Going Green at the Office

Summary from December 2010, Revised August 2015

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Table of Contents

General Information.................................................................................................................................................3Other Interesting Facts.....................................................................................................................................5

Reusing....................................................................................................................................................................6Recycling.................................................................................................................................................................7Saving Resources.....................................................................................................................................................7

Saving Electricity.............................................................................................................................................7Saving Paper....................................................................................................................................................9Saving Water...................................................................................................................................................9

Indoor Environment...............................................................................................................................................10Plants..............................................................................................................................................................10

Green Building.......................................................................................................................................................11Food and Beverages...............................................................................................................................................12Procurement...........................................................................................................................................................12Business Resources................................................................................................................................................14

Creating a Sustainability Plan........................................................................................................................14News and information....................................................................................................................................15Certifications..................................................................................................................................................16

Getting Employees on Board.................................................................................................................................16What Employees Can Do.......................................................................................................................................17References..............................................................................................................................................................19

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General Information

The economy is embedded in the environment (Lovins, Lovins & Hawken, p. 6). University of Oregon found that a strong environmental rating is a “consistent predictor of profitability” (Lovins, Lovins & Hawken, p. 14). Environmental performance should be a business measure and tied to rewards.

Sustainability is “meeting your current needs while allowing future generations the capacity to meet theirs” (Swallow, p. 10). Sustainability looks at how to add value to the organization, employee, customer, and community.

Most people think that going green or being sustainable is costly, but it can save money, lower risks, and add great value to the company by creating loyal customers and employees who are proud to work for their organization. If you are uncomfortable with the word sustainability try substituting resilience. It is all about making your organization and the community stronger.

Background Information: Reduce, reuse, and recycle is listed in the order of least environmental impact. Why reuse before

recycle? It takes more resources to recycle an item than it does to reuse it. A great article on reducing and reusing by the EPA can be found at: http://www2.epa.gov/recycle/reducing-and-reusing-basics

Three P’s of Sustainability or Triple Bottom Line are People, Planet and Profit. Sustainability is the intersection of people, planet and profit. Sustainable Development is commercial achievement linked to ecological and social success (Swallow, p. 10).

Ecoefficient is a management philosophy where you produce goods and services that use fewer resources.

o Do more with less-decrease use of energy, water, land, etc.o Reduce wasteo Enhance a product’s functionality-focus on selling customers only what they need and creating

products with longer lives and more adaptability (Swallow, p. 20)

The filled in symbol means the product was made from recycled materials.

The three arrows by themselves mean that a product can be recycled and for plastics the number inside the arrows is the type of plastic (many areas only recycle #1 and #2 plastics). Plastic caps or any plastic not marked are not recyclable.

RCP stands for recycled content product.

Biomimicry is imitating biological solutions in the design of products and processes. See www.biomimicryinstitute.org or www.biomimicryguild.com

Upcycled is using waste materials as components of new products or reuse discarded objects or materials in such a way as to create a product of a higher quality or value.

Closed-loop manufacturing is zero-waste production based on constant recycling of materials.

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Used as a carbon off-set, green tags do not directly provide green power, but purchasing green tags represents a certain number of kilowatts per hour of renewable energy (allows you to provide capitol for the energy).

Cradle to Cradle is a product design strategy where things are designed as a whole system, instead of a sum of parts. Designers create things, so at the end of a product’s life all of its components (both biological and technical) can have a new life (so all outputs become inputs for other processes). www.mbdc.com

o Biological nutrients-decompose organically

o Technical nutrients-can be easily extracted (like ores or synthetics) to be reused in the manufacturing process

Standard product life cycle has many opportunities to be more sustainable. It consists of extracting or producing raw materials, manufacturing or assembling the product, distributing the product, using the product and disposing of the product.

Reuse and the circular economy are connected. Reuse plays a large role in the circular economy where products are designed for longevity with multiple reuse and eventual recycling (Houten, 2014). A circular economy is an economic system in which materials are not wasted, because products are designed and built to be part of a network where reuse and refurbishment of a product, component, or material assures a continuous cycle of resources (Houten, 2014).

