In honor of April Sustainability Month and our citywide Keep Fishers Beautiful celebration, we spoke with two companies making strides in the conservation of energy and environment.
CEDIA
CEDIA is a global industry association for residential technology headquartered here in Fishers. As a leader, trainer, and certifying body for this industry, CEDIA holds a significant amount of influence over the residential technology market.
With this position, the company is not only able to function sustainably, but also teach others how to do the same. One of their education initiatives is providing their members with in-depth training, webinars, and panels over sustainability in the technology field. Through these discussions, CEDIA is using its position at the forefront of residential technology systems to spread sustainable practices and innovation throughout the world.
Another accomplishment of CEDIA was the creation of their Fishers headquarters, which was specifically built with efficiency in mind. First, the company sourced 34% of the building materials within an 185-mile radius. By doing this, they were able to reduce spending costs, as well as emissions, during the building process.
The building was set up to allow for energy-saving practices throughout its entire usage. The headquarters include motorized shades which lift and lower based on light availability to conserve heating and cooling costs. Their HVAC system is tied to the building which allows it to monitor when an area is vacant, and the system adjusts to vacant and non-vacant settings to avoid the overuse of unnecessary energy.
Ian Bryant, the Sr. Director of Strategic Partnerships, said that the creation of these headquarters was “a conscious effort to minimize energy consumption and support the trends that the City of Fishers is trying to promote.” Learn more about CEDIA here.
Interior photo by Susan Fleck.
IKEA
Globally, IKEA has accomplished a multitude of action items regarding environmental sustainability.
One campaign is the resale of used products. Through the As-Is Shop, IKEA has resold 31 million products which would have otherwise been discarded. They also recovered, repackaged, and sold 8 million products at affordable prices. Through this program and heavy routines around recycling, IKEA has been able to divert 638 tons, 87% of their total waste, away from a landfill in Fishers alone.
Another goal of the company is to increase the use of sustainable energy sources. They have engaged in a project to create and acquire these sources throughout the world. Currently, they own 547 wind turbines, 2 solar farms in 14 countries, and operate 935,000 solar panels on the roofs of their stores and warehouses.
In addition to these large projects, IKEA has been making changes to its products to encourage environmentally friendly practices. Holly Davidson, the Market Manager for IKEA Fishers stated that they “want to make it easy and affordable for customers to purchase sustainably sourced products they can feel good about.”
To do this, they have launched several initiatives to create a more sustainable shopping experience. The company has successfully phased out all single-use plastic products from their global home furnishing range. IKEA has also shifted 98% of their home furnishing materials to be made from renewable, recyclable, or recycled materials. Finally, the company now only offers LED light bulbs which encourage less energy consumption from their consumers. Learn more about IKEA’s sustainablility initiatives.
IKEA Fishers has partnered with the City of Fishers’ Keep Fishers Beautiful campaign to distribute reusable bags during their Arbor Day Event at the Fishers Farmers’ Market on May 1 at the NPD AMP (6 Municipal Drive). Learn more about the Farmers’ Market at playfishers.com/farmersmarket.
Check out other sustainable businesses in Fishers and find out how you can celebrate Keep Fishers Beautiful throughout the month of April.
Cassidy Robertson is a former Community Engagement and PR Intern for the City of Fishers. She enjoys shopping and eating local in downtown Fishers, and in her spare time, she loves working on puzzles and reading a good book. She also enjoys playing with her three dogs and loves watching Fishers continue to develop both as an economic and social hub.