This years Green for Retail or G4R conference held by Chain Store Age Magazine and sponsored by dozens of suppliers offered some great insight as to savings opportunities that retail companies attribute directly to their green initiatives.
This years Green for Retail or G4R conference held by Chain Store Age Magazine and sponsored by dozens of suppliers offered some great insight as to savings opportunities that retail companies attribute directly to their green initiatives.
One area that was of great interest to this author was that of water conservation. Safesourcing is always looking for opportunities to create interest as to where our retail partners can hold reverse auctions that can have a positive impact on the environment and also save them money. So, let?s hold a toilet auction.
Ok, I know ha, ha, ha. In this case I am totally serious.
At this yearsG4R conference Elaine Aye, principal of Green Building Services from Seattle
told attendees that water conservation represents an opportunity for big savings. Aye recommended the use of low flow plumbing fixtures which for toilets use a minimum of 1.6 gallons per flush, even better would be the use of dual-flush technology where you can get .8 or 1.2 gallons per flush?. Aye also explained that retailers can also reduce their water use by installing low-flow aerators (.5gallons per minute) on faucets.
This begs some basic sourcing questions.
1. Do all stores today use this technology
2. For planned remodels, will all new construction include this technology?
3. How many times per day are the toilets in your public restrooms flushed?
4. How many gallons of water would the new technology save?
5. How much would your total water bill be reduced?
6. If you installed this technology chain wide how many gallons of water would you save?
7. How many suppliers can you find for an auction of this type?
8. What are the other initiatives these suppliers have in place that support your CSR initiatives?
If you think this is a silly idea, let?s hear your out of the box thinking by offer an guest post of a better idea. Here are the benefits to this idea.
1. Reduced water usage.
2. Lower construction costs.
3. Lower utility bills
4. New sources of supply that are environmentally focused.
5. Supports corporate social responsibility.
We look forward to and appreciate your comments.