Why do we need to reuse more and move towards a circular economy? According to the Ellen McArthur Foundation, in the next 15 years three billion additional middle class consumers will flood the marketplace (n.d.)! A new way to meet everyone’s demand is necessary. Additional global trends in resource constraints, emerging technologies, increasing urbanization, and new legislation around waste regulation are also causing a shift towards a circular economy (Ellen McArthur Foundation, n.d.).

In Phoenix we currently have a 17% diversion rate (which is the percent of total waste that doesn’t go to the landfill) with a waste reduction goal of 40% by 2020. Recycling is not the only answer to reduce waste. To achieve this goal we need to incorporate reuse by considering what we buy and what we do with it when we no longer need it. Can a product have a longer life through repair? Can it be reused?

Sustainable materials

o Sustainably grown, harvested or manufactured locally

o Nontoxic and natural (do not contain artificial ingredients)

o High recycled content

o Easily reused or recycled at the end of the product’s life

o Low or no ongoing maintenance

Estimated 60 to 70 million American consumers now make purchasing decisions based on a product’s sustainable or health characteristics (Swallow, p. 198). Besides product or service performance, quality, and price consumers are looking at:

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o How a product is made

o What a product is made of

o Amount of packaging

o Recyclability

o Seller or manufacturer’s practices

o Origin of the product-made locally

o Whether it is tested on animals (Swallow, p. 15)

For businesses to be successful in the long term, they need to be prepared for changes in natural capital (especially fresh water and fossil fuels) (Swallow, p. 13). Are your products, services and facilities poised competitively for a resource-constrained future? Examples of some current or upcoming legislation:

o Tax incentives for renewal energy, waste-reduction systems, green buildings and water conservation.

o Taxes on carbon emissions and waste-stream creations.

o Trade policies that favor local economic development and alternative fuels (Swallow, p. 13)

Being sustainable can create a desirable workplace, increasing employee retention (Swallow, p. 22):

o Link sustainability with pride (employees can become more invested in the company)

o Enhance employee productivity (higher levels of satisfaction and LEED-accredited buildings can have benefits such as reduced absenteeism)

o Provides passion in the workplace

o Encourage innovation--How can your company help people and the planet?

Other Interesting Facts

The U.S. has one of the highest per capita greenhouse gas emission rates in the world. By 2020, emissions from electricity could be as much as 160% higher than in 1990 (McCay, Bonnin & Wallace, p. 73).

The energy from waste heat by U.S. power plants equals the total energy use of Japan (Lovins, Lovins & Hawken, p. 11).

A computer left on all day everyday in a year will use nearly 1,000 kilowatts of electricity resulting in more than a ton of carbon emissions (McCay, Bonnin & Wallace, p. 21).

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“In U.S. offices, 30-40% of PCs are left running overnight and at weekends—using as much energy as 2.5 million cars” (Yarrow, p. 95). “Americans spend about $4 billion a year on electricity for things they are not using” (Bach, p. 43).

Even though 70% of the planet is water, less than 1% is available for human use (Bach, p. 52).

Swiss Re, a European reinsurer, is seeking to cut their storm damage losses by pressing for public policy to protect the climate and by investing in climate-safe technologies (Lovins, Lovins & Hawken, p. 14).

The consulting firm, Arthur D. Little, found that 83% of North American and European business leaders believe that they can derive “real business value from implementing a sustainable-development approach to strategy and operations” (Lovins, Lovins & Hawken, p. 15).

“Eighty-one percent of U.S. respondents said they would prefer to work for a company that is has a good reputation for environmental responsibility, according to the 2007 Corporate Environmental Behavior and the Impact on Brand Values survey” (Fox, p. 47).

“According to a 2006 poll by Mortgage Lenders Network USA, 94% of Americans would prefer to work in a building designed to be energy-efficient and ecologically sound.

