GREEN PLANET INITIATIVE

The FNTECH Green Planet Initiative represents our commitment to the environment. By reviewing our practices, establishing better waste management initiatives, and evaluating our overall supply chain, we are able to take measurable steps to creating a greener future.

In 2019, we made the decision to officially embark on this green journey by becoming members of the Green Business Benchmark (GBB). Through this membership, we are able to easily share the progresses we have made; learn new ways we can reduce, reuse, and recycle; and intelligently identify and outline our next set of eco-friendly objectives. Our goal is to be ultimately transparent about our efforts, and we invite our community to openly share in the process.

Since first moving into our Santa Ana headquarters, we knew we wanted to shift from the outdated and inefficient metal/halide light bulbs to something better. (In a state plagued with an energy crisis, we know how important it is to reduce our energy consumption everywhere possible.) Initially, we installed motion sensor lights in our front offices. This helped, but the real impact was felt when we converted our expansive warehouse space to all LED lighting. We now use LED bulbs throughout our entire facility. This change allowed us to reduce our average daily energy consumption by a whopping 55.56%! We went from using 224 kWh a day to 99.54 kWh per day – a savings that could power four average U.S. households each day!

Our path from printed signage to digital monitors was one that actually began in order to give our clients the freedom to make last-minute adjustments to their events. Over the years, we increased the number digital signs being used in place of printed materials and have seen firsthand the positive impact this change has generated.

In the past, we typically used Gator board and foam core for these printed pieces, which we now know takes anywhere from 80-450 years to biodegrade. In addition to going digital, we are also looking at other alternatives for event signage, such as sustainable inks, “evergreen” reusable materials, and various sustainable board materials, like Falconboard® and Katz Board.

Since 2015, we have used over 300 digital monitors to replace what would have been over 130 printed meterboards and over 175 printed easels. That is 800+ lbs of non-recyclable material that would have ended up in our landfills.

When it comes to material choices for our metal and wood fabrication shop, we strive to use resources that have been sustainably sourced and can be recycled.

One of the shop’s primary functions is to create our custom Wentex frames, which provide a sleek, seamless look for banners, as well as projection screens of all sizes. Wentex frames are made using 100% aluminum which has an infinite life cycle. Not only are we able to reuse our frames, but we recycle anything we can no longer use. In 2019, we recycled 1.5 tons of aluminum and steel.

From set pieces to lecterns, our wood shop is pleased to say we use wood products purchased through lumber yards that practice and support sustainable forest management. Not only are we using responsibly-sourced products, but through the use of our onsite CNC machine, we are able to create less waste by maximizing the amount of usable material on those products.