Louisiana-Pacific, just outside Chester, is converting a boiler to burn sawdust instead of bunker C oil. It’ll cost $2 million to do, but the company expects to recoup its money within two years — and cut sulphur dioxide emissions by 60 per cent.

Michelin in Bridgewater replaced the electrical motors in its machines with higher efficiency motors. They use less electricity, but it turns out they are also of better quality and break down less, saving the tire maker five times more money than originally expected.

These are just some of the local examples of successful companies that are enacting environmental policies that quickly pay off economically.

NovaKnowledge held a workshop Friday at the Lunenburg County campus of Nova Scotia Community College to talk about how businesses can thrive — not just survive — in the new green economy.

Kay Crinean, the facilitator, said environmental requirements are more stringent, energy costs are rising and natural resources are becoming depleted.

There’s also a growing public awareness of the health and environmental costs associated with doing business. Indeed, the non-profit agency did a survey last year that showed 83 per cent of Nova Scotians said they would not shop at a company with a poor environmental record.

"This is the reality of business’s environment today," Ms. Crinean said.

But she said this all amounts to opportunities for businesses, providing they are innovative, educated and motivated. "You can’t just keep doing the same old, same old."

Yet many business owners think there are a lot of obstacles blocking their way to becoming more environmentally responsible. Ms. Crinean says most of those obstacles are myths and companies actually end up saving money and improving efficiency, in addition to helping the environment.

When Melissa MacIntyre looks at all the steps her company has taken at its East River plant to improve the environment, she’s thrilled.

"I look at it as ordering dinner at your favourite restaurant and getting dessert for free," said Ms. MacIntyre, the environmental manager for Louisiana-Pacific’s Lunenburg County plant.

The firm cut the amount of recyclables and compostables going to the landfill by 94 per cent in five years. It cut the amount of materials waste by 99.7 per cent and sends 81 per cent less wood waste to the local landfill to be used as cover.

This year alone, environmental projects are expected to save or earn the company close to $100,000.

"We’re saving money, and we’re saving on the environmental side, too," Ms. MacIntyre said.

Lee Obritsch said making environmentally responsible improvements to High Liner just makes economic sense. "It’s good business practice," he said, but he added the company was initially pushed in that direction by government regulation and higher tipping fees at landfills.

The fish processing plant expects to save $40,000 on energy costs alone this year and is converting burners so that they’ll take used cooking oil from the plant instead of bunker C oil.

The plant sends organic waste to a peat bog operator in Argyle to help make topsoil, cleaned plastics to send to Asia for recycling and gave cardboard to sister company Minas Pulp and Power, which through its own environmental programs now prevents the cutting of 1.5 million trees a year.

Copyright © 2006 The Halifax Herald Limited