If workers are more comfortable, better able to see, and less fatigued by noise, their productivity and the quality of their output will rise. Eight case studies of people working in well-designed, energy-efficient buildings measured labor productivity gains of 6% to 16% (Lovins, Lovins & Hawken, p. 8).

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory conducted a study that found the estimated potential savings from better indoor environments are $6-14 billion from reduced respiratory disease, $1-4 billion from reduced allergies and asthma, $10-30 billion from reduced “sick building syndrome,” and $20-160 billion from direct improvements in worker performance unrelated to health (Bach, p. 114).

In the U.S., 110,000 toxic chemicals are legally cleared for use, but only 5% have been tested by the EPA for their effect on human health (Swallow, p. 29).

In the U.S. building, operating and renovating structures accounts for 47% of greenhouse gas emissions, transportation 27% and the rest is mainly from large-scale agricultural, deforestation and industrial production (Swallow, p. 31).

ReusingAn unwanted item can go in the trash to the landfill. Or you can reuse or upcycle it. You can also donate it!  A donated item can generate revenue for a nonprofit and make people happy by helping them out with an item they need.  It can also be tax deductible. Learn more about becoming a Reuse Hero at these links:https://www.haikudeck.com/p/XsuFCGytx9/how-to-become-a-reuse-hero or https://voice.adobe.com/a/REMvB

There are numerous organizations to donate items to. Below are three for the Phoenix area that you might not have heard of:

Treasures 4 Teachers accepts and can pick up standard office supplies donations, but they also accept manufacturing cast offs! http://www.treasures4teachers.org/ or http://www.slideshare.net/sarahlyon12/treasures-4-teachers-slide-show-for-business-donations

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Remodeling? Stardust Building Supplies accepts cabinets, fixtures, appliances and other building material for reuse. They also offer a free deconstruction service. http://www.stardustbuilding.org/

AZStRUT or Students recycling used technology accepts almost all electronic equipment, except CRT monitors. http://www.azstrut.org/

Some cities have material exchanges for businesses to find used materials. Online see RepurposedMaterials http://www.repurposedmaterialsinc.com/about-repurposed-materials-inc/ where you can sign up for a free newsletter that has unusual reused products you can buy or post for sale. 

To learn more about reuse go to http://reusephoenix.weebly.com/.

Recycling Recycling in your area see www.earth911.org, includes listings for recycling fluorescent light bulbs

(usually Home Depot is the closet location). The bulbs contain a small amount of mercury and virtually all components--the metal end cap, glass tubing, mercury and phosphor powder can be separated and reused.

Rechargeable batteries from phones, camcorders, etc.: 1-800-8battery or www.rbrc.org

Computers: See AZStRUT above to reuse first. To recycle Dell Reconnect through local Goodwills accept any brand of used computer equipment in any condition. They also accept just about anything that can be connected to a computer.  You can see where and what your Goodwill and Dell accepts here:  http://www.dellreconnect.com/ 

EPA source for e-waste recyclers http://www2.epa.gov/recycle/electronics-donation-and-recycling

Cellular recycling: www.charitablerecycling.com

Foam packing: http://www.epspackaging.org/info.html or take foam peanuts and packing material to local mail box stores.

Cardboard boxes: http://www.usedcardboardboxes.com/ or http://www.boxcycle.com/

Saving Resources (Including money!)

Eliminate all activity the customer would not want to pay for.

Saving Electricity

A 2007 poll commissioned by Sun Microsystems, Inc found that only 42% of workers turn off lights and 34% turn off their computers when they are done working. If workers did do that, 4.3 billion dollars in energy costs would be saved along with 32 million tons of carbon emissions (Bach, p. 114).

Install “smart strip” power strips. When the main device (such as a computer) plugged into the strip is off, these strips turn off the energy flow saving up to 75% of energy that was wasted (Swallow, p. 105).

Replace office equipment with Energy Star rated ones www.energystar.gov. An example of savings, an energy star rated monitor can use 90% less electricity than one without power management (Swallow, p. 100).

