From environmentally friendly quarrying and production methods to recycled packaging, the stone industry is demonstrating social responsibility at all levels

For years, members of the stone industry have been striving to minimize the environmental impact of their operations. Socially conscious practices are taking place within the quarries, processing facilities, warehouses, transportation and even office spaces. The following summaries are just a few examples of social responsibility among stone industry members:

BURLINGTON SLATE

— Environmentally sound quarrying and processing practices

• Burlington maximizes its quarrying activities in the U.K. by using almost 100% of all stone extracted. In addition to investing in more advanced and sophisticated techniques to process its primary products, the company’s diversification into creating a host of secondary products has been successful. These include landscape aggregates such as fines, mulches and paddlestone, as well as traditional and random weathered walling stone.

• Burlington’s focus remains fixed on working as closely as possible with organizations in the U.K. such as the CFNP (Council Forum for National Parks) to ensure that the integrity of the Lake District National Park is preserved for the enjoyment of generations. It centers on working closely with local planning authorities and environmental groups in order to minimize the impact its operations may have on the landscape.

• In terms of quarry restoration, old areas where material was extracted are being landscaped using a variety of methods. For quarries at higher altitudes, any kind of planting would have little success; therefore the aim with these is to create a “crag and scree” effect. While ensuring that future extraction is confined to the existing quarry boundaries, areas are being reshaped using smaller waste, with some rock faces being left exposed with the finer material below. This imitates the natural effects of erosion in a rocky landscape. For quarries at lower levels, exhausted quarry areas are landscaped using fine slate waste mixed with imported soil, and trees are then planted.

• Burlington avoids using harmful chemicals and processes that can pollute the environment, operates a water harvesting system that sees all water used on the main site recycled, and has a wind farm that supplies electricity directly into the National Grid.

COLD SPRING GRANITE CO.

— Headquartered in a living example of green building practices

• Cold Spring Granite Co. Built a new 22,500-square-foot headquarters in Cold Spring, MN, which received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in December 2008. Additionally, Cold Spring Granite continues to strive to reduce energy, waste and cost in its quarrying and fabrication processes - overall making for a more efficient operation. “This is not a culture change for us,” said Ray Jaeger, Engineering Manager at Cold Spring Granite. “I have been with the company for over 30 years, and we are always looking for ways to reduce energy, water use, waste and ultimately cost.”

• The new headquarters is a 31% reduction of space from the previous facility. “That was significant to get that kind of reduction with the same amount of employees,” said Jaeger. A great deal of thought and planning went into seeking LEED Gold certification. From site planning, to minimizing water use, optimizing energy usage, indoor air quality, to material and resources for construction, all worked together to accomplish a higher-performing building. Examples include low-pressure water and low-flush toilets in the restrooms to pre-set sensor lighting and temperature control. Additionally, 90% of the space has a direct view of the outside.

• In addition to gaining LEED points by using local stone from Cold Spring’s quarries, the headquarters features a “white” roof, which was part of the LEED certification. A total of 77% of the roof is comprised of a white aggregate ballast material and white skylight having a Solar Reflectance Index of 105 SRI value (low slope) and 100 SRI value (steep-sloped).

• Prior to constructing the new headquarters, divisions were located in separate buildings. “Now that we’re in one space, we’ve reduced redundancy and are more efficient,” stated John Mattke, President and Chief Operating Officer of Cold Spring Granite. “The new environment is very positive, and it demonstrates our commitment to creating, maintaining and enhancing a sustainable future.”

MSI

— Emphasizing eco-friendly packaging on an international level

• MSI imports stone tiles on a global scale, and they are received at warehouses across the U.S. Until a few years ago, 98% of the natural stone tile received at MSI was packed in crates, and the company estimated that if it was successful in converting from wood crates to palletization packaging of natural stone, it would be able to reduce wood usage by 70% — this saving thousands of trees every year.

