Oregon DEQ: Land Quality - Solid Waste - Commercial Waste Reduction Clearinghouse - Success Stories

Hot Water

Business: Ashland Flower Shop (Ashland)

Number of Employees: unknown

Vignette

Installed efficient electronic ballasts for fluorescent lights.

Installed an occupancy sensor to turn lights off when room is not in use.

Installed an ultra low flow toilet.

Installed a new hot water heater. The new water heater significantly reduces the amount of time waiting for hot water at the faucet, and saves water.

FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $400/year (all activities).

Case Study

Call Oregon Office of Energy, 1-800-221-8035

Business: Barker-Halland Insurance Company (Corvallis)

Number of Employees: 21

Vignette

Lighting retrofit reduced electricity use by 34%. The retrofit includes replacing T-12 fluorescent lamps and magnetic ballasts with T-8 lamps and electronic ballasts, removing lamps in areas that were overlit, and replacing standard "screw-in" incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. The retrofit cost $880 (after a utility rebate and Oregon Business Energy Tax Credit). FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $717/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 13,812 kWh/year.

Installed a new high-efficiency variable speed condensing gas furnace and replaced an undersized air conditioner. Also replaced a continuous speed fan with a variable speed fan that uses approximately 42% less electricity. The fan runs at a lower speed when the building isn’t being heated or cooled. While these changes will reduce energy use, they will also significantly improve employee comfort, and thus productivity. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $429/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 6,990 kWh/year (electricity) and 217 therms/year (natural gas).

Implementing a fully-electronic system for storing, accessing, and changing customer records. This is expected to save considerable time and paper. RESOURCE SAVINGS: about 9 cases of paper per year.

Uses remanufactured toner cartridges. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $360/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 45 pounds/year.

Recycles office paper. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $270/year.

Purchases stationery and paper towels manufactured from recycled paper.

Sends faxes electronically where possible; or uses small sticky notes or 1/2 page fax covers rather than full page covers.

Insulated hot water heater.

Placed bathroom lights on a crank-style timer, so that they can’t be accidentally left on.

Case Study

Case study exists.

Business: Bend Community School (Bend)

Number of Employees: 3

Vignette

Placed signs above light switches and next to computers to turn lights and computers "off" when not in use. Set thermostats back at night. Turned down water temperature from 135o to 120o Fahrenheit. Installed 1.5 gallon-per-minute aerators on faucets at hand-washing sinks. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $210/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 3,000 kWh/year and 13,000 gallons/year of water.

Reduced paper use by encouraging double-sided copying, placing a bin next to the copy machine with "draft" paper (paper that is already used on one side, but can be reused), and turning off the automatic transmission report on the fax machine.

Case Study

None

Business: Brothers’ Restaurant (Ashland)

Number of Employees: unknown

Vignette

Replaced most standard incandescent lamps with compact fluorescent light bulbs.

Installed controls to turn off lights in unoccupied rooms.

Sealed areas where cold air leaked in the building.

Replaced inefficient ductwork.

Installed faucet aerators to reduce water use.

Raised awareness among staff to point out drips and leaks and not run water unnecessarily.

FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $600/year (all activities).

Case Study

Call Oregon Office of Energy, 1-800-221-8035

Business: Cannon Beach City Hall (Cannon Beach)

Number of Employees: 19

Vignette

Eliminated blank pages between print jobs. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $23/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 39 pounds of paper (8 reams)/year.

Converted public notices to a self-mailer (without an envelope). FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $35/year.

Converted heat pump for City Council chambers from electric to natural gas and installed a 24-hour, 7-day thermostat. Since the chambers are used on an infrequent and inconsistent schedule, employees were also trained to be more conscientious about turning the settings down when leaving the room. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: estimated at $422/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 5,560 kWh/year (electricity) and 124 therms/year (natural gas).

Staff check furnace filters every 2-3 months and replace with new filters if needed.

Installed toilet "dummies" (sealed bags filled with a weight, such as rocks) in the tanks of all toilets. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $30/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 7,800 gallons/year.

The sidewalk in front of City Hall is now swept rather than hosed. Sweeping takes no more time than hosing the sidewalk down and uses no water. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $16/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 3,120 gallons/year.

Installed faucet aerators on all sinks, saving energy and water.

Case Study

None

Business: Cannon Beach Elementary School (Cannon Beach)

Number of Employees: 10

Vignette

When garbage cans are emptied, the custodian only replaces the plastic liners if they are soiled or starting to smell. Garbage can liners that have held nothing but paper and other dry wastes are not changed every day. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $90/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 25 pounds of liners/year.

