Sustainable Practices

At Reitmeier, we think big. Some people think we have our heads in the clouds, but everything that we’re thinking about up there has practical, sustainable implications down here on earth. Because if we can find a way to minimize our impact and bring balance to our environment, why wouldn’t we?

Balance

As a service-provider, Reitmeier’s ultimate goal is to bring balance to the environment of our community. We are invested in creating the right solution for our customers, and saving you much-needed time, energy, and money by maximizing the life of your HVAC equipment.

Today’s HVAC systems are incredibly complex and are designed to interface with energy saving devices and software that control your building’s equipment efficiently. We’ve empowered our team to design and execute industry best practices to ensure that your HVAC operates with ultimate efficiency, reducing your impact on the environment and, ultimately, lowering your annual operating expenses. Reitmeier is uniquely qualified to design and install HVAC solutions for commercial LEED projects and is dedicated to meeting sustainability goals with each of our services.

Leading the Way

At Reitmeier, we strive to achieve sustainability in everything we do. Our mission of “balance” extends to our company practices and their impact on the environment. We’re committed to exploring all avenues available for the recycling and use of green building products, and relentlessly seek technologies that expand our ability to utilize all sources of renewable energy.

Sustainability weighs into every decision that we make. And it’s the driving force behind our approach to resource lifecycle management. At every step of our process, Reitmeier diverts waste from landfills and incinerators, minimizing the impact that our products and services have on the community. In everything we do, the Reitmeier team makes a conscious effort to bring balance to our clients’ environment – while protecting, preserving, and promoting the one that we share.

Reitmeier was certified in 2017 as a B Corporation. B Corporations must pass rigorous standards of environmental and social performance, accountability, and transparency. This was a natural step for us to formalize our relentless commitment to sustainability.

Reitmeier Environmental Policy

Click here to download the Reitmeier Environmental Policy and learn why Reitmeier sets the bar for sustainable practices.

Below is a growing list of all of the things we are doing to achieve our big vision of becoming a zero-waste organization:

1) Air filter recycling

In 2015, we began recycling all of our air filters. With our new system in place, zero percent of our clients’ filters end up in a landfill or in their on-site dumpster.

2) Sustainable Office Practices

Reitmeier has added many environmentally-sustainable practices into our day-to-day activities to reduce, reuse, and recycle including:

  • Installing water filtration system to eliminate the use of plastic water bottles
  • Converting our dispatch board from paper to digital, saving approximately 10 reams/5,000 pieces of paper a month alone
  • Recycling K-Cups through the Grounds to Grow On program
  • Installing motion-sensor surge protectors to save electricity
  • Purchasing paper products used throughout company are 100% recycled or post-consumer recycled (e.g., business cards, brochures, toilet paper, copy paper, etc.)
  • Building our office headquarters according to LEED Silver Certified Standards (see more details below)
  • Composting all leftover food in our breakroom
  • Deploying recycling containers for each and every desk, office, and company vehicle
  • Investing in high-efficiency vehicles 

With a little planning and effort, you can begin to reduce your waste in a manner that’s easy to run and fun for your team. And then – just as we’ve done at Reitmeier – you can add on to your efforts over time. Learn how to set up a recycling program at your company.

 

3) On-Site Reuse and Reclaiming

Packaging materials, cardboard, extra metals, and wood are all inevitable byproducts of our long-term projects. But while these supplies are all necessary for us to do our job, we can control whether they go to waste.

We make a conscious effort to practice sustainable reuse and reclaiming of materials by putting bins directly on-site for recycling. Once these bins get filled, we cut out the middle man (and use less gasoline) by not moving the materials back to our office—they go straight to centers for reuse and reclaiming.

In addition, our HVAC techs reclaim/recover ALL refrigerants on site through the use of recovery equipment, and ship to a reclaim facility for disposal.

4) GREEN BUILDING – LEED CERTIFIED

In 2009, Reitmeier relocated, and the new headquarters were designed to embody our commitment to sustainable practices. During redesign and construction, we implemented green building techniques focused on energy efficiency, construction waste diversion and material reuse to achieve LEED Silver certification.

We made a priority of sourcing regional building products made from recycled content or rapidly renewable materials with low VOC content. As part of our commitment to sustainable practices, Reitmeier signed a two year contract with Portland General Electric (PGE) for Green Source Power, opting to offset 100% of our electricity use with renewable energy.

Pay a visit to our headquarters and you’ll see that our commitment to sustainability extends beyond the products and services we provide to our clients. We practice what we preach, and continue to push the envelope with innovative HVAC systems and solutions that conserve energy and bring balance to our environment.

Want to learn more about how Reitmeier can bring sustainable practices to your HVAC operations? Contact us today!