Gallery

Setting High Environmental Standards

Leaving a small environmental footprint has become a core value of the Abt family and a huge initiative for their business as well. Making the environment a better place for customers, employees, children, and future generations is one objective. Eliminating waste altogether is the ultimate goal, and reaching that goal is not far off.

- Watch the ABC 7 News Report
- Watch the WGN 9 News Report

Intelligent Energy Use
Natural light pours in from skylights during the day and aiding the natural light is a generator that Abt bought to power the electricity nine hours each day. The natural gas burning generator is an energy conserving power house that saves money while it burns cleaner than the coal used by the local utility company. In the warehouse, we use high-output t-5 florescent lights that are 60% more efficient than standard lighting. 17% of the lights that Abt uses are called pulsar lights. They use considerably less energy than any other normal light. In addition to the generator, we have windmills and solar panels creating energy.

Smart Choices
Abt has made the choice to eliminate paper catalogs, in favor of email and our website. This change has helped reduce the amount of C02 emissions that we put out. When out HR department communicates with our employees, it is done via email or electronic billbards displayed in employee areas.

All of the store displays are made from recycled material and created in-house. Food is brought in three days a week and Jolane's is on-site so that employees don't have to leave our facility to eat. If an employee would like to get out of the store for lunch, bikes are provided so that driving becomes unnecessary. We have an employee gym on-site; employees can make one trip to work and work out.

Customer education is just as important as employee education. At the customer service counter we have reusable Abt bags for customers. At Abt we have a smart car on display for customers to see and learn from. We also have the movie An Inconvenient Truth playing constantly to further educate all who may have some time to watch. Abt proudly celebrates Earth Day every year with younger customers. It's never too early to start good habits that benefit the environment.

Our Fleet
Abt's local delivery and service departments make 9,000 calls per week. From all of those stops, we recycle everything that comes back from the customer's homes and delivery trucks (packing material, old products, etc..). Abt is proud to use bio-diesel in 64 of the diesel trucks in the fleet. We also have end-loaders, Bob Cats, and dump trucks that use bio-diesel. Chuck Metoyer, Director of Fleet Operations, makes sure that all of the new gas vehicles being added to the fleet are E85-ready. Along with fueling Abt's Green Fleet with environmentally sound fuel, Abt sends the used oil, oil filters, coolant, and batteries from all of the trucks to get recycled. The Abt team has thought of so many details when it comes to the maintenance of the Green Fleet. Even the water that washes the trucks is recycled.

Green Program | The Three Rs | Recycle | Conservation