The foot pedal on a large bathroom sink was stuck in the "on" position. Fixing it cut water and sewer bills. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: as much as $1,348/year in water and sewer bills. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 345,600 gallons/year.

Low-flow aerators were installed on restroom and classroom water faucets, saving water and the energy to heat it. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $154/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 39,600 gallons/year.

Floats on tank toilets were adjusted to use less water per flush. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $142/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 40,500 gallons/year.

Coils on refrigerator and milk coolers are vacuumed every 3 months to improve energy efficiency.

Case Study

None

Business: Central Oregon Independent Health Services (Bend)

Number of Employees: 63

Vignette

Switched to double-sided copying for the Participating Provider Directory. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $12,100/year (including postage). RESOURCE SAVINGS: 4,500 pounds/year of paper.

An employee newsletter is now distributed to most employees via the company intranet, rather than in hard copy format. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $90/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 23 pounds/year of paper.

Reminders at staff meetings, an e-mail message and wall signs were used to remind employees about the importance of turning off lights, monitors, copiers, and printers when not in use, especially at the end of the day. Also, lamps were removed above work stations as requested by employees. This resulted in a 1% decrease in electricity use despite a 15% increase in employment.

Reduced hot water temperature from 130^o to 120^o Fahrenheit. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $85/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 1,700 kWh/year.

Case Study

None

Business: City of Milwaukie (Milwaukie)

Number of Employees: 148

Vignette

The City of Milwaukie has four buildings: City Hall, Ledding Library, Public Security (fire and police), and the Johnson Creek Building (offices and shops).

Reduced hot water temperature at all faucets to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $104/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 230 therms/year.

Installed water conserving valves on all urinals in men’s restrooms. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $97/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 25,000 gallons/year.

Purchased a unit to recondition rechargeable batteries. After multiple rechargings, most batteries lose their ability to hold a charge. Reconditioning restores the batteries so that they can be recharged and reused again. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $274/year (net). RESOURCE SAVINGS: 55 pounds/year.

Reduced paper use across all City offices by 6% through employee education about double-sided copying and efficient printing and formatting practices. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $351/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 585 pounds of paper/year.

Encourages reuse of filing folders, hanging files, and other office supplies.

Installed a crank timer for lights in a storage loft. This turns the lights off after 10 to 30 minutes. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $321/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 7,400 kWh/year, plus light bulbs.

Installed a crank timer for lights in the parking garage. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $522/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 11,000 kWh/year, plus light bulbs.

Reduced outside night-time lighting levels by 50% to 75% at the Johnson Creek Building offices and shops. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $3,211/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 50,900 kWh/year, plus light bulbs.

Fixed a shower drip in a locker room. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $28/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 16 therms (gas) and 4,900 gallons (water)/year.

Fixed a leak at the truck/car wash. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $113/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 29,200 gallons/year.

Incorporated recycled content building materials into several remodeling projects.

Case Study

Report available on use of recycled building materials in remodeling projects. Call Metro, 503-234-3000.

Business: Clackamas Income Tax (Clackamas)

Number of Employees: unknown

Vignette

Reduces paper, envelope, and printer cartridge use by filing tax returns electronically. This saves an estimated $105 for every 1,500 pages sent electronically. Most of the savings are in printer cartridge replacement.

Case Study

None

Business: Coffee Resort (Milwaukie)

Number of Employees: 4

Vignette

Repaired a major leak in the toilet. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $1,764/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 332,000 gallons/year.

Purchases dish soap in bulk (larger containers), thus reducing packaging waste. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $20/year.

Washes dishes in dish pans rather than the sink. This saves water, the energy to heat it, and detergent. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $67/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 950 kWh and 6,700 gallons of water/year.

Reduced the number of outside lights. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $225/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 2,360 kWh/year.

Offers reusable mugs for in-store coffee consumption, as an alternative to disposables. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $175/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 178 pounds of disposable cups/year.

Case Study

None

Business: Columbia Gorge Veterinary Clinic (Hood River)

Number of Employees: unknown

Vignette

Installed a ventilation system that reduces the need for air conditioning by using fresh outside air during morning and evening hours. This reduced electricity use by 25-30% and had a two-year payback.

Upgraded lighting and lighting controls and insulated the hot water heater, reducing electricity use another 15-20%. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $225/year.

Installed faucet aerators and a toilet tank displacement to reduce water use.

Reconfigured margins and simplified a medical form to fit onto one page of paper.

Reuses large envelopes and file folders.

Case Study

Call Hood River Green Smart, 541-386-2000.

Business: Corvallis-Benton County Public Library (Corvallis)

Number of Employees: 62

Vignette

Transports books between locations in durable plastic totes, rather than paper boxes.

