OAKVILLE, Ont. — Lakeside Logistics has announced that they have achieved a carbon neutral footprint through their in-house Vision Green program. This date marks the launch of the second phase of their program which has the potential of reducing CO2 emissions by 3500 tonnes per year, the company claims.

To carry this initiative forward, the position of Director of Sustainability was created in April of this year.

The achievement of the carbon neutral status is the first step in our ongoing commitment towards environmentally sustainable operations in our own company and our industry, says Jeff Moore, Managing Director of Lakeside Logistics. In preparation for taking our environmental message out to the industry, we have cleaned our own house first.

The company has worked from the inside out, first getting total buy-in from their staff. Each individual in the company is now an environmental emissary spreading the word to family, friends, customers and suppliers.

Lakeside produces approximately 320 tonnes of CO2 per year the equivalent of 64 cars on the road. Following is a sample of what the company has done to achieve its carbon neutral status.

– Conducted an environmental audit through Zerofootprint
– Converted to green, carbon-free, renewable electricity from Bullfrog Power to power their corporate office
– Invested in hybrid technology for their carrier relations vehicle
– Eliminated bottled water on site, saving 20,000 plastic bottles annually
– Instituted an idle free zone at their loading docks to reduce carbon emissions
– Re-programmed computers with Local Cooling to reduce power usage
– Engaged employees in sustainability issues with a customized calculator designed by Zerofootprint
– Invested in carbon offsets for what they cannot yet eliminate

Lakesides Vision Green program consists of a three-tiered approach to quantifying and reducing impact on the environment: the in-house program already in place, the Carrier program, and the Customer program.