Piedmont Q3 2015
Times this issue:
Green Initiatives ISA 2015 Upcoming Events Wellness Updates Welcome to the Family Soapbox Donation Ellen’s Design Challenge
Enacting Environmental Excellence Environmental awareness continues to grow at Piedmont as the company and supported industries evolve. To support the environment at large, communities surrounding Piedmont locations, and Piedmont employees in their personal recycling triumphs, Piedmont has adopted an “Environmental Excellence” program focusing on conservation and recycling. The program consists of an internal committee known as “The Green Team” and is also extended to customers in Piedmont’s “Natural Solutions” concept and product lines. With the Green Team in place, employees at every branch are engaging in Piedmont’s waste reduction and recycling efforts. Each Green Team member engages employees across the organization to encourage energy reduction, increase recycling program awareness, and educate on new initiatives as well as environmental outputs created by the company. Successes achieved to-date include: • • • • •
Over six million pounds of scrap plastic waste recycled annually Recycling programs are in place for wooden pallets, cardboard, banding, and shrink wrap Aluminum can, plastic bottle, glass, paper, and printer cartridges are being recycled company-wide Metal-halide lighting replacements are underway; many locations have been converted to T8, T5, T3, and LED lighting Introduction of motion sensors into office environments has produced savings of over 227,000 kWh, a 53 percent reduction in usage, annually
In support of Piedmont’s Environmental Excellence and Green Team initiatives, employees are encouraged to introduce new ideas to further the program’s success. A recent example of the program’s implementation can be found Fabrication Assemblers Ying Thao and Bao Thao in Piedmont’s fabrication facility, located in Charlotte, North Carolina. Two weave baskets from discarded plastic banding. employees in the value-added assembly portion of Piedmont’s business, Ying Pictured: Ying Thao. Thao and Bao Thao, identified a way to further the company’s recycling efforts by repurposing discarded plastic banding used to bind raw materials and outbound Continued on page 6...