Uses remanufactured toner cartridges. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $325/year.

Buys stationery containing recycled paper.

Recycles office paper, corrugated cardboard boxes, newspaper, yard debris, and bottles and cans.

Encourages the reuse of books through an annual used book sale. Consolidates unsaleable books with Oregon State University for recycling.

The Library has an unofficial policy banning the use of brightly colored papers ("astrobrights") which are difficult to recycle. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $200/year.

All restroom sinks have self-regulating faucets that provide water for about three seconds before shutting off. Water is also set at a constant temperature, so patrons don’t waste water adjusting the temperature.

Reduced run times on automatic sprinkler irrigation system from 20 minutes per station to 6-10 minutes per station. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: approximately $530/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: approximately 440,000 gallons of water/year.

As bulbs in exit signs burn out, staff are replacing them with LED lamps. LED lamps have life expectancies of 30 to 50 years, compared to 4 to 6 months for traditional incandescent lamps. The full retrofit will cost $1,352. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $628/year when fully implemented (electricity and bulb savings, labor savings not included). RESOURCE SAVINGS: 8,000 kWh/year (when fully implemented).

Case Study

Case study exists.

Business: Cottage Flowers (Cannon Beach)

Number of Employees: 3

Vignette

Large packing boxes that flowers arrive in are saved and sent back with the flower supply company for reuse. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 187 pounds of packaging/year.

Flowers arrive packed in tissue paper. This tissue paper is saved and reused for wrapping bouquets, rather than buying new. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $60/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 109 pounds/year.

Rather than buying new paper bags, Cottage Flowers picks up paper bags at the local recycling center and reuses them. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $42/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 260 pounds/year.

Reduced hot water temperature by 10 degrees Fahrenheit. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $4/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 70 kWh/year.

Case Study

None

Business: Doubletree Hotels [formerly Red Lion Hotels] (Portland)

Number of Employees: unknown

Vignette

By filtering and recycling water, the central laundry facility saves $35,900 annually in water costs and $16,000 annually in natural gas costs. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $51,900/year.

Other comprehensive energy and water conservation measures include energy management control systems for heating, cooling, and lighting; chillers connected for more efficient operation; converting incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescents; exit sign retrofits; more efficient ballasts in fluorescent fixtures; adjustable speed drives on fan motors; automatic fan controls for individual guest rooms; low-flow showerheads and faucets; and toilet tank adapters to reduce the amount of water used per flush. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: more than $200,000/year.

Case Study

Call the City of Portland's Office of Sustainable Development, 503-823-7222.

Business: Fred Meyer Baking Plant (Clackamas)

Number of Employees: unknown

Vignette

Identified and corrected water leaks and drips totaling 709,000 gallons per year. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $3,280/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 1,772 therms (natural gas) and 709,000 gallons (water)/year.

Changed the packing procedure for bear claws and other pastries. Previously, packing staff had not always had enough time to switch packaging types when production shifted from one product to another. For example, at the end of a batch of bear claws, staff would need to move the packaged bear claws out of the packing area and prepare to package the next product. Insufficient time to make the switch meant that the last products in any given batch were often trashed. By increasing the time between product lines (at the packing end) by three minutes, this problem was largely eliminated. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 12,480 pounds/year.

Case Study

None

Business: Haystack Motel (Cannon Beach)

Number of Employees: 5

Vignette

All guests used to be provided with a complimentary newspaper every morning. Now, guests are asked at check-in if they want a daily newspaper. Approximately 21% of guests say "no". FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $759/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 2,500 pounds/year.

Switched the motel newsletter to a format that can be mailed without an envelope. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $162/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 50 pounds of envelopes/year.

Landscaping is watered in the early morning, when less water evaporates.

At least every 6 months, staff make a point to vacuum all refrigerator coils, check and adjust all refrigerator temperatures, and check toilets for leaks.

As towels wear out, they will be replaced with colored towels. Colored towels can be washed at a lower temperature, thus saving energy.

The motel makes very few photocopies. When documents longer than one page are being copied, staff try to use a different copier that has an automatic double-sided copying feature. This copier is located at the management office (down the street) of the company that owns the motel, so no extra trips are typically required. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $13/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 21 pounds/year (about 4 reams).

Case Study

None

Business: Hood River Electric Cooperative (Hood River)

Number of Employees: 12

Vignette

Reduced energy use approximately 30%.

T-12 fluorescent lamps and magnetic ballasts were replaced with T-8 lamps and electronic ballasts in all areas where the lights are used on a regular basis. Incandescent bulbs were replaced with compact fluorescents in other high-use areas, such as the entryway and restrooms.

