The Lakeland public relations firm underwent some improvements earlier this month in an effort to be more Earth-friendly and environmentally sensitive in honor of Earth Day, which is today.

The first step was replacing old, worn-out carpeting with new carpeting made from recycled plastic water bottles.

“I had heard about carpeting made from recycled content and I knew I wanted that for my home and office,” said Lorrie Delk Walker, president of the PR agency. “I wound up with carpeting that not only is made from recycled content; it also is recyclable, should I ever need to replace it again.”

Walker purchased the carpeting from Galloway’s Flooring Warehouse on Edgewood Avenue.

“Mike and the rest of the staff there were great, and I couldn’t be happier with the finished product,” Walker said.

Walker also repainted her office walls using no-VOC paint. Volatile organic compounds in paint are what make the air smell bad after painting.

New, energy-efficient light bulbs were installed for Earth Day last year and they haven’t had to be replaced yet, she said.

Walker is an avid recycler and always looks for ways in which to reduce waste, she said. Printing documents is kept to a minimum when possible and often, scrap paper is used to print documents that are maintained in the office.

All drink cans and bottles, newsprint, cardboard, fiberboard, plastic, steel and tin are recycled weekly.

Invoices and other correspondence are sent via e-mail whenever possible, in an effort to reduce the amount of fossil fuels used in the traditional mail delivery system.

Although she couldn’t complete the project in time for Earth Day, Walker is working on one other Earth-friendly element for her office- a desk made entirely from reclaimed materials.

“I’m working with Tom Monaco to make that dream a reality,” Walker said.

Monaco, who owns The Fourth Wall Specialty Design and Fabrication, Inc. is working on the desk design and will offer suggestions on the types of reclaimed materials he can use for the project.

“Once that is fleshed out, we can begin the process of searching for the materials to make the desk,” Walker said. “I plan to hit yard sales, thrift stores and maybe even scrap yards to find the materials.”

Walker said she looks forward to having a piece of functional art that will be a conversation piece and may encourage others to find alternative uses for items that otherwise would wind up in the trash.

“It’s easy to talk about being green, but people need to see your actions, too,” she said. “That’s what I’m trying to do- talk the talk and walk the walk.”