Archive for the 'Sustainability' Category

10
Jul

It’s Summer…Let’s do some laundry!

By Rebekka 0 Comments
Categories: Sustainability

Though it hasn’t felt much like summer yet, once the sun starts shining, think about forgoing the dryer. Line-drying (or using a drying rack) is much gentler on clothing. Repeated drying at high-temps can reduce fabric strength by 25% or more, and the tumbling action of the dryer causes shrinkage (not the heat, believe it or not).

 

Skipping the dryer is also gentler on your wallet and the earth. Except for the refrigerator and washing machine, the dryer uses more power annually than any other major household appliance. By cutting down usage, you can save up to $135 a year, plus mother earth will be grateful. If you still feel the urge to have toasty-warm towels straight from the dryer, make sure to clean the lint trap regularly and never over-load the drum, for maximum efficiency of the machine.

14
May

be healthy and green!

By Rebekka 1 Comment
Categories: Sustainability and Year of Wellness

food1.jpg

By purchasing organic varieties of fruits and vegetables, you can reduce your exposure to pesticides by 90 percent! In addition to the health benefits of organic food, if just 1% of our nation’s farmlands eliminated the use of synthetic chemicals, it would remove 26,000,000 pounds of pesticides per year from the food we eat and from our environment.

When you buy organic, you encourage this kind of farming!

On a food-related note, in the month of May we will focus on Nutrition and Healthy Cooking as part of our Year of Wellness. A potluck and healthy recipe contest are in the works! Stay tuned…

08
May

Save some gas and work those buns!

By Rebekka 2 Comments
Categories: Sustainability and Year of Wellness

Now that the weather is starting to warm up and the dark days are getting longer and lighter, you may be thinking about finding an alternative way to get to work. If you live nearby, biking to work may be an excellent idea! Statistically, people who live within two miles of where they work spend an average of $384 a year when they drive their commute. If you bike or walk, your commute is free! And mull on this - if only 20 people per state decided to make this change, we’d save 64,000 lbs of nasty chemicals from being released into the air each year!!
And of course, walking or biking to work has great health benefits! You can travel 2 miles by bicycle in 10 minutes pretty easily, and within that time, you could burn around 100 calories. Bike riding is aerobic exercise, so it promotes cardiovascular health, loosens up tense muscles, reduces stress, and increases positive mental attitudes.
To find a bike route that works for you, visit Seattle’s Department of Transportation biking page.

 

01
May

our choice: renewable choice wind power

By kristen 0 Comments
Categories: Sustainability

windpower1.gifAs a part of our commitment to environmental sustainability, Statements has recently partnered with Renewable Choice Energy to offset all of the carbon emissions that result from the shipping and receiving of our products. We are the first wholesale tile distributor to offer the very best tile from around the world, with the peace of mind of knowing that it’s as green as if it were made locally.

Renewable Choice Energy is a company committed to catalyzing environmental change by offering it’s customers clean energy choices. By harnessing wind power, Renewable Choice provides an alternative to the use of fossil fuels that exact a toll on our natural environment.

 

 

 

03
Apr

What makes our tile GREEN?

By kristen 3 Comments
Categories: Sustainability

Statements Green logoStatements Green logoStatements Green logo

At Statements, we emphasize environmental sustainability in both our product selection and our business practices. In this post, I’m going to describe our process for selecting green tiles. For more information on our business practices, check out the “sustainability” link.

In product selection, we have delineated eight criteria to measure potential products for sustainability. A product that meets 5 out of 8 criteria is considered sustainable. An easy way to recognize green products is to watch for the green leaf logo, shown above, on our product pages, tearsheets, and sample boards.

1. Green Production: In regards to manufacturing, the production company is certified by ISO 14001, Ecolabel, EMAS, Environment Priority One, or any third-party certification for environmental sustainability.

2. Local Origin: The product is manufactured within 400 miles of Seattle, WA.

3. Durability: With proper installation, the estimated lifespan of the product exceeds 30 years.

4. Recyclability: The product is re-useable as an input in the production of a new good.

5. Freight Emissions: Carbon emissions associated with the product supply chain have been mitigated through alternative fuel use, carbon offsetting or some other method. (Note: Statements Inc. has offset all carbon emissions resulting from inbound freight through a partnership with Renewable Choice Energy.)

6. VOC Free: The product does not emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or other harmful gases.

7. Recycled Inputs: The product is composed of post-consumer or post-industrial recycled materials.

8. Toxin Free: Products must not contain any allergens that could contaminate the built environment. Product must not contain any toxins that could leach into the natural environment after disposal of the product.

Our Elements glass series is a good example of a product line that qualifies as green. This handcrafted, glass tile is made up of silica sand, an abundant natural resource, and a combination of pre-consumer, post-industrial and/or post-consumer recycled content from curbside glass recycling programs. Up to 86 percent of Oceanside Elements glass tile is made up of recycled materials.

Similarly, Statements Alumillenium metal line is made of 100 percent recycled metal content making it a sustainable, durable and allergen-free addition to your home or workspace.

If you are interested in materials that will help a project achieve LEED or BuiltGreen certification, give us a call or send us an email and we’ll help you with the process.

19
Mar

It’s Easy Being Green

By administrator 0 Comments
Categories: Sustainability

composting diagramCompost bin

We should all get into a new habit of putting our food scraps and compostables into the bin under the sink in the break kitchen.

Composting is very easy to do at home too! It can be as simple as keeping your scraps from fruits, veggies and coffee grounds in a container in the kitchen. You can add this straight to your garden or start a larger composting site in your yard. Your soil will be richer in mineral content and you’ll save landfill space as well. If everyone in the US composted their scraps, in one year the volume kept out of landfills would be a 3-foot deep area the size of San Francisco.

10
Mar

Let’s Compost!

By administrator 0 Comments
Categories: About Us and Sustainability

In an effort to be more ‘green’, more sustainable and to reduce our footprint as a company, we are not only recycling here at Statements, we are now composting.

Now you can put all food scraps, coffee and coffee filters, paper plates, paper towels (which have been used in the kitchen) napkins, pizza delivery boxes, and uncoated paper take-out containers in our compost bins. These small bins are lined with biodegradable liners and can be found underneath each of the kitchen sinks. Instead of dumping your leftover food scraps in the garbage, please dump them in the compost bins. Each bag of food that we compost is turned back into the soil for a richer earth!

For more information on what is compostable and how to compost in Seattle, click here.

Thanks everyone. I appreciate your efforts in making this happen!

Susan F

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