Installed a ground-source heat pump, which warms and cools the building by pumping heat from or to the soil. This system replaced electric resistance heating and a separate air conditioning unit in the ducts of the air handling system. Connecting a standard electric water heater into a heat exchanger circuit with the heat pump compressor further supplies most of the building’s hot water.

Controls further reduce energy use when the equipment is not in use. This includes a programmable thermostat for the heat pump system, and low-power/"sleep" modes for computers, printers, and the photocopier.

RESOURCE SAVINGS: 32,000 kWh/year. 32,000 kWh/year.

Improved its irrigation system by replacing "rain bird" type impulse sprinklers with drip emitters and "micro-sprinklers" to use less water. Placement of mulch around landscaping also conserves water by reducing evaporation.

The shop floor is now swept rather than hosed down, further saving water.

The electric cooperative is switching to a longer-lasting electric cable that reduces material use (replacement) and labor costs. Although the longer-lasting cable costs more up-front, it is expected to reduce overall costs from anywhere between 19% and 57% after replacement costs (including labor) are factored in.

The office reuses file folders, cuts old paper into notepads, and purchased a duplexing unit as an option when replacing an older copy machine to allow two-sided copying.

Case Study

Call Hood River Green Smart, 541-386-2000.

Business: Oregon Shakespeare Festival (Ashland)

Number of Employees: unknown

Vignette

Replaced two water heaters with higher efficiency models.

Reduced thermostat settings for both water and space heating systems.

Installed energy-efficient lights and controls.

FINANCIAL SAVINGS: The Oregon Shakespeare Festival expects to save around $5,000/year as a result of these three changes.

Case Study

Call Oregon Office of Energy, 1-800-221-8035

Business: Pizza Pipeline (Corvallis)

Number of Employees: 4

Vignette

Repaired a leak in the dishroom sprayer and installed low-flow aerators on sinks, reducing water, sewer, and energy bills. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $769/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 10,000 kWh/year and 116,000 gallons of water/year.

Case Study

None

Business: Sagewood School (Bend)

Number of Employees: 8

Vignette

Informed parents of how to pack a "waste wise" lunch for kids; switched from paper towels to cloth towels for staff; and started a mixed paper recycling bin. The school was able to reduce the size of their garbage can from 60 gallons to 33 gallons.

Reformatted reimbursement forms to use half as much paper.

Began double-siding the school newsletter.

Turned down hot water temperature from 130^o to 120^o Fahrenheit. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $23/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 460 kWh/year.

Case Study

None

Business: Southside Physical Therapy (Bend)

Number of Employees: <10

Vignette

Reformatted newsletter so that it can be mailed without an envelope.

Purchased microwavable hot packs and disconnect hydroculator (a tank of hot water that kept hot packs warm).

Keep lights off in rooms when not in use.

Switched to lower wattage light bulb.

Retrofitted exist sign with high-efficiency LED.

Limit washing to full loads only.

Installed 24-hour 7-day programmable thermostat.

FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $87/year (energy bills only).

Case Study

None

Business: Stahlbush Island Farms, Inc.

Number of Employees: 22

Vignette

Stahlbush Island Farms is a grower and processor of fruits and vegetables. Most of the company’s customers are large food product manufacturers.

Water use has been reduced by more than 50%, due to an innovative system where water is used in three or four different applications. Water is used to cool hot pumpkin puree and compressor oil, and to condense ammonia refrigerant. The warmed water is then used to pre-heat both the boiler and pumpkins. Wastewater from pumpkin and equipment washing is applied to fields for irrigation.

Timers were installed on fan motors in freezers so that fans don’t run all of the time. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: $4,500/year. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 133,000 kWh/year.

As targeted motors wear out, they are replaced with high-efficiency motors. FINANCIAL SAVINGS: when fully implemented, this will save $2,300/year in electric bills. RESOURCE SAVINGS: 50,000 kWh/year.

Only "natural" (uncolored) five gallon HDPE plastic pails are used. These pails are easier for customers to recycle.

Ammonia compressor head pressure and boiler pressure have been adjusted to conserve energy.

The farm composts food scraps and is experimenting with using food scraps as cattle feed.

Some bulk products are shipped in reconditioned drums.

Corrugated cardboard boxes and office paper are recycled.

Case Study

Case study exists.

Business: Winchester Country Inn (Ashland)

Number of Employees: unknown

Vignette

Reduced water heater and laundry temperatures.

Using less water in the kitchen and garden.

Sealed air leaks in the building.

Installing higher efficiency lights and educating staff to turn fewer lights on.

FINANCIAL SAVINGS: Winchester Country Inn expects to save $3,000/year from these measures.

Case Study

Call Oregon Office of Energy, 1-800-221-8035.