Dana Stibolt has long been an environmentalist, from picking up trash on Martha’s Vineyard in the ’70s to starting an aluminum and glass recycling program for his neighborhood in the early ’90s before local curbside recycling was the standard. Dana is still picking up trash and recycling on his e-bike ride or walk to work. That spirit is also reflected at MacMedics, where we’ve always accepted e-waste for no charge, and we’ve long been leaders in recycling as we were the first commercial customer for our local government’s recycling program. We aim to be ahead of the curve for any improvements that can positively impact the environment and set an example for our community.
1. We pay a fee to the local government to use their mixed stream recycling service. We regularly fill (3) 80 Gal. containers with cardboard, paper, marked plastic, steel, and aluminum – Every trash can in the store has a recycling container next to it to make it easy to recycle.
2. We collect all plastic bags, air-filled shipping packing, and retail shrink wrap for free plastic bag recycling at our local supermarket. For Amazon bubble wrap packages, we take the time to cut the paper label off and then recycle the mailer properly without the label.
3. In 2015, we provided IKEA silverware, plates, and bowls to be washed in our company’s kitchen dishwasher. We have banned all plastic utensils and paper plates from the building.
4. We will take old Macs or PCs and other e-waste and, erase or destroy user data, and recycle them for free.
5. In 2015, when we purchased our new building and built out the showroom for the new store, the front of the house was switched to all LED lighting. All exterior lights attached to the building were also changed to LED lighting.
6. In March of 2022, we took advantage of a program offered by our local utility company, and we upgraded ALL remaining areas (kitchen, repair room, public areas, and bathrooms) to LED lights, saving 4,368 kWh.
7. In March of 2022, we took advantage of a program offered by our local utility, and we replaced all parking lot lights with LED flood lights that are on a timer and additionally have photocells so they will only come on when dark enough to warrant the streetlights, saving 5,263.38 kWh.
8. in 2019, the fluorescent lighting in the MacMedics sign on Benfield Road was upgraded to all LED lights.
9. When we built out the new store in 2015, we specified an EnergyStar dishwasher for our new kitchen. We also had a perfectly good refrigerator from another company we purchased in 2011 that we retired and replaced with an EnergyStar-compliant model.
10. A 30-year-old HVAC system in our building was replaced with an EnergyStar-compliant model. ALL three HVAC systems in our facility are all new and all Freon-free. All Freon gas from the old systems was reclaimed for disposal.
11. We used to supply plastic water bottles for customers and employees. We have eliminated that practice and switched the office to filtered water instead.
12. We turned the median strip in front of our office into a bioswale to capture some of the run-off from our parking lot to prevent oil and other automotive fluids from going directly into the Chesapeake Bay. The landscaping was also made with only native Maryland plants.
13. The copier paper that we use at MacMedics is branded “Certified Sourcing” from the Sustainable Forestry Initiative at https://forests.org/
14. We collect all the fallen leaves, pulled weeds, and plant clippings from our landscaping, place them in paper bags, and have them properly recycled.
15. MacMedics installed an EV charger in our parking lot for one of our employees who has an EV.
16. In 2023, MacMedics added our first all-electric vehicle to our fleet.
17. In 2015, we installed low-flow sink fixtures and toilets.
18. In 2022, we switched to software that allows us to capture signatures electronically, and service work orders are now emailed instead of printed.
19. Dana commutes to MacMedics on an e-bike.
