Sustainable Office Practices

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Sustainable Office Practices
HOW TO GREEN YOUR FACILITY
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Categories

• Paper
• Energy Efficiency
• Water Efficiency
• Recycling
• Materials and Resources
• Waste
• Indoor Environmental Quality
• Transportation

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Steps to Make Changes

• Existing Conditions / Habits
• Document existing situation, conditions or
  results of our habits.
• Proposed habit / physical changes
• Indicate each modification individually, note the
  impact this will have over a year, five years and
  10 years to the environment, Indicate the cost
  (if any) for implementing the change, note the
  cost savings (if any) for the firm.
• Implementation Schedule
• Propose a schedule for the each proposed item
  indicating when it can be phased into the office
  policy or physical environment.

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Steps to Make Changes (continued)

• Implementation Budget
• Indicate by Fiscal Year Quarter the cost for
  implementation for those items that have a
  capital (first cost) requirement. Indicate the
  savings to be gained in the first year, five
  years and 10 years in operating costs. Indicate
  the payback period for any proposed capital
  expenditures.
• Publicity
• What can we use in our marketing or printed
  materials to express our commitment to
  sustainability?
• Monitor and Measurement Communication
• What measurements should we collect to assess the
  impact of the policy over each year to gauge
  effectiveness. Incorporate green discussions
  into meeting s and make it part of the office
  culture.

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Paper

• Purchasing
• Purchase paper that has a high-recycled content.
• Purchase paper that is chlorine free during
  production.
• Sold with an accredited environmental or green
  label that details emission standards and post
  consumer waste content.
• Create a corporate purchasing policy that
  outlines goals for paper buying.
• Buy products wrapped in the least packing or buy
  in bulk.
• Paper Saving Techniques
• Mandatory double-sided printing and copying
  (duplex units for printers).
• Use line spacing of no more than 1.5.
• Use of e-mail, voicemail, and pdfs to minimize
  paper use.
• Green printing standards, printing documents that
  are as short as possible (smaller font and wider
  margins).
• Print less, keep mailing lists current and dont
  overprint.
• Reduce unwanted mail you receive and share
  subscriptions.

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Paper (continued)

• Equipment use and paper saving
• Educate staff on how to set printers and
  preferences to print double-sided.
• Use commenting and mark-up toolbars to add notes
  to drawings and documents, rather than printing
  and marking up by hand. Train employees to be
  familiar with these tools.
• Save one-sided abandoned output and discarded
  papers for fax machines, notes and scarp paper.
• Retain documents on your computer rather than in
  hard copies to save paper and space.
• Add to bottom of emails
• Consider the environment. Please don't print
  this e-mail unless you really need to.

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Energy Efficiency

• Energy Savings
• Encourage employees to turn off all equipment at
  night, including lights, computers, monitors, and
  photocopiers.
• Use daylighting when possible and turn off lights
  when area is not in use.
• Use a programmable thermostat to set the
  temperature.
• Use powersave features on copiers, etc. during
  the day.
• Turn equipment completely off standby mode
  still uses significant power.
• Replace incandescent lights with compact
  fluorescent lights or LED lights throughout the
  building.
• They use approximately 1/4 the power of
  incandescent bulbs, last 8 times as long
• Transition to LCD monitors.
• They use approximately 1/4 the power of CRT
  monitors.
• Keep records and inform employees of how much
  energy is used by the office. Set goals to
  reduce energy consumption.
• When purchasing new equipment, consider
  energy-efficiency. Give preference to equipment
  with low power usage and Energy Star compliance.
• Make sure windows and doors are properly
  weather-proofed.
• Regular maintenance of heating system. Confirm
  piping is fully insulated.

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Energy Efficiency (continued)

• Green Electricity
• Purchase green power (0.5 minimum premium per
  kWh)
• Promoting Green Energy and Energy Savings
• Encourage employees to employ energy savings
  techniques at home.
• Encourage employees, clients, and consultants to
  reduce printing through electronic communication
  and documentation.
• Inform the community about your energy usage
  progress.

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Water Efficiency

• Landscaping
• Use native plants and drought-resistant plants.
• Reuse rainwater for irrigation.
• Find and Fix Leaks
• Check for leaks by turning water off and taking 2
  readings several minutes apart.
• Check faucets for dripping. A dripping tap could
  waste as much as 90 liters per week.
• New Fittings
• Transition to low-flow fixtures, including
  toilets and faucets. Arrange for recycling old
  fixtures.
• Fit spray inserts in often-used taps. These
  reduce the amount of water from the faucet but
  dont reduce washing efficiency.

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Water Efficiency (continued)

• Efficient water use within the office
• Ensure staff is aware of need to be
  water-efficient.
• Communicate measures taken by company, progress
  and participation that is needed to make the plan
  work.
• Water Pollution
• Reduce the volume and concentration of pollutants
  entering the water treatment works, rivers and
  beaches.
• Use environmentally preferable products where
  possible. Many products now have a green
  alternative.
• Use accredited biodegradable detergents in
  washrooms, kitchens and toilets. Many are
  available and are now comparable in quality and
  price.
• Dont wash oils, solvent, paints or thinners down
  sinks or drains. Store them in a safe container
  and take to an authorized collection centre or
  community paint store for reuse.

