Grand Rapids e-waste recycler reaps plenty of ‘green’ from LEED design competition

By: Deborah Johnson Wood

Comprenew Environmental, a Grand Rapids-based e-waste recycler, received nearly 20 LEED designs from students for its building at 629 Ionia SW, the subject of the 2007 NaturalTalent Design Competition sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council Grand Rapids Chapter. The payoff has been in green.

Simple changes curtailed substantial heat loss in the 40,000-square-foot e-waste processing center. Keeping the massive garage doors closed, putting spring closers on the entry doors, and dropping the heat a couple of degrees reduced natural gas usage 40 cubic feet, saving $2,600 in three months.

“One GVSU design student did a study of our water usage and found out we were on track to use a million gallons in a year,” says Lynell Shooks, Comprenew spokesperson, “and our recycling process doesn’t use water and there are only 20 people in the building.”

So they called in the Grand Rapids Water Department, who showed them how to monitor the plumbing for leaks.

“We shut off everything at the end of the day, but the meter still showed usage in the morning,” Shooks says. “Some toilets ran continuously and we had leaks under some sinks. We found out leaks are expensive.”

After some simple repairs, the company used just 69 metered units in the first quarter this year compared to 334 metered units used in the first quarter of ’07. The cost savings? $980.42.

“It’s what you do as an organization that makes a difference,” Shooks says. “If you do a lot of little things they make a big difference.”

The company is moving ahead with plans to contain its storm water, create a rain garden and convert every light bulb to energy-saving bulbs.

Source: Lynell Shooks, Comprenew Environmental

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Deborah Johnson Wood is the development news editor for Rapid Growth Media. She can be contacted at [email protected].

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