At Namasté Solar, we’re proud to say that we live with the technology we sell and that we lead ecologically conscious lifestyles. From xeriscaped yards to bicycle commutes, we continuously strive to “walk our talk” and set a positive example for our community, both locally and globally.
We recycle all cardboard and plastic shrink wrap that is used to ship solar panels to our offices. Other hardware and materials which come in cardboard boxes and plastic bags or bubble wrap are reused and/or recycled. We are proud to say that 90% of our office supplies are recycled, recyclable, or reusable.
Our company kitchen is designed to accommodate zero waste by providing the full spectrum of recycling and composting options. When we do use disposable dishes/flatware/cups we use compostable items whenever possible. All decisions made in the company that have the potential to create waste are filtered through our own zero waste sensibilities.
Our Boulder kitchen's zero-waste station has labeled bins for paper, compost, plastic bags, and commingled containers. These labels are complete with instructions regarding acceptable and non-acceptable items. All workstations have both paper and trash bins. Each bathroom has a bin for trash, but also a bin for compostable items such as tissues and paper towels. Our warehouse has additional bins for scrap metal, shrink-wrap and other recyclables. In addition to commingled containers, office paper, cardboard and compost collection, we collect and recycle: scrap wood and pallets, scrap metals, bare and insulated wire scraps, bubble-wrap and Styrofoam peanuts, plastic shrink-wrap, paper and plastic grocery bags, plastic hardware bags, computers, electronics and IT equipment, hard-block foam, durable plastics, batteries and fluorescent light tubes.
By recycling all of these items, our company has been able to reduce our waste stream to about 15% of incoming materials.
In early 2010, Namasté Solar was awarded LEED Gold certification from the U.S Green Building Council for the company’s main office located in North Boulder. Some of the building highlights include renovating an existing building using recycled and reclaimed building materials, In addition, the company’s Denver office is located at 3330 Larimer Street. The Good Building, as it is called, was Denver’s first certified LEED Core & Shell designation for an existing building. The building includes: solar photovoltaic arrays, daylit workspaces throughout the building, non-toxic building materials, increased insulation values throughout, off-site clean energy creation, and water conservation through volume bathroom fixtures.
fuel-efficient vehicles, water efficiency, daylight responsive lighting controls, zero-waste recycling and compost center, open work stations made from 90% recycled content (a non-cubicle culture), and two solar photovoltaic systems (2.26kW awning system and 7.2kW roof system).