SPS “Green” Initiatives
At SPS, we’ve undertaken a number of “green” initiatives to preserve our environment and save energy. “Reduce, reuse, recycle” is an integral part of our business, both onsite and at the office.
Going Green Onsite
Our “do it right” approach to building envelope work encourages SPS clients to use long-lasting, low-maintenance materials such as high-grade wood, vinyl siding, PVC trim, composite decking, and energy-efficient replacement windows. Materials that last longer mean less construction waste in landfills. Using low-maintenance materials yields a significant reduction in the amount of material needed for future repairs, as well as the amount of fuel burned by contractors to make those repairs.
We are industry leaders in our efforts to reduce health risks from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by using 100 percent acrylic paints. SPS is also an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Contractor, which assures that our crews comply with the latest EPA rules governing work on lead paint-based surfaces, including safe worksite practices, clean-up, and disposal.
All demolition and construction debris from SPS worksites is removed by a waste management and recycling firm which recovers and reuses as much material as possible. Any remaining waste is disposed of properly.
At the Office
In 2003, SPS installed a solar/photovoltaic panel array on the roof of our Waltham, Mass. offices — a green energy choice which has exceeded our expectations for supply and financial savings.
Currently, we are well into a multi-year effort to reduce paper consumption and waste. SPS now requests that our vendors submit their invoices online. Our employees have begun sharing internal documents online instead of printing multiple copies. And an increasing number of SPS clients now prefer to receive our proposals and invoices via email.
We’ve also installed a reverse osmosis water filtration system in our kitchen to make it easy for employees to enjoy spring water quality without adding another plastic bottle to the waste stream.
In 2010, we renewed our commitment to “go green” by replacing printed newsletter and postcard mailings with our monthly SPS Client Focus email newsletter. Likewise, our printed Expert “Do It Right” Guides are now available as PDFs delivered via email.
Recently, we have expanded our green office initiatives to include “The Big Green Box.” This innovative recycling program makes it easy to ship used batteries to a plant where the toxic metals that batteries contain are harvested for scrap or used to make new batteries.