule. This rule mandates that businesses performing renovation, repair, and painting projects disturbing lead-based paint in pre-1978 residential and commercial building be certified and that they use certified renovators trained by EPA-approved training providers to follow lead-safe work practices.

Contractors working under these conditions must use lead-safe work practices and abide by three guidelines:

  1. Contain the work area.
  2. Minimize dust.
  3. Clean up thoroughly.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Lead Paint chips and dust are hazardous to both humans and the environment. When making renovations to at-risk buildings, be sure to utilize an EPA certified firm to ensure that the work is done properly. The little extra you spend will guarantee a safe, healthy environment for all!

Facts About Air Duct Contamination

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Whether your concerned about your home or a large residential or commercial building, preventing contamination of air ducts is a serious subject.

Depending on the condition of the ducts, they may or may not need to be professional cleaned. However, enacting a comprehensive preventive maintenance policy is essential for minimizing or elimination contamination. Here are five simple steps that you can add to your regular building maintenance routine:

1) Stop dirt from penetrating the system: For your cooling and heating, use the highest efficiency air filter recommended by your system’s manufacturer. They may cost a few pennies more, but they’ll save you dollars in the long run!

2) Change air filters regularly and check them frequently. At certain times, due to weather or production demands, filters may become clogged at an accelerated rate. Replace all clogged filters promtply.

3) Be sure that all airways have filters and that they are securely in place. Missing or poorly fitted filters can allow dirt and contaminants to enter.

4) When your service provider is conducting routine maintenance on your system, be sure to ask them to clean cooling coils and drain pans.

5) During construction work that produces dirt and dust in your building, seal off the supply and return registers and do not operate the heating and cooling system until after cleaning up.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: Taking a few extra moments to routinely check and replace your building’s air duct filters can help save your health, the environment, and money in the long-term as it will eliminate the need to hire outside assistance in contamination clean-up!