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Marsh Products’ Green Policy
At Marsh Products, we’re making a concerted effort to implement
environmentally friendly practices and methods in our everyday
operations. Not only is it the right thing to do—to reduce our carbon
footprint, to help the environment and to keep our communities clean—but
it also has reduced our operating costs, which helps the bottom line.
Implementing green policies has not been difficult, nor has it been an
added burden. It simply makes sense from many different perspectives.
The following is a list of the policies and practices that we have
implemented to date. We expect to add more in coming months.
Waste Reduction
- Separate garbage containers for the building are established for pickup;
one for cardboard and paper recycling and the traditional container for
garbage. The cost for pickup of the paper/cardboard recycling container
is less than cost of the garbage container, reducing the company’s trash
expense.
- Two trash bins are located at every desk and work area; one for garbage
and the other a blue recycling bin for paper.
- All cardboard is recycled.
- All paper is recycled.
- All plastics (types 1 through 5) are recycled.
- All dead electronics are collected and taken to the local electronics
recycling center.
- All employees are encouraged to print documents in duplex mode (on both
sides of the paper).
- All employees are asked not to use Styrofoam containers, as Styrofoam is
not recycled in our locality.
- All laser printer toner cartridges and inkjet cartridges are exchanged
for remanufactured replacements.
- Only reusable cups/mugs are offered.
- A red worm composting bin has been set up in the lunchroom to compost
food waste, coffee grounds, etc., reducing the waste produced.
- Packaging material from received goods is reused in shipping our
products.
- When shipping products, the amount of packaging used is minimized in all
possible ways, including the size of the box and the amount of necessary
packaging material.
- Efforts are being made to purchase napkins and paper towels in
unbleached form.
- All metal is taken to a metal recycling center. All proceeds from that
recycling are put into a fund to implement larger environmental
projects, such as photovoltaics for the roof of the building or
on-demand hot water systems for the bathroom and lunchroom sinks. Such
projects are in the planning stage.
- File folders are reused as much as possible.
- Purified water is supplied to all employees, encouraging them not to use
water packaged in plastic bottles.
- Rain barrels are connected to gutters to water the building’s
landscaping.
Energy Reduction
- All computers that do not need to run overnight are shut down.
- All monitors are turned off at the end of the workday.
- All computers are set to the best possible power-saving mode for based
on each workstation situation.
- All T12 ballasts used in the fluorescent light fixtures are being
replaced with the energy-efficient T8 ballasts. LED alternatives are
being considered.
- Employees are educated to reduce energy usage whenever possible.
Toxin Reduction
- Environmentally friendly cleaning products are used. A great deal of
research has gone into find products that work as well or better than
the less eco-friendly alternatives.
- Whenever construction or remodeling is being performed, eco-friendly
materials and supplies are sought out, from low-VOC paints to carpeting
with recycled content, energy efficient appliances, etc.
- Plans are being developed to replace some of the grassy area in front of
our building with indigenous plantings to reduce the need for
fertilizer, weed-killer, etc.
- Our employee parking area is gravel, a permeable surface that encourages
rainwater replenishment of the water table.
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