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Log Home Mill Recycling Effort Slashes Landfill Waste
Golden Eagle Log Homes announced last month that its new in-house recycling initiative is reducing the amount of waste from its log-home manufacturing facility going to landfills by about 90,000 pounds annually, resulting in a 70% savings in waste-removal costs.
Prior to the new recycling program, Golden Eagle was using a 40-yard dumpster to hold approximately 1,080 cubic feet of waste. All of the scrap from the company’s mill went into the dumpster — with the exception of wood shavings used for bedding live stock. The mill produced enough waste to fill a dumpster once or twice a month.
Recognizing that this was having a significant environmental impact, Golden Eagle’s management established an employee-run committee to reduce waste and recycle more efficiently. Employees throughout the company identified opportunities to meet this goal and implemented the necessary changes with full support from the manufacturer’s owners, Jay and Tod Parmeter.
“Our mill has gone from a 40-yard dumpster to a 6-yard one, and our wood waste is now bought by a local wood chip manufacturer to be turned into wood mulch for landscaping homes,” said Jay Parmeter.
“All metal banding for lumber is separated and sold to a local scrap yard,” he said. “Even in the corporate office, all internal printing is done on both sides of the paper, cutting paper usage and waste in half. It’s really a great feeling to not only provide a service to neighboring businesses, but to help the environment as well. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure; it goes to show that recycling can really benefit us all.”
Golden Eagle also wants to make recycling and sustainability a priority for its customers, said Mike Bronk, who is the facilitator of the recycling initiative.
“In addition to manufacturing energy-efficient homes,” said Bronk, “we’re dedicated to promoting an appreciation for the value of the energy-efficient products that go into our clients’ homes. It starts here at our facility and carries all the way through to the homes we create."
Located in Wisconsin Rapids, Wis., the 44-year-old company is a member of NAHB’s Log Homes Council.
For more information about resources available from NAHB’s Building Systems Councils, e-mail Tony Gacek, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8357.
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