Green building to generate
$554B from 2009-2013
By Jim Johnson
Green building will contribute
$554 billion to the U.S. economy
from 2009 to 2013, a new study
indicates.
The U.S. Green Building
Council and consulting firm Booz
Allen Hamilton unveiled the
findings at the council’s annual
Greenbuild International Conference & Expo recently in
Phoenix.
The report also forecasts that
7. 9 million jobs will be created or
saved from 2009 to 2013 due to
green building.
“Our goal is for the phrase
‘green building’ to become obsolete, by making all building and
retrofits green — and transforming every job in our industry into a green job,” said Rick
Fedrizzi, president and CEO of
the USGBC.
An official with Booz Allen
Hamilton said green building is
becoming more and more commonplace.
“The study demonstrates that
investing in green buildings
contributes significantly to our
nation’s wealth while creating
jobs in a range of occupations,
from carpenters to cost estimators,” said Gary Rahl, an officer
with the company. “In many
ways, green construction is becoming the standard for development.
“As a result, it is expected to
support nearly 8 million jobs
over the next five years, a number four times higher than the
previous five years,” Rahl said.
The report indicates that 2. 4
million jobs were created or
saved by the green construction
market from 2000 to 2008. That
number is forecasted to increase
to 7. 9 million from 2009 to
2013.
Wages from 2000 to 2008 totaled $123 billion in the green
construction market and are expected to jump to $396 billion
from 2009 to 2013, the study indicated. Energy savings from
green construction totaled $1.3
billion from 2000 to 2008 and are
forecasted to increase to $6 billion from 2009 to 2013.
The study is available at
www.usgbc.org/greeneconomy.
Meanwhile, tenants in green
buildings are more productive
and use fewer sick days, another
new study by the University of
San Diego and CB Richard Ellis
Group Inc. reports.
Green buildings also have lower vacancy and higher rental
rates, according to the report,
“Do Green Buildings Make Dollars and Sense?”
Environmentally friendly, or
green buildings, have vacancy
rates that are 3.5% lower and
rental rates that are 13% higher
than the market, the study indicated.
“The results of this project are
beginning to demonstrate the
very real and positive impact of
sustainable buildings for both
our owners and tenant occupants. We have been seeking
ways to make an empirical case
for the economic benefits of sustainable practices and the results of this study exceeded our
expectations,” said Dave Pogue,
national director of sustainabili-ty at CBRE, a commercial real
estate services firm.
Those responding to the survey reported an average decrease of 2.88 sick days in their
green offices compared to their
previous non-green offices. And
55% of the respondents said
that employee productivity improved.
“The results of this project are
beginning to demonstrate the
very real and positive impact of
sustainable buildings for both
our owners and tenant occupants,” Pogue said. ■
Contact Waste & Recycling News senior
reporter Jim Johnson at 937-964-1289 or
jpjohnson@crain.com
WASTE INDUSTRY BRIEFS
SOLID WASTE
Oakleaf names Rao operations chief
Oakleaf Waste Management has a new chief operating officer.
The East Hartford, Conn.-based company named Santosh Rao to the
position. Rao succeeds Aaron Furman, who rejoined Oakleaf in May after retiring in 2007. Furman came back to help in the transition to a
new CEO and the launch of major initiatives, the company said.
“I am thrilled to have Santosh join the Oakleaf team. He brings to
us deep leadership experience that will help Oakleaf stay ahead of
the curve in a changing industry. Santosh will focus heavily on driving greater operational and technological sophistication in the business as we expand our services and further automate our operations,”
CEO Steve Preston said.
Furman will continue to work with Oakleaf on what the company
calls “selected business initiatives.”
Rao has more than more than 20 years of experience at technology,
services and manufacturing companies.
Oakleaf is a waste outsourcing company that contracts with major
corporations for waste and recycling services. The company then uses
a network of waste haulers and recyclers around the country to perform the work.
Casella posts $1.6M loss for fiscal 2Q
Casella Waste Systems Inc. posted a loss for the second quarter of
the company’s 2010 fiscal year, but its CEO said the firm “continues
to exhibit resiliency.”
The Rutland, Vt.-based solid waste management company lost $1.6
million, or 6 cents per share, on revenue of $133.7 million for the
quarter. That compares with a profit of $2.1 million, or 8 cents per
share, on revenue of $157.5 million for the same quarter last year.
“With the solid waste group generating stable cash flows and the
recycling group rebounding with strengthening commodity prices,
our business continues to exhibit resiliency through the economic
downturn,” John W. Casella, chairman and CEO of Casella Waste
Systems, said.
Recycling commodity pricing is up 16% from the first fiscal quarter,
but still down 41% from year-ago numbers, the company said.
LITTERING
Study: Litter has fallen 61% in 40 years
Littering has decreased by 61% in America during the past 40
years, but remains a significant problem, according to a new study by
Keep America Beautiful Inc.
The non-profit organization is out with results from the largest litter study ever conducted in the United States and what the group
calls the first major national litter study in 40 years.
“Our research clearly shows that while major progress has been
made in reducing litter, more remains to be done,” said Matthew M.
McKenna, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful.
The survey also concluded that littering costs the country $11.5 billion per year.
Keep America Beautiful conducted a series of surveys in 2008 and
2009 examining littering. They included observing nearly 100,000 people in 130 locations in 10 states as well as measurement of roadway litter in 45 metropolitan areas and non-roadway litter in 180 locations.
RECYCLING
Stay Safe Shred buys PRIDE Industries
Stay Safe Shred and Recycle of El Dorado Hills, Calif., is making
an acquisition that significantly increases its document shredding
and recycling services.
Stay Safe has purchased the document destruction business line of
PRIDE Industries of Roseville, Calif.
“By adding PRIDE Industries’ document shredding and recycling
equipment and customers, Stay Safe Shred and Recycle will be able
to help ensure that a greater number of businesses statewide can rest
assured that their sensitive information has been properly destroyed,” said Ken Shoemake, CEO of Stay Safe Solutions.
Stay Safe recycles 100% of the material the company shreds.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, and employees of PRIDE Industries document destruction business will become Stay Safe employees, the company said.
WASTERECYCLINGNEWS.COM TOP 10 STORIES
1. Billionaire purchases 3.625M shares of Republic Services (Nov. 17)
2. Coca-Cola to use bottles made from plant materials (Nov. 16)
3. WM of Orange County opens recycling sort line in Irvine (Nov. 19)
4. KAB to coordinate America Recycles Day on Nov. 15 (Nov. 13)
5. Ohio city agrees to address sewage overflow problems (Nov. 16)
6. Pa. trash trucks cited for safety, operational violations (Nov. 18)
7. Federal grant to help demonstrate reuse of C&D debris (Nov. 13)
8. EPA will fund 21 projects capturing methane emissions (Nov. 13)
9. Labrie Environmental wins 2009 Swedish Steel Prize (Nov. 18)
10. Firm: Americans want to recycle end-of-life electronics (Nov. 19)
For the week of Nov. 13-20, 2009. To view these and all of Waste & Recycling News’ online stories, go to www.wasterecyclingnews.com.
