“Sustainability” has become something of a buzzword within the real estate community – and for a good reason. Facility owners and managers are becoming increasingly aware of the need to prioritize ESG (environmental, social, and governance) strategies to combat climate change, preserve asset value, and appeal to eco-forward occupants and investors.
Simply put: it pays to invest in sustainability. According to the Carbon Disclosure Project (GDP), supply chains are accountable for up to four times the greenhouse gas emissions of a company’s direct operations. It makes sense that companies seek out green suppliers within their supply chain as a way to shrink their carbon footprint.
Canadian-based Executive Mat Service, an ISO14001 certified supplier of floor matting is an example of a GREEN supplier. “Not many people consider how matting can make a difference when it comes to climate change and sustainability, but the truth is mat materials and cleaning techniques are significant factors,” says Jeff Grabinsky, Vice-President of Business Development with Executive Mat Service.
Embodying innovation: A case study
Executive Mat Service (EMS) is one specialist that’s answering this call. Founded in 1996, the mat rental company works with clients throughout Canada to cover their
sustainability goals.
“Our goal from the start has been to tackle climate change from an embodied carbon standpoint, whether that’s through the way we make our mats or how we clean them,” says Grabinsky.
To do so, the company employs several mat rental innovations and approaches to bring a greener touch to the business. Highlights include:
Carbon-friendly matting: EMS has developed the all-new Weather-Stopper™ matting, scientifically proven to improve building cleanliness and safety. The Weather-Stopping™ is more robust compared to traditional matting and comes with 60% less embodied carbon.
Patented cleaning tech: EMS uses a patented CDF mat wash and sanitize system developed by the company’s founder, Kim Caron, that reduces carbon pollution by 98%.
Carbon tracking: EMS provides a CO2 carbon intensity measure for each floor matting SKU on its invoicing. It also provides reporting services to help its clients track their ESG initiatives.
“If you think about it, most CO2 tracking is focused on vehicles, your lighting, or the cement that goes into your building. What we’re doing is showing how the mats coming in and out of the building also make an impact,” says Grabinsky.
Scope 3 indirect carbon emissions: Building operators who factor Scope 3 carbon intensity into their climate strategies quickly realize matting programs come with a significant carbon footprint. For example, a single 3’X10′ floor mat serviced one time per week produces up to 571 lbs of CO2 pollution per year. Switching to an EMS matting program will reduce CO2 pollution by over 98%.
One-Billion Pound CO2 challenge: Through this in-house initiative, EMS is committed to helping current and future customers divert or reduce One-Billion pounds of CO2 by using EMS’s matting products and services. Moreover, the company maintains an online Sustainability Ledger that helps clients track their progress.
Crypto-clean: A little incentive never hurts. To that end, EMS created an “eco-bit” cryptocurrency to reward low carbon behaviours among its customers. Eco-bit tokens are a new form of crypto-currency. Each eco-bit represents 1-pound of CO2 reduction over the course of a calendar year.
Financial rewards: EMS provides a value-add discount to new customers. After year one of implementing their new EMS matting program, customers can opt to have their building’s CO2 reduction quantified and validated by a third party. Results are then tiered against the Canadian Federal carbon tax rate, and appropriate discounts are applied to the second year of the customer’s program.
On the ground floor
The call for greener, more efficient, low-carbon buildings is hard to ignore. And whether driven by climate change anxieties or ESG-focused stakeholders, facility teams are taking this call as their cue to rethink every aspect of their operations.
“Sustainability is a big priority right now,” insists Grabinsky. “What we want to do is give facility stakeholders an easy way to make good on their ESG goals while also outfitting their spaces with strong, durable matting.”
Executive Mat Service is Canada’s only ISO14001 (Environmental) & COR Safety Certified mat rental company in Canada. For more, visit www.executivemat.com, email info@executivemat.com, or call 1-877-290-7711.
