Mining Gold From Garbage
by October 19, 2011 6:45 pm 109 views
Waste Management is not only finding treasure in others’ trash, it’s helping other businesses extract value from their own waste streams.
About $8 million to $10 million in energy and materials may lie in the waste WM hauls each year, CEO David Steiner said in the company’s 2010 Sustainability Report.
“Waste is no longer something to get rid of — it’s a resource,” Steiner said.
To help its customers better manage that resource, WM built a training facility to serve as a “think tank,” with staff that helps business people brainstorm and develop their own environmental solutions.
Though WM is based in Houston, Texas, it chose Rogers as the location of its innovative Sustainability Center largely because of the presence of Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and many supplier offices.
The 5,000-SF center opened for business Aug. 23, under the management of Nancy Woods.
There’s no doubt Wal-Mart’s sustainability initiative, begun in 2005, is driving the efforts by other companies along the supply chain to adopt more earth-friendly practices, said Mike Hagood, client executive with Waste Management’s sustainable solutions team.
And WM has the experience and expertise to help them in these efforts, Hagood said.
“We look at a garbage can and what’s in it a bit differently than most,” he said.
The center is designed around three rooms representing what WM calls the “triple bottom line”: planet, people and profit.
The ultra-modern rooms are stark white and largely devoid of decorative elements. This design choice is meant to eliminate distraction, Hagood said, essentially creating a blank canvas to promote creative thinking, collaboration and problem solving.
The rooms feature state-of-the-art audio-visual technology, and can be adapted for any group’s size and needs.
The LEED-certified building is itself a model of sustainability, earning a Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. Recycled materials were used in drywall, carpet, ceiling tiles, insulation, countertops and furniture. The design also incorporates energy-efficient LED lighting and water-saving fixtures.
HOK Architects of Houston designed the building, and HP Engineering Inc. provided LEED mechanical, electrical and plumbing services and lighting control design for the project.