NEW YORK—Last week, Earth Week, marked Designtex’s second year of carbon neutral operations. Designtex has continued its partnership again this year with NativeEnergy, a leading provider of carbon offsets, renewable energy credits, and carbon footprint consulting. NativeEnergy assessed Designtex’s total operational footprint for 2011 according to the World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Greenhouse Gas Protocols. The resulting footprint of 4075 tons of CO2 emissions this year includes all Designtex facilities’ energy use, business travel, freight (inbound and outbound shipments), employee commuting, and waste. A summary of the report is available on Designtex’s website.
Of the total footprint, the majority (3341 tons CO2) will be offset through investment in the Wewoka Biogas Project, with the remaining tons (734 from electricity use) to be balanced through Green-e certified renewable energy credits (RECs) from Midwest wind power.
“Designtex’s commitment combined with decisive action is exemplary,” said Jeff Bernicke, president of NativeEnergy. “Their purchase of offsets from the Wewoka carbon project is truly helping to build that new facility. NativeEnergy is pleased to include them as a Project Supporter of Wewoka Biogas Project.”
Description of Biogas Project
The Wewoka Biogas Project is an innovative “fenceline” project that establishes a landfill gas-to-energy system in rural Oklahoma. The Commercial Brick Corp. has been producing bricks in Wewoka since 1925. Traditionally relying on expensive natural gas for fuel, owner Bob Hartsock realized that the highly potent greenhouse gas methane being released from the landfill next door could be captured and used to power his kilns. NativeEnergy’s innovative Help Build carbon offsets allow Designtex, among other companies, to enable the construction of this community-based project.
The Wewoka Biogas Project will be verified to the Voluntary Carbon Standard to show that approximately 25,000 to 30,000 tons of CO2 equivalents per year will be prevented from being released to the atmosphere. When it becomes operational in summer 2011, the project will connect Designtex to real bricks (if not mortar) that will be used to build homes and businesses throughout the United States.
“Designtex is proud to operate at net zero carbon, and we will continue to address the pressing need for renewable energy sources and greenhouse gas reductions through our actions,” said Tom Hamilton, president and CEO of Designtex.
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