For more than fifty years, Yukon Equipment has been selling and leasing construction equipment in Alaska. The company also has been implementing an array of waste reduction activities, including recycling, reusing, purchasing environmentally preferable products, reducing toxics, and decreasing energy use. When Yukon first joined Green Star, it was able to boast that it reused100% of all packaging material and boxes, and recycled 85-90% of all paper and 80% of scrap metal and aluminum. Today Yukon continues to maintain a strong recycling and reuse program by recycling 100% of its waste cardboard and office paper (75 pounds last year), aluminum cans, and phone books.
In the Service Shop, a waste oil heating system provides supplemental heat, reducing heating costs by an estimated 25% and reducing the disposal of waste oil. Yukon also installed a water filtration system to remove grease and oil from waste water generated in the shop area, and a steam cleaning pit that drains into a holding tank. The steam-cleaning pit reduces stormwater contamination and reduces the use of solvents in engine and parts cleaning. In the Service Shop and elsewhere in the facility, staff uses environmentally preferable and biodegradable cleaners when possible.
Energy improvements have made a big difference at Yukon. The company installed new lighting in the Service Shop as a result of an energy audit. Temperatures are kept low in the winter and staff dresses accordingly, wearing sweaters on cold days. Bay doors are open for only limited periods of time to retain heat. The temperature is lowered further during non-business hours and lights and equipment are turned off.
Careful purchasing is a key to good business practices. Yukon purchases products in bulk when possible. Only one person is responsible for purchasing and all purchases must be done by or authorized by that person. Streamlining purchasing in this way prevents duplicative purchases and ensures that waste is reduced. The purchasing person also makes an extra effort to purchase substitute when he can, look at inventory to see if there’s a product in stock that will work before purchasing new products, and look at long-term usage of a product when purchasing. By considering an item’s full life span, quality products are purchased that will last longer without breaking or needing replacement, saving money and reducing waste in the long run.
Staff also looks for donation opportunities for unneeded items before they are discarded. Yukon donates reusable materials and equipment to such agencies as the Alaska Chapter of the Shriners’ Temple, Bean’s Café, Salvation Army, and Clare House, providing much needed items to the organizations and eliminating the need to landfill the unwanted items. All recycling proceeds are donated to charity.
Yukon’s business practices are not only good for the environment, but they result in savings to Yukon and its customers. Employees receive a year-end bonus for their contribution to keeping costs down.
Yukon Equipment http://www.yukonequipment.com
