Boeing recycling practices nets $60 million

At The Boeing Co., being green isn't just good for the environment -- it's good for business.

The aerospace company said it made more than $60 million last year as part of its massive recycling efforts, which included selling scrap metal and hawking used drill bits, safety glasses, wood containers and other excess goods at its six surplus stores in three states.

"It's a sound business practice," said Bob Jorgensen, a Boeing spokesman. "When we look at Earth Day, we don't jump up and down and say, 'Let's get a campaign.' Every day is Earth Day at Boeing. We do this for two reasons: It's the smart thing to do from a business perspective, and it's the right thing to do to be a good neighbor."

Several other Puget Sound-area businesses echoed Jorgensen's comments, saying that although Earth Day is Sunday, it's important to have a green footprint all year. They say such practices help retain and recruit high-level employees who are environmentally conscious, and they say it helps their corporate images.

Kyle Cahill, manager of corporate partnerships for New York-based Environmental Defense, said large and small companies are realizing that being green saves them money.

"All companies want to run more efficiently. Pollution is waste, and waste is costly," Cahill said.

Cahill said companies looking to adopt environmentally friendly practices could install energy-efficient lighting or use post-consumer waste recycled paper. He also said companies should use printers and copy machines that print on both sides and lease or buy vehicles that don't guzzle gas.

"Even if you get three to four miles more to the gallon ... that can save you a lot of gas money. And it can reduce a lot of emissions," Cahill said.

Cahill said Seattle-based Starbucks Corp. continually has been one of the leaders in protecting the environment, and he singled out the company for being one of the first, starting in 1996, to use corrugated paper sleeves instead of double cupping hot beverages.

"Today it sounds like a minor step," Cahill said. "But then they have continued to look at new ways to construct cups and use recycled content."

Starbucks also recently introduced its Planet Green Game, an interactive, educational Internet game that raises awareness about climate change. Starbucks gives a 10-cent discount to customers with reusable mugs, and it has a "Grounds for Your Garden" program that provides used coffee grounds free to customers as a soil amendment.

Other Puget Sound-area companies involved in environmental efforts include:

Costco Wholesale Corp., which reuses or recycles paper, tires, automotive batteries and light bulbs. The company also has solar roofs at warehouses in Lancaster and Lake Elsinore, Calif. Costco said any additional solar roofs would be limited to stores in California and Hawaii.

Nordstrom Inc., which this month began publishing its catalogs with 30 percent post-consumer waste recycled content. Since 2004, Nordstrom has reduced its catalog circulation by 70 percent, and it has been a member of the Organic Cotton Exchange.

"We want to make sure we are conducting business in a manner that our customers and employees can be proud of," said Deniz Anders, a Nordstrom spokeswoman. "It is less about being green for green sake, but rather respect for people and our communities."

Microsoft Corp. said its newest operating system, Windows Vista, is the most energy-efficient system to date with its "sleep" feature, which significantly reduces electrical use. The company's data center under construction in Quincy will use hydropower and green building technology. And at the Redmond headquarters, paper is required to contain 35 percent recycled content.

This is part of a series on ways to live "green" in the Emerald City. For more, go to seattlepi.com/environment, and see today's Go Green tip in Life and Arts, C1.