Buchertech has taken several steps when it comes to staying green and reducing their emissions into the atmosphere. For the staff at Buchertech, protecting and preserving the environment is a high priority and one of the most important steps taken with their everyday activities.
"There are three primary ways we work to reduce our carbon footprint here at Buchertech," says Buchertech Marketing Assistant and Inside Sales Representative Eric Ihssen. "We utilize a recycling program for our products as well as an innovative heating system taken from our server rooms."
Buchertech is a member of a recycling program designed to clear away old and unwanted hardware such as old PC monitors and towers, allowing them safe transportation away and disposal.
"We utilize a rack shelving system until to store old computers and wiped hard drives," says Ihssen. "We have an outside service called John Roebuck Solutions come and pick up this old equipment. This includes batteries, hard drives, CPU units and pretty much anything customers don't want that we end up recycling and not just dumping."
Along with computer equipment, Buchertech also recycles cardboard boxes and used paper. By working with Opportunity Enterprises, they send their boxes of shredded paper and cardboard to be safely disposed of and destroys sensitive documents as well as reducing waste left over.
"We usually send tons of boxes full of papers and they do a great job of taking care of them," says Ihssen. "OE is a great place and they even take care of the cardboard boxes our products come in, break them down and put them in a container. This is also along with our own three recycling bins used to store the smaller recyclable materials."
The last step utilized by Buchertech comes from their own equipment and turns what previously could be considered an insignificant by-product of their equipment into an energy and gas saving system used to keep their employees warm and comfortable during the spring and fall time.
By harnessing the excess heat of their own servers, Buchertech has created a system of heating and ducts that allows this captured heat flow through and heat the 1st-floor area of the Buchertech offices.
""It gets hot in the server room, hot enough that we have to use an air cooling system to cool it down and keep it manageable," says Ihssen. "However if the weather is below 68 degrees we can use the heat from the servers to heat a majority of the first floor."
This system not only allows the building to keep the cost of heating down but also allows the building to drastically cut down on their emissions footprints.
The duct system that directs the air was custom built after a brainstorm session between Buchertech's Owner Tim Bucher and the building contractors. During the warmer months, this trapped air is simply vented outdoors with the touch of a button and the reading of an indicator to prevent any uncomfortable heat.
"Being the owner of the building, Tim saw the need to find energy efficient and environmentally friendly ways to heat and maintain this building," says Ihssen. "It gave him a sense of duty for the environment, to cut costs but to also recycle energy."
Buchertech realizes how technology and environmental protection are something that go hand in hand and whether its recycling paper to cutting down on emissions, the company is dedicated to doing their part to help out one day and one step at a time.
"We look for these opportunities to help the environment however we can," says Ihssen. "Every little bit helps."