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General Electric changed its computer settings and now saves 6.5 million dollars in electricity costs a year (Bach, p. 119).

o Note screen savers do not save energy, so have computers automatically go into sleep mode with ten minutes of inactivity.

o A laptop consumes 90% less energy than a desktop computer (Yarrow, p. 94).

o Flat LCD screens use 30% less energy (Yarrow, p. 94).

“Inkjet printers use 10-15 watts, but laser printers use 60-100 watts. Even when on standby, laser printers can use 30-35% of their peak power requirements” (Yarrow, p. 96).

o Duplex models (prints on both sides) reduce paper use and energy consumption by around 25% (Yarrow, p. 97).

Look for photocopiers with an auto off, which can reduce the copier’s energy consumption by 60% (Yarrow, p. 96).

Use motion sensors to turn off lights.

Use light sensor switches for outdoor lights, which come on when it gets dark and turn off when it gets light. Also, use solar lights for outside lighting when possible.

Change any flickering fluorescent lights, because these waste energy.

Switch from ordinary lighting ballasts to electric ballasts that automatically dim the lights to match available daylight.

Equip standard office-lighting circuits with fatter wire that reduces electrical resistance.

Switch from ordinary motors to premium-efficiency motors.

Use on-demand or solar water heaters.

Besides making sure the building is insulated well, heating and cooling system ducts and water pipes should also be insulated.

Use a heat-recovery system, which is a coil installed in the water outflow drain that absorbs heat from hot water and circulates it back into the building.

Do not heat or cool storerooms and corridors unnecessarily or on weekends and holidays.

Even a few degrees can have dramatic energy savings, thermostat settings should be at most 64 degrees in the winter and 78 in the summer.

Upgrade windows and doors to efficient models, weatherize them, and use automated shades.

Update roofing material from heat-absorbing asphalt.

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Re-position what you can to off-peak hours.

Have employees telecommute http://www.telcoa.org/

For information on state, local utility and federal incentives that promote renewal energy: www.dsireusa.org

Learn how to switch to green power (which does not include dam power) www.eere.energy.gov/greenpower (www.eere.energy.gov also has information on alternative energy technologies)

Most power companies will do one free energy audit

Saving Paper

Dow Europe cut office paper flow by 30% in six weeks by discouraging unneeded information (Lovins, Lovins & Hawken, p. 9). Senders of memos and reports got back receipts letting them know if the recipient really wanted the information.

Copy and print on both sides of the paper. Set the default on office printers and copiers to double-sided mode.

o AT&T did that and reduced paper costs by 15% (Lovins, Lovins & Hawken, p. 9).

o It takes ten times more energy to produce a piece of paper as it does to place an image on one (Swallow, p. 110)

Have computers and/or projector available at meetings (instead of paper handouts).

Email, circulate or post information rather than printing it for everyone.

Use undated, erasable wall calendars.

Reduce business junk mail received www.ecologicalmail.org (this service is free, but might take up to six months) or http://your.kingcounty.gov/solidwaste/nwpc/ (see the Reduce Business Junk Mail link)

Get green printing software, which will identify and eliminate unnecessary pages (like web banners), convert files to PDF for easy file sharing, and track costs. The average savings per user is $90 and 1,400 pieces of paper a year (Swallow, p. 117). www.printgreener.com

Saving Water

Use water reducing fixtures and plumbing, such as dual-flush toilets, waterless urinals, low-flow faucets, etc.

Use drought resistant and native plants in landscaping. According to the Arizona Department of Water Resources, a 50 x 30 foot grass yard requires about 24,000 gallons of water and a xeriscaped yard requires only 6,000.

o In Arizona, see http://www.azwater.gov/AzDWR/StatewidePlanning/Conservation2/LandscapePros/PlantLists_Landscaping.htm for a list of draught resistant plants, shrubs, and trees.

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o Native plants see www.abnativeplants.com

Mulch around plants to help retain moisture.

