UPS Store Green Certification
The Marathon UPS Store has become certified through the GLEE Green Business Program and the conservation efforts are already paying off with reduced costs and a smaller carbon footprint.
Storeowners Arno and Sharon Silva were already on the path to greening their business and decided to take the extra steps to become certified in GLEE’s program.
Located at 5409 Overseas Hwy, the 1,500-square-foot-business was already a member of the Plastic Loose Fill Council, which promotes recycling of packing “peanuts.” To meet the requirements of the Green Business Certification Program, the Silvas also set up a recycling account with Marathon Garbage Service. The addition of a 50-gallon recycling tote, with a once-a-week pick up is costing them about $10 a month. Now they can recycle paper, cardboard, plastics 1-2, aluminum, and other items, helping to create a market for resource recovery while conserving limited natural resources.
The Silva’s conservation measures have served them well. While most businesses have watched their expenses go up, they reduced their average electric bill by 55 percent over a three-year period. Steps they have taken to reduce their energy consumption include installing a programmable thermostat, use of CFLs, turning off spotlights that are not needed, buying a smaller Energy Star refrigerator for staff use, and conducting regular maintenance on their HVAC system.
There is little opportunity for water conservation at the store. But the Silvas have installed a water cooler to reduce the plastic waste created by the bottled water they were using. Now they have reusable cups, each labeled with an employee’s name.
The business uses recycled paper in the copy machines and sells greeting cards made from recycled stock, both of which support the market for recycled paper.
The Silvas also took advantage of the free energy audit offered through FKEC and learned that they could reduce their energy bill even more by insulating the space between their dropped ceiling and the interior roof.
“By becoming certified, we’re hoping to set an example for some of the other businesses similar to ours,” said Arno. “But I really want to see all Keys businesses get with the program.”
Find out more information about the Green Business Certification program.