Shared walls and a pandemic meant the builder had to be extra cognizant of neighbors’ work from home needs. He built a good relationship with the neighbors, letting them know a remodel was happening, exchanging contact info, and offering to pause work when neighbors needed quiet to hold video meetings.

The tight urban setting brought daily logistical challenges, from difficulty removing construction waste and debris to limited parking for construction vehicles. The secure building entry caused additional problems around new material deliveries. To reduce waste coming out of the unit and deliveries going in, the builder creatively repurposed existing materials, cabinetry, shelving, and lighting fixtures wherever possible. Items not remaining where carefully deconstructed and brought to Second Use Salvage and Building Materials, appliance recyclers, Habitat for Humanity, and friends. Drywall, Styrofoam, and other recyclable materials were brought to DTC Recycle in Seattle.

Another valuable decision the builder made? Working with an NAR Green certified real estate agent. Certification gave the agent the ability to confidently describe the value of individual green building upgrades to potential buyers.

Built Green Highlights

Site and Water

• Energy Star clothes washer and dishwasher
• Energy Star qualified roof to reduce urban heat island effect
• WaterSense certified low-flow plumbing fixtures, including Niagara Stealth 0.8 gpf toilets
• Removed garbage disposal and replaced with built-in compost bin
• Installed water leak detectors at all wet locations

Energy Efficiency

• 31% energy use savings over the 2015 Washington State Energy Code and over 41% energy cost savings
• Programmable thermostats
• 100% Energy Star appliances, including a heat pump dryer
• Heat pump water heater add-on unit to water heater
• 100% LED lighting
• Energy Star exhaust fans
• HRV added for whole house ventilation
• Interior aluminum storm windows

Health and Indoor Air Quality

• HRV with HEPA filter
• Low-VOC paint throughout
• Existing carpeting removed from entire unit and replaced with hard surface flooring, except for primary bedroom
• GreenGuard Gold certified finish products installed
• Utility room with bike storage and utility sink

Materials Efficiency

• Deconstruction plan used in order to salvage materials where possible
• Existing base cabinets reused and painted, with only new upper cabinets added
• Salvaged materials installed or existing materials reused or repurposed, including light fixtures
• Construction waste plan implemented and materials sold for salvage where possible

Tacoma, Washington - August 3, 2021: The City of Tacoma, Seattle Good Business Network, and the US Business Council for Sustainable Development today announced the launch of a new program that allows for circular reuse of products and materials that might otherwise be destined for disposal in landfills. Through the Washington Materials Marketplace, traditional and non-traditional waste streams are matched with new reuse and recycling opportunities that result in landfill diversion, carbon reduction, cost savings, energy savings, and new job opportunities. This platform will aid both public and private sectors in reaching our region’s climate action and equity goals.

This approach to enhancing recycling and reuse is quite different from previous approaches.

• The Washington Materials Marketplace's online platform is actively facilitated, which means activity is monitored and reuse opportunities are identified and pushed to relevant companies as recommendations. If the parties involved need assistance or an opportunity stalls, the platform is there to step in and facilitate movement.
• It is easy to use. Users can post materials and engage other parties without taking too much time. The application is mobile-friendly and will alert users when there is activity on their posted material.
• Today, more companies than ever are under pressure to show progress toward sustainability goals and to engage with community partners and collaborative solutions. The Washington Materials Marketplace helps companies accomplish goals and report successes.
• It is inclusive. Programming will include circular product design and redesign workshops, technical assistance and 1:1 consultation to also include support for BIPOC- and women-owned businesses and micro enterprises.

The Washington Materials Marketplace joins other regional Materials Marketplace initiatives, including programs in Austin, Tennessee, Ohio, Ontario, and Michigan. This hybrid approach allows for deep engagement with Washington-specific challenges and opportunities, and to facilitate interaction at the national scale when appropriate.

To date, the Materials Marketplace program nationally has helped divert over 17 million pounds of material to higher and better use, generating over $1.6 million in value to participating businesses and organizations. Unique transactions include unleaded CRT glass going into tile manufacturing, reuse of business furniture and fixtures, and reuse of high-volume off-spec or unneeded chemicals.

The Washington Materials Marketplace is free to join for companies and organizations in Washington and was funded through a grant from the Washington Department of Ecology. For more information and to request an invitation, visit https://washington.materialsmarketplace.org.

