Green Way Pavements, a “green” paving company, has
moved into their new offices at 123 Court Street in Binghamton. Zeljka
Roksandic and Robert Gerard, the owners, believe that there are great
opportunities in Binghamton for green paving options. The owners contend
that their products are of a high quality, are environmentally friendly,
and are competitively priced. Additionally, these paving services can be
customized so easily that the owners encourage their customers to “design your
driveway.”
Zeljka and Robert first became interested in green paving
when they were researching alternatives for driveway paving two years ago. They
decided that concrete was too expensive and that asphalt was not durable enough
for them. The owners eventually found an alternative, which consisted of
high-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic grid-pavers; small stones, topsoil, and grass could be put into the cells. This alternative not only was
affordable, but required little maintenance, was environmentally friendly, and
was as effective as other paving options. However, Zeljka and Robert found
that the biggest manufacturers of these pavers were outside the U.S. At that
point in time, ingenuity struck; the couple started Green Way Pavements.
The paving options offered by Green Way Pavements have several
advantages over other alternatives. The green paving is much less expensive
than concrete, and is similarly priced to asphalt. It is also far more durable
than asphalt and thus has much lower maintenance costs. As a matter of fact,
green paving typically requires little maintenance. In addition, the green
paving is much more aesthetically pleasing than the blacktop of asphalt; the
green paving “looks very natural,” according to Zeljka, while asphalt “smells
like an oil field.” The product offered by Green Way Pavements also has a
multitude of applications, from driveways, to pathways, to tennis courts.
Furthermore, Robert and Zeljka stress the fact that removing snow from the
paving is easy. “The plows should be raised 1 inch above the paver,” notes
Zeljka.
The above advantages are appealing, but the most alluring
aspect of the paving offered is its environmentally-friendly qualities. The
product is completely comprised of recycled consumer waste materials. In
addition, it is 95% permeable, which means that “water goes straight to the water
table,” says Robert; he argues that the permeability of the paving may
decrease the impact of flooding. Robert states that the permeability also is
good because “nature is the best purifier” for water. By comparison, asphalt
and concrete driveways are 5% permeable. The owners note that there is a dearth
of investment in green products in the U.S. relative to other countries. In
2011, Europe invested over $100 billion in green products, and China surpassed
the U.S. with $52.2 billion in green investment (the U.S. invested $50.8 billion)*.
Robert posits that there is a growing demand for green products in the U.S.,
but that it is not being adequately catered to.
Another advantage of the green paving is that it is very
easy to customize. The grid’s cells can be filled with different-colored
stones, mulch, wood chips, topsoil, seeded grass, and sod. Customers can put in
any design they desire, and they can change the design at any time in the
future. In addition, the installation of the paving can be done fairly easily,
so it is possible for clients who have a Do-It-Yourself orientation to install
the paving themselves.
Zeljka and Robert are new to the Binghamton area, but fell
in love with their house on the South Side of Binghamton. They say they share a
love of Binghamton’s geography, specifically its rivers and rolling hills. The
couple, now married for ten years, feels that there are opportunities in
Binghamton. “We see the potential in [Binghamton],” says Zeljka. Additionally,
Zeljka and Robert say they are happy in Binghamton, and wish to spread that
happiness to others. “We are in the ‘people business,’” states Robert. “Paving
is just one expression of that business.”
For more information about Green Way Pavements, visit their
website at http://greenwaypavements.com.
*Source: MacGuire, E. (2012). Who’s funding the green revolution? CNN. Jun 12. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2012/06/12/world/renewables-finance-unep/index.html?hpt=hp_c4
