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Good environmental practices make sense (and cents)
It’s not news that good environmental practices make good economic sense—conserving energy and reducing waste are simply operationally sounds ways of doing business. Earlier this year, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivered a dynamite keynote at Advertising Week 2010 (held at MaRS) on this very topic. He argued that Canada and US have the natural prowess to dominate the shift to green energy production and that, by going green, we can drive an economic resurgence.
Canadian entrepreneurs are among some of the biggest believers in environmental sustainability. At the onset of 2010, the Canadian Business Journal rounded up the ways Canada will have an economic edge in 2010. Number one on its list: We’re adapting to the new “green” economy.
“Although ten years ago many companies may have thought going green would cost them and that emerging clean technology enterprises were few and far between, Canadian business gurus are now seeing what’s clear: in order to improve the bottom line, you have to take care of the environment first, and it will immediately pay dividends.”
So what does this mean for an individual organization? It means that going green can save you and your organization money, resources and time.
At MaRS, we’re working to reduce our impact on the environment while improving the every day experiences of our staff, tenants and visitors. These are just some of the ways, from the simplest of ideas (like using green cleaning products) to bigger picture projects (a heat recovery wheel that recovers waste heat from building exhaust, for example) that we’re working on to shrink our environmental footprint:
- MaRS participates in car-sharing through AutoShare: employees of tenant companies are eligible for a discounted membership fee and a plug-in hybrid vehicle is available at MaRS.
- MaRS’ extensive recycling program includes tenant participation. Organics are separated at the source and cardboard, paper bottles and cans and laboratory plastics are all recycled. Food court retailers and catering contractors also recycle.
- MaRS is the lead developer of the Discovery District Energy Plan, a plan to significantly reduce energy consumption and source more efficient electricity through district-wide energy solutions.
- MaRS’ building automation and central air handling systems include a heat recovery wheel to recover waste heat from building exhaust.
- MaRS has an extensive lighting control system that automates lighting after hours and when suites are not in use. We are currently auditioning LED lighting in select areas to determine suitability for future retrofits.
- The MaRS Centre uses environmentally friendly cleaning products.
- MaRS uses rechargeable electric equipment for its summer landscaping program.
- MaRS does not use or serve bottled water.
- MaRS’ catering partners purchase carbon-offsets through CarbonZero for their entire vehicle fleets
- MaRS’ catering partners use local wines: Henry of Pelham, Mike Weir Wine, Chateau des Charmes, Peninula Ridge, Reif Winery
- MaRS supports and donates to Second Harvest
- MaRS’ kitchens are equipped with state-of-the-art energy efficient ventilation systems, quick recovery, low energy use hot water tanks and compact fluorescent lighting.
- MaRS’ Collaboration Centre meeting rooms, lower concourse and atrium feature natural light.
- MaRS uses an innovative carpet maintenance program that requires 319%t less hydro and 95% less water consumption compared to extraction cleaning.
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Allen Gelberg @ MaRS
Allen Gelberg oversees all aspects of the events held at the MaRS Collaboration Centre.
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