The conversation around sustainability in the construction industry has changed dramatically in just a few years. At Barton Malow, our responsibility is twofold: reduce emissions from our own operations and help decarbonize the economy through the projects we deliver. From supporting the design of energy-efficient buildings to constructing renewable energy infrastructure, we are helping to build a more climate-resilient future.
We’ve always built with sustainability in mind, but it wasn’t until recently that we implemented a more structured and strategic approach. What began as small, volunteer-led initiatives has grown into an enterprise-wide commitment driving measurable change in reducing our environmental impact and supporting a healthier future for the communities we serve.
Grassroots to Strategy
In 2019, a small group of passionate team members, myself included, launched an internal community focused on learning, jobsite practices, and community support related to sustainability. Early wins powered by our volunteer work, such as boosting recycling efforts and partnering with organizations like The Greening of Detroit to plant trees locally, laid the groundwork for what was to come.
Client expectations and sustainability requirements started to grow over the next few years, and we recognized the need for a more formal approach. In 2024, our dedicated Sustainability team was formed. With a goal of implementing stronger green practices in how we build, the resources we consume, the equipment we use, and the amount of waste we create, we were tasked with balancing the principles of people, profit, and planet.
This transition marked a turning point. Sustainability was no longer a side project for us, but a core responsibility with full-time leadership and clear accountability. That commitment is already producing measurable results. Just this year, we improved our EcoVadis score to earn a Bronze Sustainability rating, placing us among the top 35% of respondents and reflecting our dedication to sustainability and improvements to policies and actions.
Innovative Partnerships
Collaboration is at the heart of our sustainability strategy, both on our jobsites and in our offices.
With over 15 years of experience building renewable energy projects, Barton Malow plays an active role in constructing energy infrastructure for a low-carbon future. At a solar project in Michigan, our Sustainability team helped boost our efforts on site by partnering with WoodChuck.ai and NorthStar Clean Energy on a large-scale wood waste diversion initiative. All wood waste was diverted from landfills, including clear-cut orchard trees that were no longer producing fruit and wood pallets, which were shredded and donated back to the city for use in wastewater treatment.
This collaboration has already converted nearly 500 tons of wood waste into 38 million BTUs of energy, reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to taking 180 cars off the road for a year. We continue to explore ways to implement these methods on additional projects, expanding on our partnership with WoodChuck.
With a new helmet requirement announced for Barton Malow project sites taking effect this year, our team had to get creative with ways to recycle the old hard hat styles. Hard hats take over 500 years to decompose, and landfill plastics can lead to the release of harmful pollutants into our soil and water.
To prevent this, we researched and discovered Flat Can Recycling in Illinois, where we can send the hard hats to be washed, shredded into small flakes, then melted and reformed into pellets. The pellets will then be sold in a commoditized market for things like injection mold manufacturing, finding a renewed use for the hard hats. With bulk collection containers located at our offices, they will be shipped to Flat Can Recycling to start the process, keeping hundreds out of landfills.
Our impact spans beyond the recycling of materials like wood and plastic. We recently implemented a composting program in our Southfield headquarters cafeteria, where all cooking and preparation scraps are composted to reduce food waste, with the potential to expand the program to regional offices.
Looking Ahead
This year, we published our first Sustainability Impact Report, marking a milestone in our commitment to transparency, accountability, and long-term impact. Highlighting our efforts across environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and corporate governance, the report outlines the progress we’ve made and the goals we’re setting to build a more sustainable future for our people, projects, and communities.
For our Sustainability team, the journey of turning ideas into action is just beginning. From waste reduction to data-driven emissions tracking, every step brings us closer to expanding our capabilities and redefining what it means to build for tomorrow.
About the Author: Jill Katic is Barton Malow’s Senior Director of Sustainability. After spending two decades in the automotive industry, Jill joined Barton Malow in 2019 and now leads enterprise-wide Sustainability strategies.
