Little Things Add Up to Big Savings when "Going Green"
Sometimes saving on little things, like the price of a cup for coffee, can lead to big savings. That’s what Delta Dental discovered when it ditched disposable paper cups in its headquarters office as just one part of a larger green program initiative.“This one little change – asking employees to use mugs and travels cups – already has saved about $30,000 annually,” said Gary D. Radine, president and CEO of Delta Dental of California, Delta Dental of New York and several other Delta Dental companies under common management. “We knew there would be some savings possible, but to see how quickly little things add up is inspiring us to look for more ways to help the environment and save at the same time.”
Not content with eliminating coffee cups alone, Delta Dental went on to retrofit light fixtures at its Mechanicsburg, Pa., location, racking up annual energy savings of about $29,000. Another $167,000 in savings occurred when the affiliated companies undertook a variety of paper-reduction efforts, such as producing an electronic annual report and eliminating carbon-copy forms and several other printed items.
While the overarching goal of Delta Dental’s green program is to conserve resources, as many other companies are doing, Delta Dental is re-examining common practices to see what simple changes might lead to new savings in both energy and expense.
“We’ve taken big steps too, like constructing a ‘greener’ facility in Georgia and switching our paper supply to conserve wood stock and cut down on carbon emissions,” Radine said. “It’s the easy things, though, that make for easy decisions to do the right thing, and we’d love to see other companies get inspired to make similar changes.”
Delta Dental’s comprehensive “green program” for all of its offices was developed in partnership with iReuse, a sustainability consulting firm. The program covers everything from small-scale waste reduction and recycling measures to large-scale projects, such as certifications for sustainable business programs and ENERGY STAR and LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certifications for several of its buildings.
Ken Kurtzig, CEO of iReuse, says Delta Dental’s approach is both comprehensive and methodical, leading toward measurable results.
“Facilities, Procurement, IT, Sales, HR and many other departments are all now involved in contributing to the sustainability goals of the organization, which is exciting to see,” said Kurtzig.
About Delta Dental
Delta Dental of California, Delta Dental Insurance Company, Delta Dental of Pennsylvania and its affiliated companies, along with Delta Dental of New York, provide dental benefits plans in 15 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. All are part of the Delta Dental Plans Association (DDPA), based in Oak Brook, Ill., which consists of 39 Delta Dental member companies licensed in all 50 states. The association collectively covers 54 million of the 173 million people nationwide with private dental insurance, making it by far the largest national system of dental plans.
About iReuse
iReuse provides comprehensive Sustainability Consulting Services and software to help companies reduce their environmental impact while maximizing their return on investment, whether it be from reduced costs, greater sales, higher public visibility, competitive advantage, or improved employee satisfaction and retention. Many top corporations have benefited from iReuse’s expertise in implementing a wide variety of sustainability programs, including power/water/waste conservation, carbon emissions reduction, sustainability tracking and reporting, employee programs, surplus materials reuse & recycling, and green procurement.