Judges Give a Nod to Best of the Rest

EDITOR’S NOTE: One of the judges for the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal’s Greenest Office & Sustainability Awards had a simple request near the end of the lunch meeting during which this year’s winners were selected.

“Is there any way we can recognize some of the entries that didn’t win?” she said. “There are so many who are doing good things. I wish we could mention those in some way.”

The other judges agreed, so what follows is a look at some of the non-winning entries that nonetheless grabbed the attention of our judges.

 

‘KUDOS AND CREDIT’            

Mertins Eye Care & Optical in Fayetteville and Johnson Dermatology in Fort Smith drew praise from judges not just for their commitment to sustainable practices, but for the potential impact both businesses can have on their clients.

“What I like about those companies is that they’re thinking and talking about this, letting people know, ‘This is how we do business,’” said Michele Halsell, a Greenest Office judge and managing director at the University of Arkansas’ Applied Sustainability Center.

“Their customers and clients see them doing those things, so they’re teaching others at the same time. They deserve kudos and credit for that.”

In the case of Johnson Dermatology, that meant moving into a LEED-certified building that’s almost four times as large as its previous home. Even so, the office’s energy usage hasn’t even doubled.

Johnson Dermatology recycles more than 80 percent of its materials, including sharp, hazardous-waste objects that are melted. Employee bonuses also are available for those who improve energy efficiency at the clinic, or improve its community involvement.

Mertins Eye Care also puts an emphasis on recycling, among its many other environmentally friendly practices. The company has implemented a citywide contact lens recycling program in which the discarded plastic is used to make toothbrushes.

“There’s no such thing as trash,” Halsell said. “Everything has another use if you’re imaginative enough.”

Mertins Eye Care also supports Green Village Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to environmentally sustainable development in rural Africa.

“There might be a more environmentally friendly eye clinic, but we haven’t seen it yet,” Mertins’ nomination form read.

 

PACK RAT MENTALITY

Fayetteville’s Pack Rat Outdoor Center will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2013, and has been practicing sustainability every step of the way, said owner/manager Chally Sims.

One example is Pack Rat’s recycling of practically every material that enters the store. That includes a seemingly never-ending stream of plastic garment bags, which are taken to Springdale’s Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies Inc. AERT uses such products to make its composite decking, like the one at Pack Rat.

Pack Rat also recently struck a deal with another local company, NextGen Illumination Inc., as part of its sustainable efforts. Pack Rat’s interior lights soon will be replaced by NextGen’s high-efficiency LED models.

That could prevent the release of more than 32 metric tons of carbon monoxide, which is the equivalent of removing about 6.4 automobiles from the road, according to Pack Rat’s nomination form. Pack Rat also will allow NextGen to use its new lighting as a showroom of sorts for potential customers.

Pack Rat also is working on cutting water usage through equipment upgrades, and is starting a monthly series of documentary screenings for employees and friends designed to promote education and discussion of relevant environmental topics.

“Pack Rat has a lot of interesting things in the works,” said Greenest Office judge Mikel Lolley, executive director of the nonprofit Treadwell Institute. “I’d like to see their entry when all of it is in place.”

 

FRESH IDEA

Though its official launch date isn’t until Nov. 1, Farmeto garnered significant interest from the panel of judges.

By providing an online marketplace — farmeto.com — Farmeto seeks to connect small farmers with retailers. The platform allows farmers to list available produce for sale, or produce that’s expected to be available for sale. Retailers, meanwhile, are able to list produce they need, thus giving farmers a resource to see market demand, anticipate the profitability of planting, and sell at a greater profit, according to Farmeto’s nomination form.

The form also touts Farmeto as a tool that will “decrease the supply chain to its bare minimum: from field directly onto shelf.

“By connecting small local farmers directly to their local produce buyers,” according to the nomination, “we will decrease fuel consumption and the overall carbon footprint of the industry.”

Another benefit Farmeto plans to provide is a process that “seeks to ultimately provide the public with fresher, more nutritious and more diverse produce sourced from their own community.

“Our goal is to have a worldwide positive impact on the efficiency of bringing produce to market by connecting small farmers and retailers using an innovative Web interface to simplify sales and marketing for producers.”

 

RECORD-SETTING RESIDENCE

It remains to be seen if Dan Coody will reclaim the title of mayor of Fayetteville, but he already has secured one victory of sorts this year.

Coody and his wife, Deborah, are about 90 percent through the design and construction of an 800-SF cottage that will become their primary residence.

“I just need to run the trim and install the fixtures,” Dan Coody said.

Coody was nominated in the category of “Sustainability Champion,” and though he didn’t win, Lolley noted the home’s Home Energy Rating System Index score of -43. Developed by the Residential Energy Services Network, the HERS Index is an industry standard used to measure a home’s energy efficiency.

A home rated on the HERS Index is given a score based on its energy performance, and the lower the score, the more energy efficient the home.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a typical resale home scores 130 on the HERS Index, while a standard new home is awarded a rating of 100. A home scoring 70 on the HERS Index is 30 percent more energy efficient than a standard new home, and one scoring 130 is 30 percent less efficient than a standard new home.

Coody said there is another home in Arkansas with a score of 14, making his the most energy efficient in the state. Coody also said his home cost about $110-$115 per SF, and about 400 people have toured it.

“It’s been a labor of passion,” Coody said. “We want to show people how easy it is.”