Social responsibility has been a part of Springs Window Fashions‘ corporate culture for nearly a decade, and we believe that every day presents multiple opportunities for our employees to "go green."

• Recycling bins for aluminum, plastic, paper, toner and cardboard are conveniently positioned throughout our offices. Office machines, such as computers, copiers and printers are Energy Star rated and set to time-out in power saver mode when not in use.
• All office lighting has been switched to best-in-class T8 fixtures for maximum energy savings.
• Four-cylinder vehicles for field sales associates receive 5,000-mile service inspections that allow peak fuel efficiency, while in-vehicle routing and mapping software optimizes call routes to save gas.
• Plant and office workers are encouraged to share their ideas for "greener" products and processes.

Continuously examining and upgrading our eco-friendly manufacturing processes is a charge that Springs Window Fashions takes very seriously, and the numbers truly speak for themselves:

• 43 million pounds of industrial waste generated in our Middleton facility have been recycled and diverted from landfills over the past 10 years.
• 90 million gallons of water are saved every year due to the installation of a closed-loop water-cooling system for plastics manufacturing in Middleton.
• More than 4,500 tons of sawdust are recycled annually in a "waste to energy" program at our Grayling wood plant.
• More than 99% of our total sawdust is transformed into energy to fire the kilns and heat the factory or is converted to wood stove pellets.
• A 71% reduction in airborne emissions has occurred in Middleton since 2000. Exhaust air scrubbers have been added at this facility to reduce VOCs by 52 percent.
• A minimum of 44% of post-consumer recycled material is included in the packaging of all Springs Window Fashions' products. Each package is carefully engineered and tested to minimize the use of materials without sacrificing the integrity of the product.
• 100% of packaging materials are able to be recycled according to a recent study conducted by the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

By design, all window coverings are inherently "green" because they block solar heat gain and reduce UV damage to commercial interiors. Products from SWFcontract are manufactured in high-recycling facilities and offer specific benefits and return on investment to end users in the form of healthier, more energy-efficient buildings.

Nearly every SWFcontract product is constructed with recycled materials including plastics, metals and fabrics. Several products feature additional "green" attributes:

• Solar Shades offer GREENGUARD certified, low VOC emission fabrics.
• Graber Wood Blinds are sourced and processed domestically. This means transportation energy is minimized, unlike many of today's wood products which have traveled long distances from other continents, consuming energy significant along the way.
• 100 percent of packaging materials are able to be recycled according to a recent study conducted by the University of Wisconsin at Madison.