Use trees and shrubs to be energy efficient

Use soaker hoses connected to timers (set to go off early morning) instead of sprinklers.

If your roof is flat plant a green roof (provides excellent insulation and reduces storm water runoff) www.greenroofs.org

Connect downspouts to a barrel to collect rainwater, install a rainwater harvesting system (to use in toilets.

Build a hydroponic pond, which is a system that recycles graywater and stormwater runoff into clean liquid by using bacteria, snails, plants, etc. Water efficient and beautiful.

Indoor EnvironmentProper ventilation is the key to indoor air quality, but reducing contaminants is also important. Traditional office furniture can give off air pollutants through the emissions of their glues and finishes (for great eco-friendly office furniture see www.hermanmiller.com). Some cleaning supplies can also be harmful. Try to buy environmentally friendly products to improve indoor air quality, which will lower worker health and safety issues and disposal costs. Some chemicals and things to avoid:

Brominated flame-retardants: found in plastics for computer casings, white goods, car interiors, carpets, foams and bedding (the dust is linked to cancer) (Jeffrey, Barclay & Grosvenor, p. 40).

Perfluorochemicals: acids used in the manufacture of clothing, stain-resistant materials and cosmetics (linked to cancer and liver damage) (Jeffrey, Barclay & Grosvenor, p. 40).

Phthalates: used as softeners in PVC, cosmetics and perfumes (can disrupt hormones) (Jeffrey, Barclay & Grosvenor, p. 40).

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs): smell (stronger when the materials are new) from synthetic carpet, furniture made from particleboard, cleansers, paints, air fresheners, etc. (causes eye and respiratory irritation, headaches and dizziness) (Jeffrey, Barclay & Grosvenor, p. 62). Look for no VOC paint and opt for natural wood finishes.

Plants

Act as natural air filters, absorbing airborne pollutants and computer radiation while replenishing oxygen levels.

Air coolers, because of the evaporative transpiration process.

Help protect against germs. Research showing plants reduce the incidence of fatigue, coughs sore throats and other cold-related illnesses (McCay, Bonnin & Wallace, p. 19).

Reduce stress levels.

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Green Building Green buildings can be on average up to 30% more energy efficient than traditional buildings (Swallow,

p. 154).

o Excellent return on investment with some green features saving money over the next 75 to 100 years.

o Enhances employee health, happiness and productivity.

o Opportunity to get recognition for your green efforts

o Obtain stakeholder interest and respect

U.S Green Building Council www.usgbc.org is in charge of the LEED certification.

o Professionals that know about LEED are LEED Accredited Professionals (AP)

o Many certification options, including LEED-CI for commercial buildings, LEED-H for hoes, LEED-ND for new construction and major renovation

o Six categories (sustainable site, water conservation, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, indoor environmental quality, and green design innovation) where you can get points in to reach a certification level of LEED certified, LEED Silver, LEED Gold or LEED Platinum

o Certification means that your building will be listed on the LEED national registry of buildings, you get a plaque, and some free publicity

o LEED certification can be very costly and time consuming, so many people opt to follow the standards but not go through the certification process

Cascadia Region Green Building Council’s website has information on living buildings http://www.cascadiagbc.org/lbl

o Smart shades-automatically curl up in the winter and expand in the summer

o Windows with carbon-dioxide sensors-an electric current activated by carbon dioxide makes small slits etched into the windows open, then when enough air has come in the slits close

To find used building materials try: www.habitat.org (restores), http://planetreuse.com/ or in Phoenix see http://www.stardustbuilding.org/

Sustainable deconstruction is also important. A few examples:

o Use a crusher on-site to recycle shingles, concrete stone, etc. to reuse as landscaping and filler

o Use excavated materials for contouring and landscaping (create sound and privacy barriers) (Swallow, p. 178)

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o Donate materials whenever possible (see main bullet above on used building materials (also take donations) or the Reus ing section)

Food and Beverages Encourage your cafeteria to donate any unused food. Food waste decomposes and can produce methane.

