The Clean, Green and Lean Commitment
Earth day is a special day to all of us at Interior Investments. Over the last two decades, we have been hard at work modifying our clients spaces to perform at their best, as well as our own adopting a Green, Clean and Lean attitude.
Since 1994, Interior Investments has consistently been redesigning our processes and offices to reflect our passion for reducing waste and keeping the environment healthy. As Earth day approaches, we are reminded of the importance of redefining the way products are made, shipped, installed and how it is imperative to be conscious of the waste involved in the process.
As part of our commitment to Clean, Green and Lean, we have been redefining our IIPS process which is based on the lean manufacturing JIT philosophies by Taiichi Ohno at Toyota. The process is broken out into the three words at the center of this blog.
Clean: Across the Interior Investments distribution footprint we have 125,000 square feet where all products are de-trashed and kitted onto customized carts. On an average monthly basis, this routine helps recycle:
- 35,000 lbs. OCC Cardboard
- 1200 lbs. Clear Plastic
- 500 lbs. Office Paper
- 3000 lbs. Steel
- 200+ wood pallets
Green: Pieces are then sent in bulk or minimal packaging which keeps unnecessary waste from going to the landfill. By prepping the furniture in-house, we are able to use fewer trucks which equals less dock time. This works out to be about half of the cardboard and half of the trailers as what we used to have or what other competitors have today.
Lean: Once on the jobsite, the pre-sorted and kitted carts are sent exactly where they are installing saving time and increasing efficiency. This process has helped increase capacity from installing 150 workstations per week to up to 400 per week.
We know that construction is a challenge, jobsites are chaotic, schedules are delayed, and it's a hectic process. By using IIPS in our day-to-day business, our commitment to the environment stays strong and we are able to make furniture the least of our clients worries.