3 ESFM Sustainable Solutions for Landscaping and Grounds

May 27, 2022

Landscaping and grounds bring more to a facility than just ambience and aesthetics. We know they can play a critical role in contributing to a thriving eco-system and supporting ESG priorities and commitments for many of our country’s top employers, our clients.

Here are three ways we’re making a difference to drive positive environmental change in partnership with our clients:

Each summer, a Life Sciences client in Titusville, NJ, welcomes sheep to their campus. These furry friends chow down on several acres, keeping poison ivy and grass from interfering with the solar panels. While the sheep enjoy a vacation from their farm, ESFM discontinues the use of chemicals to remove poison ivy and reduces emissions from fuel saved while the lawnmower is parked.

At a Life Sciences client’s location, our team manages a biodiverse garden, attracting many pollinators, including honeybees. In 2021, honey harvested from the hives raised $700 for a local non-profit organization. In addition to benefiting the local ecosystem, native wildflowers require less water and maintenance, resulting in reduced emissions from landscaping equipment.

ESFM’s conservation efforts for an Oil & Gas client were among the sustainable solutions that led to the Gold Conservation Certification from the Wildlife Habitat Council, the highest tier of 700 WHC Conservation Certification programs. The WHC Conservation Certification programs take corporate sustainability goals and objectives and translate them into tangible and measurable on-the-ground actions.

Unique solutions were implemented for this location, which neighbors a wildlife preserve, including:

  • Snake Relocation Program
  • Building Exterior Solution to Reduce Hummingbird Collision
  • Installation of a Pollinator Garden with Migration Resting Area for Monarch Butterflies

This year we have strengthened our partnership and commitment to sustainability with our client, signing a Global Memorandum of Understanding as we work towards net zero waste.

ESFM is driving our commitment to sustainability forward with more enhancements to our operational support including:

  • Hiring and promoting Subject Matter Experts
  • Creating a National Sustainability Council comprised of Compass Group FM professionals, representing healthcare, corporate and education business lines
  • Becoming a Keystone member of the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI)

With this added support, we have the ability to customize sustainable solutions to support our clients’ CSR commitments, including zero waste, energy optimization, and reducing their carbon footprint. In addition, our SMEs support LEED, WELL Health-Safety and Wildlife Habitat certifications.

ESFM is proud to be part of an international firm that invests in tomorrow with actions today, and we take meaningful measures to reduce our impact on the environment. We are committed to incorporating product, equipment, and service innovations that are better for the planet and our customers.

Looking for more? Check out some additional sustainability and wellness stories below!