Methane is a greenhouse gas 20 times more potent than carbon dioxide and can contaminate ground water (McCay, Bonnin & Wallace, p. 91).

Worm farms can be used to decompose unused food safely http://woodwormfarms.com/

More than 76 tons of packaging and containers (over 500 pounds for every person) are thrown away each year. Less than half are recycled (McCay, Bonnin & Wallace, p. 113).

Sodexho and other cafeteria providers have used organic or locally grown foods.

Use reusable containers, silverware, cups, plates, etc. when possible.

In 2006, North Americans spent $15 billion on bottled water (you could run 100,000 cars for a year on the amount of oil required to make the plastic used for bottled water) (Bach, p. 14).

o Twenty-four percent of bottled water is tap water repackaged (Bach, p. 14).

o Bottled water can cost 2,500 to 10,000 times more than tap water.

o Bottled water is not necessarily purer water, since federal standards are higher for tap water than for bottled (Bach, p. 15).

The proportion of plastic recycled in the U.S. is only about 6% of the nearly 30 million tons thrown away each year (McCay, Bonnin & Wallace, p. 87).

Vending Machines:

o Vending Miser-smart sensor that predicts when people will be away for long periods, so that food are cold only when they need to be.

o Ven Natural and Yo-Naturals are eco-friendly healthier vending fare.

ProcurementTo complete the recycling cycle (create a demand for reuse and recycling) buy products that can be reused and recycled products.

Only 1% of all the materials used to serve the U.S. are actually made into products and still in use six months after sale (Lovins, Lovins & Hawken, p. 11).

Measure products by their life-cycle cost rather than their initial cost (can save money in the long run!). Example, one pack of six refillable AusPens markers with refills included, equals 246 disposable ones (another benefit is that they do not increase indoor air pollution).

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Try to buy new paper that is made from recycled paper rather than virgin fibers. Recycled paper uses up to 90% less water and half the energy to make, yet only 10% of the over 12 million tons of printing and writing paper is made with recycled content (McCay, Bonnin & Wallace, p. 28).

o Look for post-consumer waste content ideally 100%

o Try to purchased unbleached paper or for white paper PCF (processed chlorine free) or TCF (totally chlorine free)

o If you have to purchase virgin paper, look for the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification (means it was harvested responsibly)

Napkins, toilet paper & bathroom paper make up 1/3 volume of office waste. Choose recycled or reusable & laundered roll towels.

Buy things in bulk (like double-size toilet paper rolls) and in refillable containers.

Fix things and make sure new purchases can be repaired or will last a long time. Buy and use reusables:

o Refillable pens and pencilso Tape dispenserso Rewritable CDs and DVDso Toner cartridgeso Rechargeable batteries (also get solar powered battery chargers)

Try leasing products rather than buying them. Example Interface, Inc. leases carpet tiles and the company is then in charge of replacing and recycling worn tiles. Utility over ownership also allows for an immediate deduction, which can lower taxable income saving on taxes.

For business travel right now, the sustainable leaders in airlines are Continental and Virgin Atlantic. In hotels the leaders are Marriott and Doubletree (if you are staying multiple nights, reuse your linens and towels). To find out more go to:

o www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com o www.greenhotels.com o www.allstays.com o www.specialplacestostay.com

o To find a green car service try www.ozocar.com

o Details on public transportation in major cities across the U.S. www.hopstop.com

o Company cars: research emission and fuel ratings www.epa.gov/emissweb and hybrid car website www.hybridcars.com

Comprehensive Procurement Guidelines www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/procure/database.htm

Office Depot/Office Max has a Green Book of products http://www.officedepot.com/a/browse/greeneroffice/N=5+11332/

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Screened and approved green businesses www.greenpages.org

www.greenguard.org or http://productguide.ulenvironment.com/QuickSearch.aspx The world's largest guide for selecting low-emitting products and materials

Comprehensive overview of green online shopping www.thepurplebook.com

To find local vendors try local chapter of Business Alliance for Local Living Economies www.livingeconomies.org

