Green Today...Greener Tomorrow
At FDS, we constantly look for ways to minimize our environmental impact and develop a culture that reduces waste, promotes recycling and encourages Reuse of products and materials. We are proud of the efforts that we have made thus far and strive to become even greener.
Green Initiatives Employed by FDS
- We conduct business in an environmentally responsible manner, providing compliant reconditioning, recycling, and reprocessing services that promote a clean and healthy environment.
- We operate a responsible empty container management service promoting the Reuse of industrial containers.
- All recycling activities are 100% compliant, eco-friendly and environmentally safe. Any Reuse of scrap materials is approved and fully compliant.
- We strongly promote conservation and eco-friendly practices through the reconditioning and reprocessing of industrial containers. Reconditioning, reprocessing, and reusing are top priorities for FDS as none of the raw materials or energy consumed to produce these containers or packaging items are repeated.
- We are committed to maintaining the highest, most compliant standards in the reconditioning, reprocessing, & recycling of IBC (tote) and plastic containers.
- We continually improve our processes in order to meet or exceed all regulations that govern the industry.
- We operate a state-of-the-art Alar wastewater treatment system. This system allows us to Reuse all water utilized in our cleaning processes.
- We carefully monitor the discharge of all waste streams to ensure that the parameters outlined in our operating permits are met or exceeded.
- We make a conscious effort to purchase energy-efficient, energy-saving machines and equipment for office and plant use. Whether purchasing or replacing a piece of capital equipment or a small office electronic item, we look not only at the cost but look to purchase eco-friendly, energy-saver products.
Going Green: Everyday Tips
Computers
In one year, if you shut your machine off before bed each night, you’ll save an average of $90 worth of electricity. The Department of Energy recommends shutting off your monitor if you aren’t going to use it for more than 20 minutes, and the whole system if you’re not going to use it for more than two hours. The agency says time spent off extends your machine’s life.
Cell Phones
When you are finished with your cell phone, make sure it gets disposed of properly.
The average lifespan for a cell phone is a brief 18 months, and currently, only 1% are recycled. On average, 130 million are retired annually in the U.S. alone.
Yet almost all cell phones contain enough lead to qualify as hazardous waste under federal regulations. And even lead-free phones are considered hazardous under California regulations because of the high amounts of copper, nickel, antimony and zinc that leach into landfills.
So do something good for the environment and recycle your old phone.
Protect Your Pipes
Reduce energy loss and protect pipes from freezing or sweating, which can encourage mold.
Reduce energy loss by making sure your water pipes are properly insulated.
In cold climates insulation also helps decrease the chance of pipes freezing, which can be disastrous. In warm weather, insulation cuts down on sweating by cold water pipes, which can encourage mold growth.
Check to see if your pipes are warm to the touch. If so, they are good candidates for insulation. You can get pre-slit pipe foam at most hardware and do-it-yourself stores. Cut it to size and fasten in place with duct tape.
Ideally, choose the insulation with the highest R-value practical, which is a measure of its heat-blocking power. Pipe insulation is often R-3 or, for batt styles that you wrap around, a stronger R-7.
Make sure pipes are clean before covering, and don’t compress the insulating material too much, as that decreases its effectiveness. Make sure pipes in walls are also well insulated by spray foam or other methods.