Going Green
E-power Business
Honor Roll Member
Fairmount has been making efforts for years to “go green” and continues to do so. Driven by our core value of Community, we recognize that all of our actions have an effect on others in the local and global community around us.
Following is a list of some of the efforts Fairmount is making:
- Plastic, glass, paper, newspaper and cardboard are recycled
- Using bulk salt with an automatic brine delivery system eliminates the need for bagged salt, which has reduced our carbon footprint by over 50,000 pounds of carbon dioxide annually over the past number of years.Use of this system avoids sending thousands of plastic bags to the landfill each year, as well as eliminating the need for pallets and stretch wrap. There have been no employee injuries related to the handling of salt since installing the system.
- Energy-saving compact fluorescent and LED light bulbs are used where possible. All areas which are renovated and any newly constructed areas/buildings will be outfitted with LEDs. Fairmount is encouraging all residents to use LED light bulbs throughout their residences.
- Fairmount pays to recycle old fluorescent bulbs through a program to keep mercury out of our landfills. Since 2006, Fairmount has been purchasing low mercury bulbs to keep mercury out of landfills.
- Fairmount continues to replace older 5- and 3.2-gallon toilets with 1.6-gallon toilets as much as possible.Most of our cottages now are equipped with 1.6-gallon toilets. Any new construction or renovated areas use 1.6-gallon.
- Fairmount uses mulching mowers where possible to add natural nutrients to the lawns.
- For the past several years, Fairmount has been replacing cleaning chemicals with more environmentally friendly products.
- Fairmount is replacing old motors with soft-start motors as possible, to save on electric consumption.
- Old appliances (including air-conditioners, refrigerators and some hot water heaters) are recycled.
- Fairmount converted to all flat panel computer monitors several years ago to reduce electric consumption.
- Fairmount replaces broken heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems with ozone-friendly refrigerant type (410-A).
- For renovation of our healthcare building, we purchased carpeting made of recycled fibers.
- Documents are being shared within the organization in an electronic form instead of paper copies, wherever possible.
- Large documents are distributed through the organization through e-mail or are saved to disc.
- We have purchased and are using a GEM electric vehicle for transporting items across the campus.
