Altman Plants strives to make conservation and environmental stewardship a cornerstone of their capital investment initiatives.

More than 10 years ago, against the backdrop of exceptional drought, their Lake Mathews, California, facility took the plunge on installing an advanced nursery-wide water reclamation system.

From the start, the system — in which plants play a critical role in filtering runoff — exceeded expectations. It recycles and reuses 180 million gallons of water a year. On a warm sunny day, it’s possible for 1 million gallons be captured, cleaned, and reused.

Their largest nursery in Texas, in the city of Giddings, relies on a similar system. Outside of extended droughts (where they augment with well water) all irrigation water comes from stored rainwater and recycled water. Combined, the California and Texas nurseries save 250 million gallons of water per year.

Innovation at the Giddings nursery, in many respects, revolves around water. Or, in one vital case, floats on it. A solar array of nearly 2,600 panels rests on top of a reservoir and generates much of the power the nursery needs to operate. Additionally, it has reduced evaporation loss and algae growth. It holds the distinction of being the first such system in Texas.

Any greenhouse operation knows the critical importance of well-functioning boilers that keep houses warm and developing happy crops. Modern boilers such as those at their Peyton, Colo., facility provide a growth-friendly environment while using significantly less natural gas than retired units. They have reduced greenhouse gas emissions and improved air quality at the nursery and the surrounding community.

Back in California, their fleet of electric tractors has reduced fuel consumption, improved air quality, and enabled operations to run more smoothly and effectively. These zero-emission tractors are more powerful and easier to drive than their diesel counterparts and provide significant operational savings — 10 percent the cost of the diesel fleet.

These examples exemplify what’s possible, by embracing an ambitious approach to modernizing facilities and transforming them into environmentally gentler operations.

Learn More About Sustainability at Altman Plants

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Altman Plants is a Proud Supporter of Sustainabloom.