Members of the Cintas, a company whose services include document management, recently presented Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI) with its 2009 Environmental Award for recycling 42,000 tons of paper last year. The effort saved 357 trees; 7,980 gallons of oil; 147,000 gallons of water; and 63 cubic yards of landfill.

Nine of LSSI’s largest offices – including its Central Services Office in Des Plaines – participated in the document recycling program. “Next, we want to expand this program to all of our locations this year,” says Tom Dattalo, director of auditing who heads up LSSI’s “Green Team.” He adds that LSSI is also looking into the recycling of plastic bottles and aluminum cans.

Cintas hauls the paper away in a process that secures it under lock and key until it is shredded. Thus, confidential information included on documents to be shredded is preserved. Once the paper is shredded, it is baled and trucked northward to a paper plant in Wisconsin, where it is turned into recycled paper products, such as tissue paper and paper towels. This service does not cost LSSI any money.

Additional savings projected

In addition, ‘green’ efforts last year should save substantial amounts of money this year, according to Dattalo. In 2009, LSSI worked with U.S. Energy Department and the Illinois Department of Revenue to obtain an exemption that would exclude LSSI from paying a monthly natural gas usage tax because of the agency’s not-for-profit status. A ruling was made in LSSI’s favor, so the agency will avoid paying an estimated $50,000 annually.

Also, LSSI has been working with Commonwealth Edison on free energy audits at LSSI’s larger facilities. Estimates are that LSSI will save $70,000 annually at its four largest facilities, with the potential for an additional $15,000 in savings at St. Matthew Center for Health in Park Ridge and other facilities. This will be accomplished by implementing ComEd’s electric energy recommendations. ComEd will perform similar energy audits at LSSI’s mid-sized facilities to hopefully gain additional savings.

Finally, last year saw the addition of laptop computers for foster care caseworkers to help reduce the number of commuting miles incurred each year. It’s estimated that the use of laptops will reduce the number of miles driven by caseworkers by 240,000 miles annually, which will reduce LSSI’s existing carbon “footprint,” save at least $120,000 in mileage reimbursement and reduce CO2 pollutants put into the air. It also will save more than 12,000 gallons of gas per year, along with $36,000 in gasoline costs.

“As we care for the people we have been called in our mission to serve, part of that is caring for the environment because it impacts the quality of life for all of us,” says LSSI President Pr. Denver Bitner, who hopes that LSSI can “set the pace” for greening efforts at other organizations.