Thoughts on Energy Efficient Carts from C. Nelson’s President
I was listening to a discussion about new, energy-efficient house designs on the radio the other day while driving to work, and one of guys made the comment that “The most energy efficient house is the one that is already built.”
Intriguing. A little research shows that, other than an extreme gas guzzler, the most energy efficient car is the car already built. And the most energy efficient appliance is the appliance already built. Renewable energy, green technology, sustainability, all great buzz words thrown around today, often with little thought as to what is truly sustainable and energy efficient.
There is not doubt that purchasing the most energy efficient devices lessens the burden on the use of our natural resources. Of at least equal, and probably greater importance in reducing energy consumption and the exploitation of our resources is the purchase of devices with a long, useful life.
When we buy something like a car, a house, an ice cream freezer, or an ice cream cart, we pay a price that is pretty much equal to the sum of the various energies used to produce the product- the energy to produce the steel, to mine the copper ore, harvest the wood, the energy input of the labor (we do have to eat, and we eat calories, which is a measure of energy), the energy in the transportation of all the goods that need to come together to make the product, and so on.
Some of the energy used to make a product is lost forever (the dreaded 2nd law of thermodynamics), some is stored and can be used again. You can always recycle wood (think of harvesting trees, like corn, not deforesting the land) by burning it to keep you warm or make electricity. Once steel has been made, it can be recycled and used again and again in a new form for a fraction of the energy it takes to make steel from iron ore.
So to purchase of a truly sustainable product is to purchase a product with a long life cycle and one made from materials that have the highest level of being recycled into other products.
Nelson carts are made with nearly 90% recyclable content. Stainless steel, copper, aluminum and steel are the primary components used and all are very recyclable. Nelson cart interiors are all stainless steel, the most vulnerable part of any freezer to corrosion. They will last longer that carts made with galvanized or painted steel or aluminum.
Every year, we at Nelson renew over a hundred carts to return to service for use. We rarely ever tell a customer that he should scrap one of our carts.
When you think energy efficiency and sustainability, we want you to think of Nelson. Not only do they last longer, they are now by far the most energy effcient.
