Environmental Responsibility
At Star, we recognize that our consumption of energy resources and materials can have an impact to the world around us. So we constantly strive to find ways to minimize our company’s carbon footprint, to more efficiently control and manage resource consumption, and to always promote and adopt eco-friendly practices as part of our business model.
Manufacturing programs, practices, and processes that are responsible to the environment
Star is committed to environmental sustainability through a variety of programs, practices, and processes, including:
- Promoting exhibit rental program alternatives, which are based on re-used exhibit components*
- Using powder coating paint technologies when possible**
- Utilizing products made with salvaged or recycled materials
- Purchasing building materials and components that conserve natural resources via the reduction of material use, extended durability, low maintenance, etc.
- Using non-toxic paints
- Utilizing products that reduce environmental impacts during construction.
- Utilizing products that contribute to a safe, healthy indoor environment, e.g., products that block introduction, development or speed of indoor contaminants such as dust, mold, germs, etc.
- Utilizing products and building components that improve light quality, visibility, and efficiency
- Continually sourcing products that are manufactured using a minimal number of parts, making them interchangeable, easier to assemble and environmentally sound
- Continually looking for ways to remove waste of motion, time, energy and resources from every step in the manufacturing process and regularly updates production practices
- Keeping up with advances in manufacturing technology that are more efficient and less resource intensive
- Keeping up to date with the latest in health and environmental standards
* Our ability to reuse exhibit components is crucial to our initiative to be more responsible to our environment and our resources. If components cannot be reused unaltered, then our next effort is to see how we can repurpose using subcomponents, parts, and pieces. Lastly, for any materials that cannot be reused or repurposed, we make every attempt to recycle all unusable components or materials.
** Powder-coat painting is a highly efficient and solvent-free process, especially when a manufacturer confines and reclaims the powdered paint to minimize waste and avoid air pollution. At least ninety-seven percent of the paint should end up on the product. Powder-coat paint, which requires no primer, also smoothes metallic “burrs,” eliminating the need for grinding or filing.
“In everything we do—from the exhibits and graphics that we create, to the services we offer—we’re committed to our responsibility to the environment.”
Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
We are continually reviewing ways to fulfill this mantra—in all aspects of our manufacturing and operations, making sure that they are responsible to the environment.
“Reducing the creation of waste is a huge initiative for Star. Our goal is to be 100% paperless in our business processes and communications.”
Environmental responsibility in our business operations
Office and operational practices that promote our environmentally responsible initiatives include:
- Offering home office environments and telecommuting options for employees
- Using electronic forms, email communications, and documents to be read online rather than printed out whenever possible
- Using electronic and web based presentations and marketing communications
- Promoting our eco-friendly habits in our marketing and business materials, both internally and externally
- Enforcing energy conserving schedules and practices with our business equipment and computers
- Utilizing energy efficient equipment, computers, and peripherals
- Using live plants through our office spaces
- Reducing use of materials consumption whenever possible
- Reusing office supplies, materials and components for secondary purposes
- Recycling office supplies, materials, and components whenever possible
- Offering retired electronics to employees for reuse and properly recycling any unwanted items
- Participating in the ComEd Small Business Energy Saving Program, making cost effective energy saving improvements to reduce our electrical energy usage
- Offering single stream recycling bins in all offices and common areas to make recycling convenient for all employees