Bristol Environmental and Engineering Services Corporation has worked hard to practice what they preach as environmental consultants by implementing numerous waste prevention and energy conservation measures.
When Bristol recently moved into a new facility, it provided an opportunity to improve many practices. The new facility now has an arctic entry and self-closing doors throughout. Staff is encouraged to enter and exit through the main doors to reduce heat loss. “Lights out” placards are strategically placed throughout the building near light switches to encourage staff to turn off lights that are not needed. Electronic thermostats also were recently installed to regulate day and night temperatures.
The staff recycles office paper, aluminum cans, steel cans, glass bottles, printer cartridges, corrugated cardboard, magazines, newspaper, and toner cartridges at the company’s offices.
Bristol also reuses packing materials and donates old furniture for reuse. Much of the cardboard generated is reused for mailing or storage. In fact, 80 percent of shipping materials are reused as packaging for items being shipped out for projects. If it cannot be reused, it is returned to the vendor or recycled.
Last year, Bristol donated 25 plastic bins, six desks, and seven boxes of miscellaneous office supplies to a thrift store. Bristol donated about 25 reams of old letterhead to a local school for use in an after-school program. Test tubes, pipettes, and a variety of unopened chemicals were donated to the science department at Nome’s Public High School.
During the move, Bristol identified, separated, and properly disposed of approximately 105 containers of hazardous waste materials at the Anchorage Hazardous Waste drop-off facility at the landfill.
To reduce paper use, staff keeps a tray of one-sided paper next to printers to be used for printing draft documents on the clean side. In addition, company marketing materials are made into PDF files and transmitted electronically to reduce paper.
Bristol Environmental and Engineering Services Corporation http://www.BEESC.com
