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Waste Management
Oakleaf Waste Management, East Hartford, Conn., has purchased the contract between The Home Depot and TrashBeeGone. The contract covers the Eastern United States (Oakleaf was awarded the contract for the Western United States directly). Under the arrangement, which makes Oakleaf the exclusive national trash container-rental provider for Home Depot, contractors and homebuilders can order bins by calling Oakleaf’s call center. Representatives will work with clients to determine optimum container size, when it needs to be delivered and other details.
Facilities
California Shopping Cart Retrieval Corp., Burbank, Calif., a subsidiary of the California Grocers Association, will serve as the exclusive representative of Green Bay, Wis.-based PureCart Systems in California and Nevada. The PureCart system sanitizes grocery carts by spraying them with a solution approved by the Food and Drug Administration as being safe for human and food contact. The no-rinse, lemon-scented solution has been proven to kill more than 99% of the bacteria found on shopping carts.
Floor Maintenance
Tennant Co., Minneapolis, has completed the acquisition of U.K.-based Floorep Ltd.
Lighting
GE Consumer & Industrial’s GELcore, LLC has changed its name to Lumination, LLC. The company plans to introduce numerous white LED signage, commercial refrigeration, architectural and general illumination solutions in 2007, as well as a white LED emitter that targets high quality-of-light general illumination applications.
Costco Implements Solar-Power System
Costco Wholesale Corp. has installed a solar-powered energy system on the roof of its store in Lake Elsinore, Calif. SunEdison, Baltimore, provided the turnkey system, which is expected to supply in excess of 725,000 kilowatt hours annually over its expected lifespan of 25 years. The system is expected to save the retailer more than $3.8 million in energy expenditures over the 25-year period. The clean energy produced by the system will eliminate an estimated 1 million lbs. of carbon dioxide annually.
“The solar roof gives us an important addition to the list of technologies available to us to reduce our purchases of electricity and reduce our impact on the environment,” said Craig Peal, assistant VP for energy/building controls, Costco Wholesale Club, Issaquah, Wash.
By delivering a turnkey system, SunEdison simplified the implementation process, which includes engineering, permitting, metering and meeting other regulatory requirements.
San Francisco Considers Mandating Green Building
In a move that could impact future retail development, San Francisco is looking to become one of the first big cities in the nation to require that new, privately developed buildings meet rigorous standards of environmental friendliness.
In September, the city initiated a fast-track permitting program for developers who voluntarily met the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. The program has met with an enthusiastic response from developers, according to various reports, and city planners are now considering proposing a mandatory green-building program for large projects. The mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, is said to support the idea, which will require approval from the Board of Supervisors.
A handful of cities in the Bay Area already have mandatory green standards, including Pleasanton, Novato and Livermore.
Concrete Moisture Guide
Concrete moisture and how it affects floor coverings and related materials such as glue has become such a concern that the American Concrete Institute has released a comprehensive guide on the subject. The 42-page document, entitled “Guide for Concrete Slabs That Receive Moisture-Sensitive Flooring Materials,” contains materials, design and construction recommendations for concrete slabs on ground and suspected slabs that are to receive moisture-sensitive flooring materials.
To order the guide or learn more, call ACI at (248) 848-3700.