by Alison Lueders, Great Green Editing
Here’s the seventh post in our series on local companies that have received the City of Tampa’s Green Business Designation. This week we highlight Birkitt Environmental Services, Inc., which provides environmental consulting services, project management, and permitting and certification assistance for projects throughout Florida. Birkitt has been in business since 1996 and received their designation in 2011.
Sustainable Practices
Of course, the core of Birkitt’s business is all about finding the balance between the needs of people and the needs of the environment. They perform wetlands, wildlife and water quality studies, prepare Environmental Assessments (EA) and Environmental Impact Statements (EIS), provide permitting and certification, and monitor a wide range of projects for public and private clients.
But the company itself also incorporates sustainable practices into everyday operations. These include:
Reducing solid waste by:
• Using recycled paper products
• Sending Holiday E-cards instead of mailing paper cards to all contacts
• Keeping records digitally rather than printing hard copies of project files
• Using a water filter on their sink instead of providing bottled water for staff
Minimizing water usage by:
• Installing drought tolerant plants
• Hand-watering plants when needed to reduce water consumption
• Trimming trees using ISA-certified Arborists and following best practices
Reducing energy consumption by:
• Turning lights off when not in use
• Shutting down all computers prior to leaving the office
• Insulating the entire attic and crawl space of their building
Business Results
Together these changes make for better business, as Birkitt enjoys:
• Lower electricity costs from insulating the attic and crawl space, which saves about $100 monthly on the electric bill
• Avoided costs for water, paper, and postage
• Happy customers, who appreciate that Birkitt “walks the talk” on sustainable practices while ensuring that projects are implemented in accordance with environmental regulations.
Looking Ahead
The company’s mascot is Spike, a bearded dragon.
For 2013, Birkitt has started a vegetable garden to provide fresh greens for this handsome fellow!
For more information about the Green Business Designation Program, contact Janet Harrison at 813-470-5055.