Sebert’s Commitment to Sustainability Is Ingrained in Every Level - The Edge from the National Association of Landscape Professionals

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Sebert’s Commitment to Sustainability Is Ingrained in Every Level

Sebert's headquarter building is Gold LEED certified.
Photo: Sebert Landscape

Sebert Landscape, based in Bartlett, Illinois, has always had a goal to create a better environment since they started in 1985. CEO Jeff Sebert says in the last 12 years, they’ve taken a hardcore approach to sustainability.

“Sustainability is progressive and contagious,” Sebert says. “As our business has grown tremendously so has our commitment. The idealism of our staff is aligned with how and what can we do better? We have always stood behind our commitment and our green initiative and each year we find new and better ways of achieving our goals.”

One of the ways Sebert has taken the initiative to conserve resources is the creation of their LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold-Certified building.

“I have always been supportive of minimizing our consumption of energy,” Sebert says. “It is probably the costliest of all our expenses. I have always admired the architectural and aesthetic design of these structures and agree with the idealism and compliance of the certification of Gold LEED.”

This certification is awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and has stringent requirements for construction and energy-saving amenities. Sebert had to meet standards in energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reductions, improve indoor environmental quality, stewardship for sustainability and design/build in strategies to improve performance and efficiency.

Sebert’s 30,000 square-foot corporate office is twice the size of their old facilities but uses the same amount of electricity and natural gas.

“The architectural design and placement of our windows and exterior sunshades assist in the collection and distribution of sunlight for illumination year-round as well as allow for natural light to flow throughout our workspace, reducing the use of electrical power and heating/cooling requirements,” Sebert says.

Photo: Sebert Landscape

On the roof, they use a LiveRoof tray system that holds 6,500 square feet of decorative allium and tall grasses. This space provides a location for their employees to get some fresh air, but also serves as a place where they can entertain clients, prospects and industry organizations.

The green roof also assists in providing insulation, reducing temperatures in the summer and creating cost savings anywhere from 25 to 50 percent.

“The plant material absorbs the sunlight and UV rays which preserves our roof membrane-lasting 200 percent longer,” Sebert says. “It detoxifies airborne pollution and creates a natural sound barrier, as well. Therefore, our green roof is not only architecturally and aesthetically pleasing, but its functionality has been extremely beneficial.”

Their 15,000 square-foot garage, which houses their fleet, features solar panels that generate one-third of the electricity needed to power the corporate office.

“The solar panels are not only functional and play an integral part in the reduction of energy consumption, but are visually appealing and communicate a clear message to our community that we are committed to our green initiative and finding innovative ways to better our environment,” Sebert says.

In the landscape surrounding the facility, Sebert has a number of native plants. They also have a 5,000-gallon water feature that utilizes rainwater collected on the property. Surplus water drains to a detention pond, which they use to irrigate the property. Sebert also has a 9,000 square-foot permeable paver parking lot that collects stormwater, as well as a bioswale that collects and filters runoff.

Over the past few years, Sebert has hosted tours at their headquarters for clients, local officials and organizations such as the American Horticulture Landscape Tour.

“We don’t just talk the talk; we have demonstrated to our clients that we are continually looking to find new ways to help the environment as well as create a safe work environment for our workers,” Sebert says. “We believe that our customers share this philosophy, as well. We are committed to finding new and better ways to perform our job and serve as a mentor/educator to other organizations.”

Sebert’s electric fleet Photo: Sebert Landscape

Aside from a sustainable headquarters, Sebert has also been using battery-powered equipment for about 10 years. They have solar panels on their trailers to support the recharging of their battery-operated hand-held equipment.

“This feature allowed our crews to utilize and maintain their equipment on a fully charged battery through their workday, exchanging when necessary,” he says.

They also switched their gas-powered commercial mowers to propane 10 years ago. Sebert says this has allowed them to reduce their emissions and provide a cleaner/safer environment for their clients and employees. In spring 2021, Sebert introduced four new trailers with commercial battery-operated mowers.
“We have been extremely pleased with the performance and positive reaction we have received from our clients and look forward to replacing additional units for 2022,” Sebert says.

He says their goal is to eventually move over completely to battery-operated commercial mowers throughout their organization.

“We are trying to eliminate the conflict between ‘what is best for our customers’ and ‘what is best for the environment,’” Sebert says. “We want to change the way people think about sustainability through education and sharing our knowledge on how to best use our resources and create and maintain landscapes through environmentally friendly means by taking an active role in stewardship.”

This article was published in the January/February issue of the magazine. To read more stories from The Edge magazine, click here to subscribe to the digital edition.

Jill Odom

Jill Odom is the senior content manager for NALP.