Boxley Materials Co.’s Roanoke ready-mixed concrete plant received an industry group’s Green-Star Certification for environmentally friendly practices. According to the National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association’s eDigest & Washington Watch, Larry Bullock, Boxley’s vice president of concrete operations, expects the certification and related environmental practices to pay off in at least two ways — by reducing expenses and by attracting business.

Boxley was recognized for:

• Recycling hundreds of gallons of water that is blasted into the drums of concrete trucks to wash out unused mix;
• Reducing waste concrete by about 20 percent by forming it into bulky block barriers that can be sold;
• Replacing all interior lighting with high-efficiency bulbs;
• Providing ceramic coffee mugs to employees to eliminate the use of styrofoam cups; and
• Launching a program to recycle mixed paper, aluminum, and plastics.