l-r: Andrew Thorpe-Staples VP Retail Design, Mara LaVoice, GreenTech VP Sales & Marketing, Bob Valair, Staples Director of Energy and Environmental Mgmt.
When the 2011 Platts Global Energy Awards were handed out at a gala dinner in New York last week, Staples stepped up to the podium for the second year in a row to be recognized for its Energy Efficiency program, coming in first in the “end-user” category. GreenTech was pleased to be a participant in the celebration; as a Staples vendor, we have designed and installed lighting retrofits in the company’s distribution centers and retail stores across the country.
The lighting projects are just one component of the “Staples Sustainability Program,” which has made waste reduction and energy efficiency a core value of the nation’s leading office supply company. Other pieces of the energy efficiency puzzle include “smart grid” technologies, heating and air-conditioning optimization techniques, automated demand-response technologies, and “green IT” initiatives. Staples has also launched a multi-year educational campaign designed to teach all its stakeholders that energy-conscious behavior is good for the environment, society, and the company’s bottom line.
Staples was among 21 winners announced in 19 categories at the awards dinner. Nearly 500 energy executives from around the world attend this annual black-tie event, often described as the “Oscars” of energy. Platts, the producer of this event, is a leading global provider of energy, petrochemicals and metals information.