Business Resources To help with company reporting www.globalreporting.org

Resource for business guidance www.epa.gov/climateleaders

ISO14000-Environmental Assessment systems www.iso.org

Independent non-profit organization that can certify products from coffee filters to air chillers: www.greenseal.org (also has a list of certified green products and services)

The EPA has a free program for businesses to help them reduce waste:www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/reduce/wstewise/index.htm

Companies to benchmarko Unilevero SC Johnsono GEo Googleo Office Depoto Interface (carpet)o Patagoniao Herman Millero Nike

Creating a Sustainability Plan (Swallow, p. 52):

1. Create a “green team” that includes people from various departments and people with authority.

2. From a sustainability perspective, assess your current strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities.

3. Identify target groups, examples customers-pass on a conservation ethic, employees-enhance employee health and well-being or organizational governance-designate how culture of responsibility is developed and who is accountable for tracking.

4. Choose key performance indicators and conduct a baseline assessment, examples carbon emitted per unit sold, energy usage or waste created per square foot of facilities or greenhouse gas emissions per employee.

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5. Prioritize the plan by deciding what fits in best with the company’s goals and budget and the speed of implementation.

o Make sure the cost-benefit analysis makes sense, so you can show the cost savings from the early efforts

o Implement changes that are easy and that do not require many behavior changes first

6. Communicate the plan to employees and stakeholders.

News and information

www.guardian.co.uk/environment www.theecologist.org www.greenbiz.com www.sustainableindustries.com http://www.environmentalleader.com/ (sign up for a free daily email newsletter) http://www.corporateecoforum.com/ (sign up for a free weekly newsletter)

To find out about green company stocks: www.coopamerica.org (go to the social investing section) www.socialinvest.org www.sustainability-index.com

For voting information go to the League of Conservation voters website www.lcv.org. For government legislative activity type in green or sustainable in http://thomas.loc.gov/

Author website: David Bach www.greengreen.com

Green Phoenix Organizations Green Chamber: Greater Phoenix  http://www.thegreenchamber.org/ Arizona Recycling Coalition http://www.arizonarecyclingcoalition.org/ Arizona Green Living Magazine  http://www.greenlivingaz.com/events/

Other sources: Business for Social Responsibility www.bsr.org

Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economics www.ceres.org

U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development www.usbcsd.org

Social Venture Network www.svn.org website includes sustainable case studies, standards and best practices.

Green directory www.ecobusinesslinks.com

Join business leaders to solve sustainability challenges www.netimpact.org

EPA Green Work Tips www.epa.gov/epahome/workplac.htm (including tips for setting up a home office)

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Centre for Sustainable Design www.cfsd.org.uk

Environmental issues related to printing, publishing and packing industry: Printers National Environmental Assistance Center http://www.pneac.org/

Sustainable Packaging Coalition www.sustainablepackaging.org

For green marketing information LOHAS (Lifestyle of Health and Sustainability) Consumer Reports www.lohas.com

Reuse Alliance  http://reusealliance.org/ and Reuse Institute  http://www.reuseinstitute.org/

Certifications

B Corporation Certification www.bcorporation.net is a third-party certification for businesses who change the way they do business and embrace the sustainability model (business plan should reflect benefit to all stakeholders not just to shareholders).

Green America Seal of Approval www.greenamericatoday.org can be obtained if an organization demonstrates a commitment to corporate social responsibility. First sign up for the Green Business Network (Support Us link). One of the benefits is that approved companies are listed in the National Green Pages.

Getting Employees on Board Clearly communicate your green mission, the practical benefits of saving energy, and the importance of

preparing for the future changes in resource availability.

o Communicate to your partners, community and employees (including new employees)

o Designate (people who are passionate) employees to handle questions

o Some campaign ideas: “Respect our Earth” or “Saving Our Planet”

Communicate the baseline results, provide regular updates on progress, and celebrate when goals are achieved.

Offer “Going Green” columns or tips in company newsletters or Intranet.

