SANTA ROSA, Calif. — Redwood Credit Union's environmental efforts at its new corporate facility have not gone unnoticed.
The credit union was recently honored with a "Best Practices" award from the Sonoma County Business Environmental Alliance for its use of environmentally-responsible materials and energy conservation efforts in their newly remodeled corporate facility.
The Sonoma County BEA promotes the economic benefits of responsible environmental practices and provides resources to enable businesses to implement these measures.
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"We are honored to receive the BEA Award. RCU is committed to doing the right thing in all aspects of our business, so it was natural for us to pursue ways to conserve water and energy as well as to use recycled and renewable resources during our corporate facility remodel," said RCU Executive Vice President/Chief Financial Officer Steven Stapp. "Not only is it the environmentally and socially responsible thing to do, but it will also realize long-term cost savings which will benefit our members, the environment, our employees and our communities.
Noteworthy elements of Redwood Credit Union's focus on environmentally sound practices during the remodel of their building include: recycling building materials from the interior demolition; using recycled materials throughout the building including carpeting, linoleum, hardwood flooring, and lighting fixtures; water-efficient landscaping surrounding the building; automatic "stepped lighting" devices that sense available daylight levels and switch off when existing light is available; motion sensors that detect when a room is unoccupied; EnergyStar compliant appliances; and waterless urinals and dual-flush low-flow toilets.
In addition, low-flow toilets and landscaping choices are anticipated to save 1.5 to 2 million gallons of water per year, which translates into estimated savings of $60,000 or more annually.
Throughout the remodel process, RCU remained committed to creating an environmentally friendly building, which included pursuing a Leadership in Energy and Environment Design or "green" certification. The credit union has applied for and hopes to receive a LEED certification within the year. They have also implemented internal recycling programs, with recycle bins at each employee workstation.
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