Masonry Magazine November 2011 Page. 31
Ware works on one of her mary R&D projects.
"It is important to know that what we are doing is working," she says. "We constantly modify plans for better results." It pays off, too. Last year the company received 216 awards from third-party organizations. Consider this: In 2010, the environmental investment made by CRH totaled $67 million. Ten percent of the investment went toward reduction of air emissions; 5 percent toward restoration, landscaping and location upgrades; 9 percent toward reduction of water use; 24 percent toward waste reduction and management; 4 percent toward energy reduction and process optimization; 13 percent toward increased alternative materials and fuel use, and 35 percent toward monitoring and licensing environmental practices.
Walking the walk
AT LONG LAST, When Ware goes home at the end of the day-or, rather, exits her home office in an effort to commute
"I can't just talk the talk; I have to walk the walk." Meredith Ware as little as possible - she delivers on her promise to Mother Earth in her personal life.
"When I walk through a tradeshow, I shiver seeing green-wash claims," she says. "Similarly, I tremble at the sight of a neighborhood trash can full of plastic bottles or out-of-season fruit in the grocery store." She recognizes consumers don't spend their days reading environmental reports, but she knows exactly how much her daily habits impact the environment.
"I can't just talk the talk; I have to walk the walk," she adds. Ware hopes that the lessons she teaches in the office will travel home with her coworkers, too. Bonsal employees now turn their lights off when they leave the office, and recycling bins are at every location. Other key initiatives include video conferencing and a 20 percent reduction in company travel.
"The other day, one of our sales guys told me that he bought a hybrid as his personal vehicle and that he wouldn't have considered it if he hadn't heard the facts and figures I presented at our last Annual Meeting," Ware says. It's all in a day's work for a sustainability director. IMAS Chris Avant is president of Canyon Construction.
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November 2011
MASONRY 29