TRC 2019 Sustainability Report TRC 2019 Sustainability Report | Page 36

IMPLEMENTING CHANGE Three Tons of Office Furniture Diverted from the Landfill (Lowell, MA) The Lowell office consolidated two floors and reduced their office footprint by 18%. With the more modern configuration of workspace, an estimated three tons of reusable desks, chairs, file drawers, lamps, printers and other electronics were no longer needed. Instead of sending these items to the landfill, TRC implemented a reuse strategy. Over 30 four-drawer vertical file cabinets, as well as many of the desks and chairs were sent to another local TRC office. Remaining reusable items were taken by the staff and given to charities or posted on an online classified ad site. Unusable metal desks were recycled in an event sponsored by the office building. Expanding our Recycling Efforts (New Providence, NJ) While it has been standard practice for the New Providence office to recycle traditional waste streams (paper, plastic containers, glass, printing cartridges), employees recently took initiative to research and incorporate additional waste streams to add to their current program. Here are some examples: ■ K-cups are now recycled as part of the Grounds to Grow On Program, which turns used k-cups into recycled materials and coffee grounds into compost. ■ Plastic bags, wraps, and films are commonly used items that are not accepted in most municipal recycling programs. NPV started collecting plastic bags and film for recycling via local grocery store programs. Collaborating with our Neighbors (Riverside, CA) Working together with a local E-waste company “A&G Electronics” employees from our Riverside, CA office went to neighboring businesses and collected e-waste during the month of April. The local businesses were very grateful, saying they didn’t know who to go to or how to go about it. 34 2019 Sustainability Report IN FY19, the New Providence, NJ Office: 12,000 Recycled over 12,000 k-cups 6,000 Saved over 6000 bags from landfills