Environmental
At MSI, protecting the environment is a collective effort embraced by our employees, customers, and suppliers. At the forefront of environmental stewardship in the surfacing industry, MSI is focused o ... Read More
REUSE, REDUCE, AND RECYCLE
Below are some examples of how we have succeeded in making environmentally prudent changes. Some are little things, some more dramatic but all help reduce the use of natural resources, increase sustainability and enhance reusability.
CONVERSION FROM STYROFOAM PACKAGING TO RECYCLED CARDBOARD PACKAGING
Styrofoam packaging has been the industry standard of packaging and shipping natural stone tile for many years. Thirty years ago, no one really understood the negative impact of Styrofoam, but today we know better. Over the last 2 years we have succeeded in converting over 95% of our stone tile suppliers from Styrofoam to cardboard, and in many cases, post-consumer recycled cardboard.
PAPERLESS INITIATIVES
MSI is continuously working to reduce paper usage by investing more in digital marketing materials & documentation. MSI warehouse associates operate with iPad devices which eliminates the need for printing papers during the entire fulfillment process.
CHANGED TILE SHIPMENTS FROM CRATES TO PALLETS
MSI imports over 200,000 pallets of tile and stone each year. We have succeeded in converting over 90% of our suppliers to change from industry standard wood crates to more environmentally palletized packaging. In the process, MSI has been able to reduce wood usage by over 70% per pallet, and increase the total square footage per pallet, in the process saving thousands of trees annually.
DESIGNED REUSABLE, RESIZABLE PALLETS
With 100’s of thousands of pallets coming and going annually, though used several times, most eventually end up at a landfill. When we designed the new pallets for our vendors, we designed them in such a way that a single 40” x 36” pallet can be reused as is or cut down into four 20” x 18” or two 40” x 18” pallets which then can be used when shipping smaller orders. Shipping thousands of small orders every month that don’t require a regular sized pallet, we now get up to four times the use from a single pallet. Additionally, the majority of MSI facilities have auger machines installed, reducing wood waste significantly.
SOLAR PANELS & ELECTRIC FORKLIFTS
Several MSI warehouse branch locations utilize roof-mounted solar systems with a ballasted (non-penetrating) racking system and electric forklifts— intending to become 90% electric by the end of 2024 in some warehouse locations.
Solar power is pollution-free and causes no greenhouse gases to be emitted after installation — providing renewable clean power that is available every day of the year. Based on the estimated usage, the system is 1.0mW DC in size and yields approximately 1.3GWHs, which represents nearly 100% of the last twelve months' consumption.
MSI has obtained the GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification, and GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification and FloorScore, ensuring that all MSI products including natural stone, wall tiles, porcelain, countertops and backsplashes are low-emitting and contribute to healthier indoor environments.
The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) is an industry-independent, not-for-profit organization that establishes acceptable emissions standards for interior products. FloorScore® is the most recognized indoor air quality (IAQ) certification standard for hard surface flooring materials, adhesives, and underlayments.
The following case studies highlight these positive attributes of stone and its application as a green building product:
MSI is a proud WaterSense partner, ensuring that all MSI bathroom and shower faucets are designed to help customers make smart water choices that save water, energy, and money without sacrificing performance. All of our bathroom and shower faucets are WaterSense certified and use at least 20% less water.
Upgrading to high-performing WaterSense labeled products can help Americans save billions of gallons of water every year.
BENEFITS OF ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY PRODUCTS
- Products have been proven to emit minimal levels of VOC’s.
- Independent third party certification.
- Communicate corporate commitment to product quality with respect to public health.
- Increase customer confidence.
NSF International (NSF ) certifies that applicable M S International, Inc. (MSI) products conform to the requirements of NSF/ANSI Standard 51 Food Equipment Materials. NSF International is an independent non-profit, non-government organization, which is a global leader of public health and safety risk management solutions. They provide product certification and safety audits for the food and water industries. Please click on NSF logo above for official listings of NSF certified products.
MATERIAL FACT SHEETS
Designers are frequently being asked to identify green building materials, but do not always have the needed information. Using the life-cycle data, material fact sheets describing several stone types are being generated to provide useful information in this selection process, among other information. The one-page (double-sided) documents will summarize the current market for stone, regions of deposits worldwide, physical properties, applicable ASTM standards, as well as environmental data and human health considerations.
Material Fact Sheets:
SUSTAINABLE ATTRIBUTES
U.S. GREEN BUILDING COUNCIL / LEED CREDITS
MSI is a proud member of U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Natural Stone currently qualifies for LEED credits in some areas of the program. The USGBC developed the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating systems to provide a national standard for green building design. This system defines standards for environmentally responsible, healthier, and more profitable structures and awards points to new construction and major renovation projects in five categories.
- Sustainable Sites
- Water Efficiency
- Energy & Atmosphere
- Materials & Resources
- Indoor Environmental Quality
NATURAL STONE COUNCIL
MSI is a member of the Natural Stone Council (NSC). This organization aims to further position Genuine Stone as the preferred sustainable building material by:
- Using the five key LEED rating system categories as a guide to research, test, and substantiate that stone is a natural choice in building green
- Working with an advisory council made up of leading green architects, designers, and specification writers with intimate knowledge of Genuine Stone and its uses in building and landscaping
- Promoting Genuine Stone use through media outreach
