Our shrinking footprint: Reductions so far, and to come

In April 2007, Lomas established the all-volunteer Green Team, tasked with looking at all of our operations and implementing new practices to reduce our overall environmental footprint. The results have been nothing short of dramatic. We've not only cut back significantly on our use of the basics such as electricity, water and waste-streams to landfills/hazardous waste facilities, but we have done so in a manner that has greatly improved our cost effectiveness and productivity.
 

The highlights

  • 19% reduction in electricity usage
  • 30% reduction in water usage
  • Diversion of 16,000kg/year of waste oils to recycling facility
  • 87% reduction of plastic drinking bottle usage
  • All spent printer cartridges diverted to recycler
  • All copier/printer paper contains at least 30% recycled content
  • Reduction in high-fuel-use vehicles
  • Large reports now stored electronically instead of printing/archiving
  • Establishment of a when-to-print document policy to reduce paper use
  • Waste manifest policies ensuring dry & liquid wastes are disposed of responsibly
  • Deployment of high-efficiency light fixtures
  • Guidelines for use of non-toxic landscaping products
  • Many other smaller, but no less important, initiatives

We'll never be finished

A glance at ongoing efforts demonstrates that we view green policy as a necessary, vital and permanent facet of our overall business operations. The ongoing initiatives:

  • Reduction of solid waste, such as plastic and cardboard
  • Improved recycling program for all offices and warehouses
  • Improvements in liquid line cleaning processes
  • New processes to reduce railcar, tanker truck and storage tank residues
  • Changes in cleaning chemicals used
  • Additional reductions in water use
  • Formal establishment of Environmental Mana
  • Investigation/implementation of AMEC Geomatrix recommendations
  • More intensive recycling programs for all of Brampton facility's waste streams
  • Enhanced green efforts at Dorval and Delta facilities
  • Greenhouse gas reduction tracking programs

Huge thanks to the Lomas Green Team

All of this positive change wouldn't have come about without their hard work and diligence. They are:

  • Daniel Borduas - Dorval
  • Ross Clark - Brampton
  • Judy Jarosh - Dorval
  • John MacQueen - Brampton
  • Valerie McCoy - Brampton
  • Kevin Russell - Brampton