Long Island Association Features Paradigm Group

April 13, 2009

The Greening of America - Local Companies Can Save Money, Help the Environment
See article on Long Island Association Website

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Commack, Long Island, NY
April 08, 2009

By Kristen D’Andrea

The greening of America continues to sweep across the country, from small businesses and homeowners to large corporations and even the newest residents of the White House. On inauguration day in January, President Obama attended two “green” inaugural balls, complete with environmentally-friendly products such as corn forks and spoons and recycled plates. And, for the first time, a representative from the Environmental Protection Agency worked with the Presidential Inaugural Committee.

To be sure, President Obama has made green projects a centerpiece of his economic stimulus plan. Several companies on Long Island are working to ensure that local businesses bring green ideas and efforts to the forefront of their initiatives as well.

Paradigm Group is a manufacturer and distributor of environmentally-responsible office and facility-related products, such as utensils, cups, and other break room disposables; toilet paper and paper towels; cleaning solutions; and warehouse and mail room packaging supplies.

“Our goal is to work with our clients—most in the business-to-business sector—to help them monitor their buying habits, and their habits in general, to realize how they affect the environment,” said Marcello Sozio, vice president of business development.

“We put so much into the waste stream—consumables, copy paper, coffee cups—things we use every day and throw away and don’t even think about.”

In this economy, the first concern that most people have when considering green alternatives, however, is the cost factor.

Headquartered in Syosset, the Paradigm Group offers its clients the opportunity to substitute environmentally-friendly supplies through a “cost neutral conversion,” Sozio said. Representatives from the Paradigm Group will come in and monitor a company’s usage and then offer recommendations on how they can replace some of their current products with environmentally-friendly ones, at no additional overall costs. For example, they might recommend switching to cups that cost 40 cents more but replacing the toilet paper with a brand that is 50 cents less than what they currently pay. While the company has its own line of green products, the Emerald Brand, its recommendations don’t necessarily involve its products, Sozio said.

“What we do helps give companies something that’s visible with an immediate impact,” he said. “People can see the effect of their change in purchasing and the effect it has on the environment.”

“Changing your tissue products might not be a big thing but if everyone did it, it would be an enormous thing.”

The Paradigm Group recently partnered with the EPA in an effort to recruit companies to participate in waste reduction efforts through its Waste Wise Program.

Green Depot is another supplier that offers businesses and homeowners environmentally-friendly and sustainable building products, services and solutions. In August 2008, the company, with showrooms in Manhattan and Brooklyn, opened its Greenport location.

Many people and businesses want to become more earth-friendly but might not know where to begin.

“Depending on how green a consumer wants to go, we’ll identify their needs and come up with products that are accessible,” said Lamont Williams, branch manager of the Greenport store.

Indoor air quality should be at the top of the list of concerns for businesses, Williams said, as well as saving water and energy efficiency.

Green Depot staff members might recommend environmentally-sound alternatives such as zero-VOC paint. Years after application, paints and finishes release low level toxic emissions, caused by a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), into the air. Until recently, VOCs were believed to be essential to the performance of the paint.

The toxins released in paints and finishes “are pretty much like invisible smog,” Williams said. “They can trigger allergies and break down your respiratory system.” Green Depot offers both base and tint that are zero-VOC.

For water conservation, Green Depot might recommend a company with an on-site gym or shower stalls change to shower heads that use oxygen vs. pressure, in an effort to use less water.

“Insulation is pretty much the backbone of conserving energy,” Williams said. Green Depot offers soy foam insulation and UltraTouch natural cotton insulation, made with recycled denim jeans.

Through their “Flip It Green” program, the Green Depot team takes conventional blueprint specs and re-works them to offer better, healthier and greener alternatives on any project. The company also offers customers access to its network of qualified green professionals and LEED accredited professionals.

Going green doesn’t have to be time-consuming or cost-prohibitive, experts say.

“We’re trying to help people save money and be environmentally-friendly through a program that has immediate measurable results,” Sozio said.