Raleigh, N.C. — A recent survey on facility sustainability shows that more companies are prone to putting down greener roots these days.  

Techniques such as designing a building so that it significantly reduces the amount of water needed for operation – or locating a site so that it does not disturb any nearby wetlands, soil or streams – are being utilized by more companies, according to the recent Facility Sustainability Survey Report by Tompkins Supply Chain Consortium.   

In addition, more companies are installing systems to allow them to capture waste water for reuse.

Enlarge this picture

“While businesses are still seeking to achieve an acceptable ROI for their green building initiatives, they are also beginning to show a greater general concern for the environment,” says Bruce Tompkins, Executive Director of Tompkins Supply Chain Consortium and author of the report. “Decisions are still being made based on the bottom line, but this general concern shows that companies are increasing their triple bottom line – benefiting three elements: people, planet and profit.”  

Data from the report shows that 65% of the survey respondents always locate their site away from floodplains, prime farmland, habitats for endangered or threatened species, and wetlands. And 67% always eliminate all pollution from the building to control erosion, runoff to storm sewers or local waterways, and dust generation.

Another interesting finding from the survey shows how advancements in controls technology have led to greatly increased efficiencies in buildings and facilities. Controls for HVAC, lighting, CO2 and other systems are now being managed with total building systems to optimize the comfort and safety of occupants and minimize energy, water and emissions. (See tables for more details.)

Enlarge this picture

The Facility Sustainability Report is the third of a four-part series on green supply chains conducted by Tompkins’ Supply Chain Consortium. The series includes:

Part I: Packaging Sustainability (September 2009)
Part II: Transportation Sustainability (December 2009)
Part III: Facility Sustainability (January 2010)
Part IV: Waste and Recycling (2010)

These additional sustainability resources are available at www.tompkinsinc.com/sustainable-business.

To learn more about Tompkins’ Supply Chain Consortium, visit the website and choose the "new member" option. The consortium also has a LinkedIn group for companies that are interested in staying current on the latest in supply chain benchmarking and best practices.


About Tompkins’ Supply Chain Consortium 
Tompkins’ Supply Chain Consortium is the premier source for supply chain benchmarking and best practices knowledge. With more than 300 participating retail, manufacturing and wholesale/distribution companies, the Consortium sponsors a comprehensive repository of 17,000-plus benchmarks complemented by search capabilities, online analysis tools, topic forums and peer networking for supply chain executives and practitioners. The Consortium is led by the needs of its membership and an Advisory Board that includes executives from Campbell Soup Company, Hallmark Cards, Hewlett Packard, Ingram Micro, Kraft Foods, Miller-Coors, The Coca-Cola Company, Target, and True Value Hardware. To learn more about how your company can become a member of the Supply Chain Consortium, contact John Foley, 919-855-5461 or visit www.supplychainconsortium.com.