Once primarily a concern of certain visionaries, product developers and corporate marketers, the emphasis on sustainability in the workplace is becoming a driving force in workplace change as an ever-expanding field of players — suppliers and end users alike — pursue the economic benefits and competitive advantages.
Service West has long applied basic sustainability practices to our work on the front lines of change. We started with cardboard recycling in 1984, added paper, pallet and metal recycling between 1999 and 2001, and began developing a full-blown recycling program in 2002.
Now operating what many consider a best-practice recycling program for installation and commercial moving services, Service West has procedures and partners for the recycling of cardboard, paper, clean wood, metal, plastic, Styrofoam, and constituent recyclable materials found in workspace products our clients designate for disposal.
The results speak for themselves. We currently recycle 90% of waste returned from our job sites. In practical terms, this recycling effort amounts to 20 tons per week or more of cardboard, paper, plastic, metal and Styrofoam plus 200 wood pallets. The 10% we do not recycle consists of specific types of packaging foam, and laminate and wood products that cannot be sent to our clean-wood recycling partner.
Additionally:
- We employ and enforce good recycling practices within our own workplaces.
- We have converted to “green” cleaning agents for use in project wipe-downs and product cleaning.
- We assist clients in identifying environmentally responsible disposal and/or productive re-use strategies for workspace product they no longer want to retain.
- We provide training and project opportunities to help the Service West field staff achieve and maintain high proficiency in the installation of the latest “green” product lines, including the current generation of architectural walls and related components.
- On our own and through Facilities Services Network, we conduct dialogues with contract furniture manufacturers aimed at reducing packaging waste, increasing the use of recyclable packaging materials, and reducing long-haul fuel consumption.
- We donate storage and asset management services on an ongoing basis to Philanthropy By Design, the Bay Area group that provides design services and recycled and new furnishings to other not-for-profit organizations and promotes the benefits of quality design and creative re-use.
In October 2007, Service West received a
StopWaste Partnership Business Recognition Award for our contributions to Bay Area waste stream reduction. As the green movement progresses, Service West will maintain its leadership in the application of sustainability best practices for providers of installation and commercial moving services.
