Send us your green ideas Each month Michigan Retailer will feature one idea that shows retailers being environmentally responsible. Call MRA's Laura Adkins at 800.366.3699 or e-mail mra@retailers.com to submit your ideas.

Art in a green setting

Saper Galleries, an art gallery with custom framing services in East Lansing, has been conserving natural resources and using green business practices for the past 22 years. The shop minimizes the use of paper by processing all Internet orders electronically, including invoicing and appraisals. Through extensive recycling and donation of scrap material, the store’s weekly trash output is much less than that of an average family residence, says owner Roy Saper.

Throughout its 6,000-square-foot building, Saper Galleries relies mostly on natural daylight through numerous skylights (up to 48-feet long). The lights are rarely turned on, and when lights are used, they are programmed to dim down when the spaces are not occupied.

The UV-filtering, double-layer skylights also filter out heat during the warmer months and provide additional insulation. The ceilings, roof and 14-inch thick walls are highly insulated so that the store’s high-efficiency zoned furnaces rarely cycle on.

Current GreenTailers: contact MRA if you would like to use the GreenTailer logo in your marketing materials or on your website.