What does it mean to be green in 2016? At Hubert Company, it’s continuing our commitment to environmental sustainability while finding new ways to minimize our impact on the planet. It’s more than an office paper recycling program or reusable mugs for the break room, although those have been great steps on our path to sustainability. To truly be a green business, we’re looking at the products we sell and how we deliver them.
Tim Lansing, vice president of operations for Hubert, talks about our ongoing commitment to the environment, including a new initiative to neutralize carbon produced in the shipping process.
Q: Hubert recently enrolled in a carbon-neutral shipping program, which is something fewer than 1 percent of U.S. companies have done. How does this work and what are the benefits?
Tim Lansing: We launched this program in January 2016 to support the reduction of carbon in the atmosphere. This is an important step in reducing the impact of our daily activities on climate change. Now, all of Hubert’s small package shipments are sent by FedEx under the carbon neutral program. Hubert will offset the carbon generated by 99 percent of our small package shipments through the purchase of carbon credits supporting alternative energy projects like windmills and solar, as well as reforestation, etc.
Did you know? Hubert utilizes 100 percent recyclable corrugated shipping cartons along with recycled paper for inner pack.
Q: Speaking of solar energy, in 2012 Hubert installed a 3,840-panel solar roof on the distribution center in Harrison, Ohio. What impact has this had on energy use?
Tim Lansing: At the installation, our solar project was the third largest in Ohio. Since then, we have produced 4,612,306 kilowatt hours of clean energy, which is about 31 percent of the total company’s energy use over the last four years. It also equates to 3,313 tons of carbon dioxide saved from entering the atmosphere. This clean, solar energy has reduced the company’s carbon footprint by about 30 percent.
Read more our 120,000 square foot solar roof.
Q: What is the driving force behind Hubert’s focus on sustainability?
Tim Lansing: First and foremost is the support from our ownership at TAKKT AG. Recognizing it’s in everyone’s best interest to operate sustainably, TAKKT makes it part of their mission statement to support these efforts. It certainly helps to be able to demonstrate how a project such as this can reduce operational expenses and impact the bottom line.
TAKKT has been supportive in all of our environmental pursuits, such as when we earned LEED silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2014 and the Energy Star Rating from the U.S. EPA in 2013.
Q: What other ways is Hubert working toward a sustainable future?
Tim Lansing: In a nutshell, we are reducing use of water and energy while cutting waste. We reduced our water usage by 30 percent by upgrading fixtures and faucet attachments that control water flow. In 2015, we installed LED lighting in our Harrison Distribution Center that reduced our kilowatts per day consumption by 50 percent. Upgraded HVAC units also reduced energy required for operation and increased fresh air to office employees. We recycle 70 percent of our waste, which includes metal, paper, plastic, wood, and cardboard. We’ve also put in place a green cleaning and purchasing policy.
We also provide a wide assortment of eco-friendly products for our customers. These packaging products are renewable, recycled or compostable materials. Our green product sales equal 4.5 percent of our total sales at Hubert.
Coming Soon: Hubert Company will release an updated Corporate Responsibility document. Click here to be notified about our green business news.
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