The Lynden family of companies, Anchorage, Alaska, was recently presented with a Green Star Award for environmental programs in Alaska.


Lynden companies Lynden Transport and Alaska West Express are the first Alaska trucking companies to be recognized by Green Star for environmental stewardship.

The non-profit Green Star organization encourages businesses to practice waste reduction, energy conservation and pollution prevention through education and a voluntary "green business" certification program. Lynden's award will be officially presented next month at an Anchorage Chamber of Commerce meeting.

"Green Star is Alaska's leading organization recognizing waste reduction, energy conservation and pollution prevention," says Lynden President Jon Burdick. "Lynden has always been 'green,' working toward leaner, more productive and efficient ways of serving our customers, and we're pleased to receive this award."

Lynden is working as a unified organization to certify at least seven of its locations throughout the state including companies Alaska West Express, Lynden Air Cargo and Lynden Transport locations in Alaska. Last year, Lynden created a cross-company team, the Green Initiative, and set environmental goals for fuel efficiency, energy conservation, pollution prevention, recycling and reuse.

Green Star recognized Lynden for the following programs:

-- Lynden Transport is the first Alaska carrier to join EPA's SmartWay Environmental Partnership. The program requires that Lynden measure the environmental performance of its fleet, submit an annual progress report, identify a three-year goal, and develop an action plan to achieve this goal. The company has reduced its highway speed for trucks from 65 to 63 mph to save fuel and increase efficiency.

-- Alaska West Express purchased new, more efficient trucks and is testing an oil filtration system to extend oil changes and an automatic tire inflation system to extend tire life and improve efficiency. Auxiliary power units were installed in trucks to keep the cab and engine warm without idling the engine during downtime.

-- Lynden Air Cargo made improvements in the airframe of its aircraft and reduced the weight of onboard equipment to improve fuel economy.

-- Alaska Marine Lines works with partner Western Towboat to reduce fuel consumption without compromising service times. The company installed shared refrigeration units on its vessels and at dock locations to reduce the amount of energy and generator fuel needed to keep freight cool.

-- The Lynden employee newsletter is sent electronically to all employees who have computers, reducing paper use by 70 percent. Use of onboard truck computers and mobile communications devices expand the use of paperless information processes.

-- A new payroll system allows employees to receive paperless direct deposit. Manuals and files that do not require paper copies are stored electronically.

-- Lynden electronically bills its customers, saving paper, postage, time and money with EZ Billing.

The Lynden companies support recycling efforts in Alaska by working with Alaskans for Litter Prevention And Recycling (ALPAR) to move paper from Anchorage to Seattle for recycling. Together, they have moved more than 81 shipments totaling nearly 4 million pounds. Aluminum cans from the Cordova City transfer facility are bailed and transported to Anchorage by Lynden Transport and Alaska Marine Lines for recycling. Funds from the recycling are donated to Cordova High School. Lynden Air Cargo also participated in the Back Haul Program for the Yukon River Tribal Watershed Council to help clean up Alaska village communities.

The Lynden family of companies capabilities include: truckload and less-than-truckload transportation, scheduled and charter barges, rail barges, intermodal bulk chemical hauls, scheduled and chartered air freighters, domestic and international air forwarding, international ocean forwarding, customs brokerage, trade show shipping, remote site construction, sanitary bulk commodities hauling, and multi-modal logistics. Lynden companies are repeat winners in the annual Quest for Quality awards presented by Logistics Management magazine.