About the City of Tacoma

Located on the land of the Puyallup Tribe and birthplace of world renowned glass artist Dale Chihuly, Tacoma is home to a vibrant, creative community of writers, artists and musicians, photographers, filmmakers, passionate entrepreneurs and business owners. This city of over 200,000 is experiencing unprecedented growth. With more than $1 billion being invested in downtown Tacoma alone, private investment has surpassed public investment by a nearly 4:1 ratio.

With sweeping mountain, city and water views, urbanites and families alike gravitate toward Tacoma’s charming neighborhoods with big city amenities. Founded in 1918, the Port of Tacoma provides nearly $3 billion in economic activity, moving goods from all corners of Washington and the United States through the Tideflats to people all over the world. Tacoma is a city on the rise.

About the Seattle Good Business Network

Seattle Good Business Network is a coalition of residents, local businesses, non-profits, and municipal organizations. Its mission is to connect and inspire people to buy, produce, and invest locally, so that everyone has a meaningful stake in the local economy.

Founded in 2010, its economic development programming is designed to build an economy that is vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive. Programs include Good Food Economy, that works to strengthen local food systems and supply chains; Good Food Kitchens, supporting community kitchens and local farms in providing meals to communities in-need; Seattle Restaurant Week; and Seattle Made, a collaborative program supporting over 650 urban manufacturers and producers, in addition to youth workforce development, and sustainability, and circular economy initiatives. Learn more at seattlegood.org

About the US BCSD

The US BCSD is an action-oriented and member-led nonprofit business association, founded in 1992 to give leading US businesses a platform to mobilize boots on the ground and work together to design, implement and scale sustainability solutions. Business-led platforms, projects and partnerships are helping leading companies scale solutions to ecosystems, cities, circular economy and water challenges. Since 2014, the US BCSD’s Circular Economy platform has led development of the Materials Marketplace - an award-winning regional and national platform that connects businesses to develop and scale new reuse and recycling market opportunities. Manufacturers are using the Marketplace to source materials and find new solutions for challenging wastes and by-products, recycling companies are uncovering new customers and end-markets, and entrepreneurs are using the program as an innovation platform to build new reuse and recycling businesses. Learn more at https://usbcsd.org.

Republished from the United States Business Council for Sustainable Development
US BCSD | 411 W. Monroe Street, Austin, Texas 78704 | http://usbcsd.org | 512.981.5417

This starts at the foundation of the company. The goal of connecting her employees to opportunity and a productive future relies on training. In other words, Square Peg isn’t just a social conduit, it is also a practical education for a career in construction. All employees learn the practices and methods of green building and because Square Peg builds both green and traditionally, all employees can see the difference. The benefits of green homes stand out whether they relate to air quality, safe materials, or energy efficiency. Some employees are even lucky enough to work extensively with the Built Green checklist and carry that experience on to their own companies.

But green requirements aren’t the only ways Square Peg employees see environmentally-friendly techniques in action. Part of the company culture of ownership and creativity invites employees to explore new styles and put the ‘Square Peg Stamp’ on the homes they build. Sometimes, like when one worker came across shou sugi ban, a Japanese method of wood preservation, design choices turn out to be smart green choices too. That firsthand experience highlights how good building and sustainability are complementary. That may go against an unfortunately common narrative, but experience is the best teacher—and Square Peg is where to get it!

Not all Square Peg homes are Built Green. We get that, but even Amy knows that “If construction is going to continue to be a viable industry, it has to come up to speed in terms of waste management and environmental sustainability.” The construction industry has a responsibility to address its own issues of sustainability, housing affordability, and labor. That is why Amy so actively shares the success of her company; it proves that you can do all three at once. She hopes her achievements can encourage and even inspire other business owners in any industry to take up the mantle and work toward a business model that will bring about economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

Square Peg is showing Seattle that building an inclusive community isn’t a sacrifice, but a key to success. In the green building community, we’re familiar with the idea that a little planning and investment up front is well worth it, even half a step down the road. If we keep thinking that way and continue to share examples of leaders like Amy, we can make a world of change.

Thank you, Amy, for sharing your experience with us. Keep up the great work!

Want to hear Amy talk more about her experiences? She will be presenting the final session of our Bettering Community track at the upcoming Built Green Conference, September 13, at the Lynnwood Convention Center. Her presentation, Building a Sustainable Labor Force, will further reveal how she has used second-chance employment to move the industry forward. We can’t wait to see you there!