An Albemarle County company is taking recycling and reusing to new levels, and in the process saving a whole lot of green.
Virginia Eagle Distributing has taken many measures to make their company not only energy efficient, but cost effective. They've installed solar panels on their trucks to power lift gates, which saves them $100 a day in electricity. Also, after distributing beverages to restaurants and businesses, the company collects their cardboard six-pack containers in order to reuse them. That measure saves them more than $30,000 a year.
What Virginia Eagle Distributing can't reuse, they recycle. Instead of sending their old wooden pallets to the dump, they give them to chicken farmers who then grind them up and use the material in their barns.
Brad Theado is Director of Operations at Virginia Eagle Distributing in Albemarle County and says taking eco-friendly measures are the right thing to do.
"Not only does it save us money but it helps us improve the world in general. A business this size can just consume and consume and consume and we want to be able to give something back," Theado said.
Virginia Eagle Distributing was recently given the "Top Innovator" award in the Better Business Challenge 2012.
Other organizations thinking of taking part in next year's Better Business Challenge have a chance to attend a discussion hosted by Charlottesville's Office of Economic Development.
That meeting will take place Thursday, July 26th, at City Space just off Charlottesville's Downtown Mall. It is from 11:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M., and a free lunch is provided when you register for the event. You must register by July 23rd.
