MacFarlands Events, A Naturally Sustainable Business Model
The classic “three R’s” (reduce, reuse, recycle) should really have a fourth “R”—rentals! The traditional and historical concept of the rental business is to provide items to the public that can be used multiple times. The result is that the community does not need to purchase and store the items after their one-time use. Essentially the rental companies were the early pioneers of sustainability, even if they didn’t know it at the time.
While the rental business is inherently “green”—products are used multiple times rather than being purchased and discarded after each event. We are committed to sustainability through creative ways to reduce waste, increase our operational efficiency, and partner with our clients to reduce the impact our orders have on the environment. Whether it is our regular party goods, or our tenting solutions, MacFarlands Events is naturally designed to minimize our businesses impact on our environment.
Tenting
The rental industry is the perfect example of the reuse of products as opposed to the “use-it-once-and-throw-it-away” mentality, and that specifically applies to commercial tenting.
Our event tents and fabric structures pack down into amazingly compact space for efficient shipping and storage and therefore lower transportation costs and energy savings. Robust interchangeable parts avoid breakage and waste. Tents provide one of the necessities of life – shelter. Our products therefore are inherently reusable for any portable shelter requirements. Fabric structures support sustainable land use…we can put a tent anywhere – any time. Portable fabric structures do not require site construction or infrastructure thereby saving valuable resources.
Our extensive tent cleaning and maintenance practices are critical to ensure that our products have long life cycles and can be reused for several years hence minimizing the wasting of resources, infrastructure, and energy. Cleaning with eco- friendly products (example: Natural White vinegar, Sunlight Soap, etc) have allowed us to minimize the use of chemicals. Eventually all things come to the end of their useful life. We find ways to recycle the tent components by cutting it up to make bags, drop cloths, rain gutters, equipment covers and canopy bags.
Our event tents and fabric structures pack down into amazingly compact space for efficient shipping and storage and therefore lower transportation costs and energy savings. Robust interchangeable parts avoid breakage and waste. Tents provide one of the necessities of life – shelter. Our products therefore are inherently reusable for any portable shelter requirements. Fabric structures support sustainable land use…we can put a tent anywhere – any time. Portable fabric structures do not require site construction or infrastructure thereby saving valuable resources.
Our extensive tent cleaning and maintenance practices are critical to ensure that our products have long life cycles and can be reused for several years hence minimizing the wasting of resources, infrastructure, and energy. Cleaning with eco- friendly products (example: Natural White vinegar, Sunlight Soap, etc) have allowed us to minimize the use of chemicals. Eventually all things come to the end of their useful life. We find ways to recycle the tent components by cutting it up to make bags, drop cloths, rain gutters, equipment covers and canopy bags.
Fleet Maintenance and Management
Our fleet uses modern and fuel-efficient vehicles. Vehicles are serviced in compliance with mandated service intervals and tires kept properly inflated, not only for our driver’s safety but to help keep emissions to a minimum. Our drivers are trained to be conscious of speed limits and turn off their engines while loading and unloading orders to reduce our carbon footprint.
All our vehicles are equipped with a GPS navigation system and route efficient management planning, which is monitored by our Dispatch Team through the use of mapping software, enabling the company to plan cost- and fuel-effective routes. This saves time manually routing, decreases overlapping routes, and simultaneously reduces mileage, fuel usage, and the number of vehicles on the road. The GPS devices enable our Dispatch Team to track drivers’ routes, provide real-time location of vehicles, and help eliminate missed deliveries. Increasing customer satisfaction through on-time deliveries and reducing our impact on the environment is a win-win situation for us, our clients, and our communities.
Laundry / Linen Department
MacFarlands Events supplies a wide selection of polyester linens which have many “green” benefits, some of which are listed below:
Polyester is stronger and more resistant to chemicals than cotton, so fabrics last longer. Linens are replaced less frequently.
Polyester is 100% recyclable, with results in fewer linens going to landfills.
Polyester linens do not need to be dried before ironing. Skipping this step saves on natural gas and/or electric energy
Our washers in our Laundry area are designed to allow them to conserve water during the wash cycle, helping to greatly reduce the amount of water we use every day. Over time, we’ll continue to replace older machines with new models to help further conserve water during the washing process.
Linen & Dish Room Maintenance
MacFarlands Events has partnered with many environmentally friendly companies. Ecolab services our washing equipment is an established company with social responsibility to the global community. They have assisted MacFarlands Events in saving water and energy. The wastewater we produce is closely monitored to ensure we operate within municipal wastewater standards. Ecolab has reformulated products to remove chemicals that harm aquatic life or damage the environment.
Additional Efforts
Each of our warehouses are monitored, and every effort is made to control the use of electrical, power, oil, and water usage. With energy saving devices, recycled water, and the latest technology, we’re consciously finding ways to is do our part to conserve.
In 2014 we made a significant investment to switch all our warehouse lighting to LED solutions resulting in hundreds of thousands of KWH’s of demand over the course of a single year.
Our Administrative and Customer Service staff diligently strive to conserve the use of paper and ink consumed with unnecessary printing. Most work is performed through the use of internet and most transactions are settled electronically, saving both time and paper.
MacFarlands Events has a paper, wood, and metal recycling program. Recycling bins are provided and services by Miller Waste Systems.
Sustainability is among today’s key challenges and we all have a responsibility to improve our social, environmental and economic impact. It is our firm belief that the rental industry is a key player in the transition towards a sustainable economy. It provides a shift from the “ownership of goods” to “access to goods”. In this manner, renting allows us to save resources and make better use of equipment throughout its lifecycle. Even though we have been able to embed these current practices into our business, there is still a tremendous opportunity to continue to develop and innovate sustainability. We are proud of what we have done so far and will continue to strive to do more.
MacFarlands Events wish is to be a good neighbour and partner within the communities we serve, and we are proud to continue to find ways in our responsibility to be as sustainable as possible.
MacFarlands Events wish is to be a good neighbour and partner within the communities we serve, and we are proud to continue to find ways in our responsibility to be as sustainable as possible.