Sustainability
Talking green is cheap, so we decided to do.
We became the only ISO 14001 certified yurt manufacturer in the world.
That means we have a written Environmental Management System - we actually follow it - and we pay someone to check up on us to make sure we are doing what we say we are doing... Certification is the fancy term they use for doing that.
R4 Reduce – Reuse – Recycle – Rainier
Rainier’s Environmental Policy – the short version, (for all 17 pages click here )
Rainier respects and protects the environment. Rainier complies with environmental laws and regulations, continually strives to reduce its environmental impact, and improve its Environmental Management System.
Environmental Aspects managed through EMS:
- Business Travel
- Business Waste
- Utilities Usage
- Product Design
- Vendor Impact
- Product Packaging
- Legal Regulation Requirements
- Facilities Maintenance
- Production Air Quality
- Vehicle Fleet
- Employee Commuting
Rainier Recycling Facts
We strive to recycle as much as we can – and to increase that amount each year. We’ve also just started recycling banner vinyl, so we’ll add those numbers next year.
We also chart Utility and Landfill Usage and correlate them to changes in our business and product mix. For example, in 2010, we brought Powder Coating capability in-house - which requires a gas oven – hence the increase in our gas usage…
Here are the Year End Totals
|
Recycling |
2010 Tonnage |
2009 Tonnage |
Difference |
| Metals |
39 |
17 |
+129% |
| Acrylics |
14 |
7 |
+100% |
| Wood |
160 |
93 |
+72% |
| Recycle |
41 |
25 |
+66% |
| Compost |
8 |
5 |
+60% |
| Cardboard |
50 |
52 |
-4% |
| Diverted from Landfill |
312 |
199 |
+57% |
|
Utilities |
2010 |
2009 |
Difference |
| Gas (THRM) |
23,909 |
19,850 |
+20% |
| Electricity (KWH) |
1,269,480 |
1,223,640 |
+4% |
| Water (CCF) |
837 |
891 |
-6% |
|
Solid Waste |
2010 Tonnage |
2009 Tonnage |
Difference |
| Landfill |
127 |
106 |
+20% |
Items recycled but not included in these totals include:
- Printer Toner Cartridges
- Old Electronics
- Clear Packaging
- Sunbrella
Everyday, we use only environmentally friendly products that will protect our natural resources – and we work hard to reduce our energy consumption.
We also encourage employees to be more environmentally sensitive at home – and to do their part in reducing our carbon footprint by using alternative methods of transportation for commuting to and from work – like bikes, buses and car pools.
We take pride in providing our customers with products that are produced using sustainable materials. We use wood harvested only from sustainable forests and treat it with non-solvent preservatives.
The use of PVC based fabrics are being minimized and our printers use UV cured water soluble inks. We continually look for innovative ways to incorporate eco-friendly materials into our products.
Sustainability is not just another fancy phrase – it is part of our mission statement, and put into practice every day.
The Rainier team is committed to helping protect and preserve our natural resources for future generations.
Since we started during Alaskan Gold Rush in 1896, we plan to take care of our planet for the next few mellenium… By then, we hope there will be no way to NOT be sustainable!