"Corporate commitment to environmental stewardship is essential to the quality of life for our children and our grandchildren. Our focus on sustainability has two primary elements. In our own operations, we are constantly looking for ways to use resources wisely and reduce our impact on the environment. We help our customers do the same by offering them a growing number of "green" products and services."
James T. Ryan, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Grainger
Why Sustainability?
Sustainability means meeting the present generation’s needs without compromising the future generation's ability to meet its own needs. Grainger can help customers achieve their sustainability goals by providing products and solutions to run their facilities in an environmentally responsible manner while also helping to take costs out of their operations.
Our Customers
As a leading supplier of Maintenance Repair and Operations (MRO) materials for facilities, Grainger has identified thousands of products that can help organizations "go green." These product offers span four categories to help customers identify solutions to help achieve their sustainability goals:
 |
Products that conserve energy reduce costs and emissions associated with the burning of fossil fuels. |
 |
Products that improve indoor air quality contain less toxins providing employees, customers and janitorial staff with a safer environment to work and do business. |
 |
Products that reduce waste help preserve our natural resources. This category includes items that help promote recycling and those that are made from renewable resources. |
 |
Products that conserve water help reduce water and sewer costs as well as preserve one of nature’s most precious resources. |
Helping to educate customers is also key to Grainger's sustainability goals. Working with a broad supplier network, Grainger is able to provide energy saving services and best practices to our customer network. Suppliers like GE, Georgia Pacific, 3M, American Standard, Fluke, Bradley, Sloan and Gojo are just a few that offer training and audits to help "green" facilities across the country.
Our Partnerships
Being a leader means partnering with decision makers and other leaders in the industry. Grainger is a proud member of the U.S. Green Building Council, an Energy Star Partner and a WaterSense Partner. Additionally, Grainger has strong relationships with major "green" product certification groups such as Green Seal, EcoLogo, the EPA's Design for the Environment program and UL Environmental Services. In October 2008, Grainger became the first industrial distributor to take the pledge for the Department of Energy's Quality Advocate program. As a Quality Advocate, Grainger has agreed to require all suppliers of LED products to provide performance test data. By making this commitment, Grainger helps to ensure that our customers receive quality LED lighting products accompanied by accurate and informative data about the environmental benefits and impact.
 |
In 2008, as a result of Energy Star products sold through Grainger, customers saved an estimated 152.4 million kWh/year, equivalent to electric bill savings of $16.9 million. The electricity savings is enough to light every household in Washington, D.C. for 115 days and the carbon emissions reductions are equivalent to removing 19,500 cars per year. Source: ENERGY STAR |
Our Operations
Grainger is working to set a new MRO standard for sustainable, environmentally safe operations. From adopting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards for new branch construction, to participating in numerous recycling programs, to working with the U.S. Green Building Council, the company is helping to preserve the natural resources within the communities where it does business. Grainger is the first industrial distributor to have LEED certified facilities. LEED certified facilities are not only more environmentally responsible, but also reduce energy costs by 30 percent, water usage by 35 to 50 percent, and overall waste by as much as 90 percent.
Other important initiatives include:
- In 2008, Grainger recycled over 1,400 tons of cardboard and paper in our distribution center operations.
- 100 percent of Grainger electronic equipment waste was recycled and kept out of landfills.
- Grainger branches have switched to a green cleaning program to maintain our facilities.
- Grainger is an EPA SmartWay certified shipper meaning our products are delivered to customers by carriers who have taken steps to reduce their environmental impact.
- Grainger is developing focused efforts around consolidating orders to use fewer boxes that will result in reduced waste.
Grainger's LEED Gold branch in Houma, LA is one of Grainger's eight currently operational LEED facilities.
LEED Certified Facilities: In October 2008, Grainger became the first industrial distributor to have a LEED certified facility. To date, Grainger operates eight LEED facilities.
- Branch 417 - New Iberia, LA: LEED Gold
- Branch 535 - Gonzales, LA: LEED Gold
- Branch 419 - Sulphur, LA: LEED Gold
- Branch 538 - Houma, LA: LEED Gold
- Branch 534 - South Baton Rouge, LA: LEED Gold
- Corporate Headquarters, Lake Forest, IL: LEED Gold
- Jacksonville, FL, Distribution Center: LEED Certified
- Chicago, IL, Offsite Storage: LEED Certified
Our Communities
The hallmark of Grainger's giving is its three-to-one matching charitable gifts program, which matches employee contributions up to $2,500 annually for a variety of important causes. Less than 1 percent of U.S. companies match at this rate.
In 2008, the total value of Grainger's charitable contributions - including product and cash donations - was $13 million.
As of August 2009, Grainger has joined an elite group of 170 corporations and become the first major industrial distributor to be certified as an EPA SmartWaySM Shipper Partner!
The EPA's voluntary SmartWaySM program includes carriers, shippers, logistics companies, and truck stops that are committed to reducing transportation-related emissions to improve air quality for the future. Each certified SmartWaySM partner is tasked to measure its freight-related carbon footprint, and to strive to meet its own action plan to become more efficient. By becoming more efficient in freight operations, companies realize savings in fuel and maintenance costs, AND reduce their carbon footprint. To date, SmartWaySM has saved the freight industry over $2 billion in annual fuel and maintenance costs.
Now that Grainger has achieved SmartWaySM Shipper status, Grainger will continue to reduce its third-party emissions throughout its vast distribution network with the support of a nationally recognized benchmark for sustainability excellence. Grainger will be communicating its efforts to the EPA regarding its use of SmartWaySM certified carriers, and also regarding initiatives within the Grainger network to become more environmentally friendly.
Here is a link to the SmartWay website: http://www.epa.gov/smartway