Belknap Subaru earns eco-friendly dealer certification

TILTON — Belknap Subaru has earned the Eco-Friendly dealer certification.

"This certification demonstrates Belknap Subaru’s commitment to making a positive impact on our community and the environment,” said Mark Johnstone, president of Belknap Subaru.

The award concentrates on five key areas, energy efficiency; waste management; recycling; water conservation; and community involvement. The dealership has named five managers and one employee to its Eco-Friendly Committee: Scott Ives; Mark Mallahan; Susan Croft; Allen Wright; Beth Gleason; and Patty Jones. This group meets monthly to discuss, plan, and implement better policies for the dealership to improve its impact on the environment. Recently the dealership found a national program, through Subaru, that recycles the coffee pods used by staff and customers at the dealership. "Rather than going into the trash, the pods will be transformed into benches and other useful things,” Mallahan said.

Belknap Subaru burns its waste oil and has multiple programs to keep hazardous products out of the waste stream, such as using Pig Mats, a recyclable mat, which is used to clean up spills of oil and other petroleum products. They also recycle oil filters with their partners at Clean Harbors and use cleaning products that are friendly to the environment. The dealership is also in the process of changing over from fluorescent lighting to LED lights; all exit lights have all been switched to the more efficient LED lights and soon the lights in  the shop and parking area will also be switched.

“We are highly motivated to improve our footprint here," said Scott Ives, general manager. "Our customers appreciate the effort and it pleases our employees, too. It is definitely a win/win!”

Belknap Subaru is located at 35 Tilton Road in Tilton.

Serving on the Eco-Friendly Committee, From left are Mark Mallahan, Patty Jones, Beth Gleason, Susan Croft and Allen Wright. Not pictured is Scott Ives. (Courtesy photo)