The Trammell-Crow Company Commits to Recycle Fluorescent Lamps

Trammell-Crow is the top owner of commercial office space in the Northern Virginia, DC, Maryland metropolitan area, managing 270 properties and over 22 million square feet. Nationwide, Trammell-Crow manages nearly 400 million square feet. In the DC area alone, that means over 2 million lamps in use. Trammell-Crow will be collecting all of its spent bulbs at these facilities through a contract with Esquire Environmental Services, Inc., based in Fairfax, and AERC Recycling Solutions in Ashland. Trammell-Crow will use a combination of drum-top crushers, "recycle-by-mail", and lamp pick-up.

Trammell-Crow solidified this commitment on January 26, 2005 at the regional property managers meeting in DC. As result, each of the contracting property managers received a plaque - the "Esquire Environmental Champions Award for Contributions to a Cleaner Environment".

Trammell-Crow receives "Environmental Champions Award" at 2005 regional property managers' meeting.

Vice-President for Facilities Operations Mark Polhemus is a champion of this effort, and he hopes that Trammell-Crow will follow his region's lead across the country. "Trammell-Crow's portfolio of buildings is changing constantly. Therefore, we understand how important it is to make sure that the environmental side of the house is in order - just to minimize risks and liabilities. It makes good business sense, plus it's the right thing to do for the environment." Paced by Trammell-Crow's action, several other property management companies that were previously "on-the-fence" are following suit and plan to contract for fluorescent lamp recycling in the near future.

As a result of this project, the Trammell-Crow facilities have been recruited as members of Businesses for the Bay, the regional Pollution Prevention effort in support of the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort.

In addition, Virginia DEQ and other states have recommended that Trammell-Crow be recognized by the US EPA Region III and the National Partnership for Environmental Priorities.

NPEP is EPA's voluntary program which targets chemicals and wastes that are the most toxic and potentially harmful to the environment. Mercury is one of those "priority chemicals", and Trammell-Crow's commitment in just the DC Metro area represents roughly 5 pounds of mercury and more than 400 pounds of lead that will be kept from polluting the environment.

For more information on these efforts, see www.deq.virginia.gov, or contact the Virginia DEQ's Tom Griffin at 804-698-4545 or rtgriffin@deq.virginia.gov.

Trammell-Crow Success Story (Press Release) » [PDF]