Brickman has honored its branches at the company’s annual Sustainability Awards. The awards were created to recognize leaders in sustainable best practices, both to benefit Brickman’s customers with sustainable landscape services and to ensure Brickman branches are modeling sustainable business practices internally.
This year’s categories included Sustainable Landscape Services, Sustainable Business Practices and Sustainable Hybrid Efforts (featuring projects benefiting multiple stakeholders).
In addition to the standard categories, three special awards recognized individuals or branches going above and beyond to provide leadership in sustainable practices. Brickman’s Sustainability Pioneer Award went to the Long Grove, Ill., design/build branch, which began exploring ways to recycle green waste 17 years ago. Over the years, the branch has converted green waste into mulch onsite, realizing tremendous savings, both in cost and in material diverted from a landfill.
Brickman’s Indy City branch claimed the distinction of Most Sustainable branch. Just in this past year, Indy City has worked to improve air quality and increase water savings. The Brickman team substituted propane-fueled mowers and vehicles which produced significantly lower smog-forming emissions, greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide. In the same type of engine, propane averages 25 percent less greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline.
To reduce water waste, the Indy City branch offered irrigation audits to its customers. After fixing any leaks, the team installed smart controllers, rain buckets and soil sensors to more effectively manage water usage and render yearly water savings of almost 10 million gallons.
A special Sustainability Leadership Award went to Larry Cammarata, senior horticulturist with Brickman’s Midwest division. Cammarata’s expertise in sustainable landscape practices has helped Brickman develop a standardized Irrigation Management Audit, as well as a Sustainability Audit, to help socially responsible customers achieve their environmental and economic goals.
Brickman’s Sustainability Audit takes a holistic look at a property’s eco-system, including seven main components: water management, soil health care, plant health care, waste management, equipment innovations, storm water management and aquatic habitat management.