The company walked away with awards for waste reduction, transportation and electronics, beating out a field of federal agencies from around the country that were battling to lead by example in efforts of environmental stewardship. The Green Challenge encourages the agencies to conserve energy and resources, cut waste, reduce pollution and save money.
Argonne National Laboratory managed to implement an on-site composting program for landscaping materials and food waste that resulted in a 115-percent increase in composting. The facility also used increased its use of energy-efficient computers and other electronics by 63 percent. Finally, Argonne decreased its use of traditional vehicles by 91 percent using hybrid, bio-diesel and electric alternatives.
2014 was a very successful year for the Federal Green Challenge, with participants saving more that $24 million, 80 million gallons of water and 15,000 pounds of office paper, as well as diverting 390,000 tons of solid waste and giving certified third-party recyclers 490 tons of old electronics.
Argonne National Laboratory is a multidisciplinary science and engineering research center located at 9700 S. Cass Ave., Lemont.
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