Green Streak Pays Off for Local Heating & Cooling Business

At last Tuesday's Village Board Meeting, the Glen Ellyn Environmental Commission awarded DMM Comfort, Inc. Heating & Air Conditioning the Glen Ellyn Recycles Award, celebrating the company's commitment to recycling and positive environmental business practices.

Launched earlier this year, the Glen Ellyn Recycles Award is designed to encourage Glen Ellyn's businesses to meet certain environmental goals. DMM Comfort, Inc. is the award's third recipient, after Tap House Grill and Honey Restaurant.

According to the Environmental Commission website, to earn the award a business must recycle half of their waste categories, such as insulation or scrap metal, as well as use materials with recycled content in their daily operations, such as recycled paper or cardboard.

"At this point our Village's refuse and recycling program only includes residential properties," explains Kristin Schraeder, staff liaison for the Glen Ellyn Environmental Commission. "We know that a lot of commercial properties and businesses do not have recycling because of the cost. The award is a way to encourage business owners to start recycling, and to be as green in their business as they are at home."

Businesses which meet the program's requirements can apply for the award through the Environmental Commission's website. Applications are reviewed and voted on at during regular meetings, and those companies which are approved are asked to attend an award ceremony and give a presentation on their company's recycling policies.

For Micah Schoenherr, owner of DMM Comfort, Inc., going green was more than good civil duty – it was good business.

"A lot of what you see here is worth money," explains Schoenherr, gesturing to the boxes of sorted recyclables in his garage shop. "Obviously the copper is, and air conditioning coils are too. Most materials aren't worth much, but almost everything we find is usually recyclable through the city. We're not creating any extra garbage, which is good for the environment, but considering we produce about six yards of garbage a month, that's also a lot of garbage we don't have to pay to get rid of.  We can't afford not to recycle."

According to a Waste Management Co. representative, removing six yards (or six tons) of commercial garbage would cost Schoenherr roughly $550 a month.

Winning the Commercial Recycling Award is also important to DMM Comfort's quest to earn the Earth Flag through the School and Community Assistance for Recycling and Composting Education, or SCARCE, which he anticipates receiving later this year. The process has included sponsoring a waste energy reduction event and volunteering at the Village of Lombard's Recycling Extravaganza on September 18th.

Conservation is integral to the business of heating and air conditioning, with energy efficiency as the primary goal. The more efficient a system is, the less energy used, fuel burnt, carbon created, and the cheaper it is to run.

"Old furnaces can be below 50 percent efficient," explained Schoenherr. "Meaning more than half the heat generated is wasted up the chimney. New furnaces, like the ones eligible for tax credits, can be 95% efficient or better. You'll save a lot of money going forward."

When asked how homeowners can improve their home's efficiency this winter, his answer was clear: insulation.

"I'm not in the insulation business," said Schoenherr, "but I always tell people to insulate first, and then look at new equipment. When you insulate, you improve your homes efficiency immediately, but you also find out how much energy you really need to heat the house. You might end up needing a smaller furnace than you thought."

For more tips and information on DMM Comfort, Inc. Heating & Cooling, head to their website at www.dmmcomfort.com, or visit their page on Facebook .