Kitchen & Bath Sustainable

It’s very likely, if you live in the northeast that you’ve heard of Davis & Warshow.  The Maspeth, NY-based company has been a major supplier of kitchen and bath fixtures, tiles and plumbing products for 83 years. KBDN has featured D&W for its achievements in the past, and now K&B Sustainable is working with the company to bring you a snapshot of Implementing Green in action!

So what the heck am I talking about?  Davis & Warshow, which has eight sales showrooms and four distribution centers in New York City, Long Island and Westchester County, NY, is turning its original 8.5-acre Maspeth headquarters into what they are calling “Practically Green.”

“Practically Green” is D&W’s sustainability manifesto, a kind of small business model for committing to green in what the company calls a “pragmatic, progressive” way.

“There’s no way to flip a switch and be carbon neutral overnight,” says v.p. David Finkel.  The company has begun implementing the changes which it hopes will eventually lead the Maspeth location to qualify for LEED status.

The changes include steps that affect day-to-day business operations in all of its locations: making sure all paper products – used including printer paper, stationery and business cards — are made from 100% post-consumer waste.

Broader changes for Maspeth include the addition of an energy-efficient heating system, paving the way for the expected installation of an updated cooling system which will meet stringent performance standards, soon.  Light fixtures have been updated for efficiency.  The company is converting to dual-flush toilets, waterless urinals and faucetry with low-flow aerators and infrared touchless sensors.

D&W has retained YRG Sustainability Consultants to help the company research alternative energy sources such as solar and wind power to potentially move its facilities off the grid.

Perhaps  most important, the company has encouraged (and is providing incentives for) its employees to green their lives at work.  Carpools and community clean-up days are a start, and staff members are encouraged to take two paid work days per year to participate in community environmental programs.  Carpoolers, bikers and straphangers earn points for sharing the daily commute and are entered in a raffle for cash and prizes.  Fuel efficient vehicles are now provided for sales associates and the company has added a number of hybrid cars to its fleet.

Educational initiatives are under way, as well, to get the word about green out to the larger public.

So, in the coming weeks, K&B Sustainable is going to be keeping you updated with the latest developments in D&W’s ongoing commitment to sustainability.  Stay tuned for more Implementing Green in action!

This entry was posted on Friday, January 16th, 2009 at 3:37 pm and is filed under Andrea Girolamo, Green Building Programs, Implementing Green, green sites, leed, third party certifiers, usgbc. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.