• Moving to pallets has other benefits, including more square footage per pallet and also a more clean-looking product and lower packaging costs overall. Suppliers save approximately $10 per pallet (or over $200 per container) by switching from crates to pallets. Given this dynamic, the company decided to force the issue and not accept crate packaging from any core suppliers.

• Each pallet consists of 420 square feet, with five pieces per box and 84 boxes per crate. The boxes are made from cardboard. These kinds of strong crates help in stacking four to five crates high, thus saving space in the warehouse. They can also be shipped long distances without any problems.

• Currently, 80% of MSI’s materials are shipped using this packaging method. As one of the largest supplier/distributors in the entire country, this has resulted in continued, significant reduction of the use of wood products.

ROLLING ROCK BUILDING STONE

— Care in the quarries and production facilities as well as stone salvaging and eco-friendly packaging

• Managed by the Weller family and operating quarries in Pennsylvania and New York, Rolling Rock Building Stone is conscientious in terms of land management. This includes care for and reclamation of land as quarry operations mature. “Forest will again dominate when the quarries are depleted,” explained Terrence Meck, Executive Sales Manager for Rolling Rock. “Large tracts of company property at our main quarry operation is dedicated as forest land under the Clean and Green Act in Pennsylvania.”

• Within the production facilities, Rolling Rock emphasizes water management. It recycles all water used in the shop and maintains proper collection and drainage of the quarry and surrounding property. “This has resulted in the stream that flows at the base of our operation being reevaluated and upgraded to Pennsylvania’s cleanest rating,” Meck said. “This has come to pass during our company’s expansion. The Oysterville Creek basin currently has the protected water use designation Cold Water Fishes (CWF) and was evaluated for redesignation as High Quality (HQ) or Exceptional Value (EV) waters.

• The company also stresses a safe overall work environment. “Ownership believes in growth, but will never create a new job that they would not perform themselves for a work day,” Meck explained. Noise and dust controls were placed at the thin veneer saws. These have been designed to reduce noise from the saws and will also capture dust. There are also water sprinklers and dust collectors installed on all hydraulic splitters (guillotines) for dust control.

• Quarrying and manufacturing operations have zero impact on the landfills. All waste and by-products have a use. Moreover, the company utilizes eco-friendly packaging wherein all materials used to package stone can be recycled.

• Reclaimed and recycled stone. “We gather and reclaim Genuine Stone® that was used previously at least once,” Meck said. “Articles may be building stone, bridge abutments, steps, paving, or implements like millstones, grindstones, troughs, etc.”

WALKER ZANGER

— Promoting safety in the warehousing/distribution sector

• With large-scale stone slab and tile warehouses across the country, Walker Zanger initiated its own in-house forklift training and certification program, customized to moving stone in tile and slab format. It is considered to be a model within the industry. “There is studying up front, written testing and a hands-on portion where candidates physically move product,” explained Jim Nikolopoulos, National Operations Manager for Walker Zanger, who is involved in a national initiative to educate the stone industry on workplace safety.

• Walker Zanger is completely integrated with a specialized insurance company, which works hand-in-hand to develop safety practices as recommended by OSHA. “Sullivan Curtis Monroe has come up with some amazing practices, such as its injury and illness prevention program,” Nikolopoulos said.

• The company has developed an in-house safety checklist for inspecting equipment, machinery, tools, etc, and installed cameras at all warehouse operations to review accidents if and when they happen. A job safety analysis is written for all accidents that occurred and can happen. “New ones are written for any new accidents to be addressed if and when they occur,” Nikolopoulos said.

• For new hires, Walker Zanger maintains a “shadowing” program, wherein every new worker that comes in is shadowed by a veteran person in the warehouse. “They are trained by in-house staff, and they are shadowed by the most experienced person in the warehouse,” Nikolopoulos explained. “It can range from a week to a month before they work on their own. This is very important. Some people come in with 20 years of experience, but they never moved a slab.”