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Recycling

• Recycling Techniques
• Institute a recycling program through a recycler
  (city or private service).
• Collect paper, metal (cans), plastic bottles,
  cardboard and glass (bottles) inside office
  space.
• Ensure staff is aware of recycling program (what
  can be recycled, how the process works).
• Assign a Recycling Champion that runs the
  program.
• Train responsible personnel for taking collected
  materials to outside container (office staff or
  custodial staff).
• Provide each workspace with a recycling container
  and have centralized larger containers as well.
• Recycle printer and toner cartridges.
• Collect hazardous items, such as batteries, and
  provide for appropriate disposal.
• Collect re-useable items, such as old magazines,
  old IT equipment and scrap workshop materials,
  and arrange for donation to local schools or
  libraries.
• Hard to Recycle Products
• Contact original supplier to see if they have a
  take back policy or recycling plan (does this
  apply to any products we consume?).
• Reduce the amount of hard to recycle products
  the company consumes. This will ultimately reduce
  waste costs.
• Strive to recycle or dispose of products in an
  environmentally responsible manner.
• Refer to www.keepnorfolkbeautiful (recycling) for
  un updated recycling directory on where to take
  unusual items for proper disposal.

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Recycling (continued)

• Publicity
• Remind staff how and what to recycle, and give
  progress updates.
• Make sure there is commitment from top management
  Make sure they participate in recycling too.
• Offer incentives or contests to encourage
  recycling.
• Post signs throughout office encouraging
  recycling and reminding employees what can be
  recycled.
• Monitoring and Communication
• Keep records of how much is recycled per week or
  per month
• Cartridges/toner
• Reams of paper
• Metal cans and plastic bottles

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Materials and Resources

• Waste management
• Divert debris from waste stream through reuse.
• Provide clearly marked areas for recycling.
• Cut down on the need to have paper plates, etc.
  by providing dishes and a place to wash them.
  Encourage employees to bring reusable lunch
  items.
• Local resources
• Purchase materials and supplies that were
  manufactured within a 500 mile radius.
• Purchase materials and supplies that were
  extracted within a 500 mile radius.
• Purchases
• Purchase materials and supplies with high
  post-consumer recycled content.
• Purchase non-toxic and biodegradable cleaning
  products.

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Indoor Environmental Quality

• Indoor Air Quality
• No-smoking policy within the building. No
  smoking within 20 ft of entrances.
• Provide natural plants which absorb office
  chemicals and promote a healthy atmosphere in
  particular, leafy plants which require regular
  watering such as Azalea, Philodendron, Spider
  plant, Bamboo, Chrysanthemum, Poinsettia, or
  Peace lily.
• Choose cleaning products that are toxin-free.
• Locate printers as far from work areas as
  reasonable (preferably in separately ventilated
  rooms).
• Use low-VOC paints.
• Physical Health
• Educate staff about ergonomic position of work
  area.
• Provide healthy and nutritious meal choices.
• Mental Health
• Encourage employees to take breaks away from
  their desks.
• Help employees learn through lunch and learn
  presentations.

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Transport

• A green transport plan aiming to reduce the
  environmental impact of travel associated with
  work.
• Aims
• Reduce reliance on the car, especially for
  single-occupancy journeys.
• Promote the use of alternative means of
  transportation.
• To reduce emissions and encourage the purchase of
  energy efficient vehicles.
• To encourage work practices which reduce the need
  to travel.

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Transport (continued)

• Promote alternatives
• Public Transport Prepare a public transport pack
  with prices and times of routes taken to work and
  on work business.
• Bicycle Install shower and changing facilities
  during office refurbishment for those bicycling,
  running or walking to work.
• Provide a secure place at work to store bikes.
• Car Encourage staff to carpool by providing a
  list of employees and neighborhoods they live in.
• Audio and Video-Conferencing Minimize carbon
  dioxide emissions generated by business travel by
  using e-mail, video conferencing and Go To
  meetings to avoid traveling whenever possible.
• Incentive Provide employees with incentive to
  use alternate transport with rewards or benefits.
• Change schedules to promote less frequent travel
  associated with work (example 9 hour days and
  every other Friday off).

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Helpful Resources

• EPA Resources for Non-Profit Organizations-
  www.epa.gov/epahome/nonprof.htm
• EPA Energy Star Program www.energystar.gov/small
  business (good tech support)
• EPA Waste Wise - http//www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-h
  w/reduce/wstewise/index.htm
• San Francisco Bay Area Green Business Program
  www.greenbiz.abag.ca.gov
• LEED- Leadership in Energy Environmental Design
  - www.usgbc.org