At HCSC, commitment to sustainability is at the core of our business practices. We operate in accordance with the triple bottom-line theory, which calls for the pursuit of actions that support people, the planet and prosperity.

Building Design

Both our Montana and Texas Headquarters buildings are LEED certified, and all five of our Headquarters buildings are Fitwel and WELL Health-Safety Rating Certified. All our facilities use state-of-the-art building automation technology to lower the cost and environmental impact of energy used by heating, cooling and lighting.

Using Renewable Energy

HCSC invests in Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) directly produced by our utility providers to offset 75% and 50% of our greenhouse gas emissions from our facilities in Illinois and Texas, respectively. We’ve expanded our REC portfolio to ensure 100% of our Scope 2 electric power usage-related emissions are offset.

Six of our 2021 energy efficiency projects are centered around reducing our carbon footprint. These projects include retrofits and upgrades at our Oklahoma headquarters and service center, Chicago headquarters and several Texas facilities. This resulted in an approximate 7.97% decrease in total emissions.

Transparency

To help increase transparency in our sustainability initiatives, we participate in several external disclosure programs including CDP (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project) to measure our environmental impacts, support sustainable supply chain practices and better understand where we can expand our efforts.

Saving Paper

Our employees recycled nearly 1.1 million pounds of paper in 2021.

These paper recycling efforts translated to:

• 9,769 trees saved
• 4,022,558 gallons of water saved
• 1,896 cubic yards of landfill space spared

Recycling Electronic Waste

Used computers, phones and other electronic equipment that aren’t disposed of properly can leach harmful toxins into landfills and groundwater. To help save natural resources and protect our communities, a significant number of electronic devices were recycled. 

Employee Engagement

Employees participate in sustainability-centered festivities like Earth Month, America Recycles Day and more. These campaigns engage HCSC employees in conversations about climate change, sustainability and ways to make a positive impact at home and at work. 

Food Service Sustainable Practices

We uphold sustainable practices which have resulted in being awarded Green Restaurant Certification, including:

• Level 2 certification at Illinois and Montana Headquarters
• Level 1 certification at Abilene, Texas office cafe

Over the last two years, employees have joined us in our sustainability efforts by:

• Saving over 1,000,000 plastic bottles by switching to bottle-free water dispensers.
• Donating 3,975 meals to the Chicago Bridge Project.
• Supplying Montana farmers with food scraps from the Montana headquarters for compost.

Greening the Commute

We’ve encouraged telecommuting, work-from-home opportunities and lower-impact commuting options where participants can save up to 40% on commuter costs while reducing their commute-related emissions.

Supporting Biodiversity

We’re conscious of the plants and landscaping at our offices, opting for native grasses and flowers that would thrive in places like our New Mexico headquarters. 

We began hosting over 20,000 honeybees at our Illinois headquarters in 2019 and expanded the urban beekeeping program to Montana, New Mexico and Texas in 2022.