Ease into major changes slowly and offer many accolades for the efforts being made.

Use employee events and gatherings to continually reinforce that together, employees are making the company stronger and are making a difference.

Make sure the changes affect all levels of employees equitably and acknowledge that some changes may be frustrating.

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Make sure to align all practices with sustainability goals (Examples celebrate anniversaries with eco-friendly gifts and use sugar-spun biodegradable garbage bags, bioplastic utensils, etc. at company picnics).

Ask employees for suggestions by using suggestion boxes or quality circles (teams of workers that get together to discuss ways to improve quality and lower costs). Employees can have a ton of ways to make small, cheap and easy-to-implement changes (added benefit is it also motivates staff).

Recognize and reward employee participation, even offer a bonus system with points redeemable for green items.

Hold special events like discussion forums, classes or information sessions, clean up days (cleaning out old office supplies) and department competitions (rewards can be gift certificates to local businesses).

Set up a book nook with comfortable chairs, good lighting and books and magazines with sustainable topics (try to pick information that can be looked at in pieces)

Offer incentives to change behavior:

o Create a sustainability training budget for employees to use

o Give rebates to employees who drive hybrid or cars that get excellent gas mileage or even for home improvements such as buying solar water heaters, Energy Star appliances or adding insulation

o Provide bike racks, showers and free helmets to employees who bike to work

o Use company cars to form a car sharing program (employees who share a ride can still run errands) for day or even night and weekend use

o Set up Transportation Savings Accounts-pretax (like an IRA) for transportation costs (limit changes annually) (Swallow, p. 266)

Try online apps and software to engage employees http://www.wespire.com/

What Employees Can Do Report any flickering fluorescent lights, because these waste energy.

Dress in layers, so you will always be comfortable no matter what the temperature is.

When you leave for the night and attend long meetings turn off cubicle, conference, and copy room lights when possible and any misc. office equipment like paper shredders, fans or adding machines.

Put office supplies no longer needed back in the supply area or where they came from (example send Distribution binder clips back to reuse).

Share magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and other reading material with co-workers.

Computers:

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o If gone more than 20 minutes turn off the monitor.

o Turn off your computer (Start-Shutdown-Shutdown) and the connecting power strip or unplug the computer when it is not in use (if your IT department says it is okay to do so).

Saving Paper:o Copy and print double-sided.

o Reduce all margins to ½ inch and you can save up to one page for every three pages printed (Swallow, p. 116)!

o Review drafts online.

o If printing an email, only print the text needed and/or print using “draft” or “fast” to save ink (under Print Options). Note serif fonts — those with short horizontal lines at the top and bottom of characters — tend to use thinner lines and thus less ink than a "sans serif."

o Jot things down on scrap paper rather than Post-it-Notes.

o Use PowerPoint or dry erase boards rather than flip charts (if using flip charts use both sides) or handouts (if printing put several slides on a page)

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References

Bach, David. (2008). Go Green, Live Rich. New York: Broadway Books.

Brewer, D. (2009). Green my Home! New York: Kaplan Publishing.

Ellen McArthur Foundation. Why is the circular economy gaining traction now? (n.d.).

Retrieved from http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/about/faqs.pdf

Fox, Adrienne. (2008, June). Get in the Business of Being Green. HR Magazine, pp. 45-50.

Houten, F. Why we need a circular economy. (2014, January 23). Retrieved from

https://agenda.weforum.org/2014/01/need-circular-economy-revolution/

Lovins, A. & Lovins, L., & Hawken, P. (1999). A Road Map for Natural Capitalism. Harvard Business Review, pp.3-17.

McCay, K., Bonnin, J. & Wallace, T. (2008). True Green @ Work. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic.

Smith, Alicia. (2007). 50 Plus Tips for Going Green. Waterville, ME: Thorndike Press.

Swallow, Lisa. (2009). Green Business Practices For Dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Publishing.

Yarrow, Joanna. (2008). How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint: 365 Simple Ways to Save Energy, Resources & Money. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

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