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Presentation to CarbonfreeDC by the DC Dept of Environment on Building an Office Green Team. Presented by Mary Lynn Wilhere
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Building A Green Team
How do we start?
• Get senior level support (Owner, President) and make it known throughout your organization/company that you have this support.
• Recruit team members.
• Evaluate what environmental practices are already in place. Are you in compliance?
• Facility manager – person who handles heating, cooling, maintenance, parking lots.
• Purchasing decision-maker• If you lease, ask your commercial property
manager to participate in some way.• Representatives from each department. • Designate one person to coordinate.
Team Members?
• Don’t assume anything—walk around. Check stormwater outflows, hazardous waste (fluorescent lighting), fleets, waste, energy use? Dumpster dive!
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Environmental Policy Statement
• Look at other company’s environmental policies as examples.
• Write it down and frame it, put it in the lobby where customers can see it.
• Post it on your website.• Inform your employees.• Don’t bury it in a book, post it where staff and
your customers an be reminded of it on a regular basis.
• Conduct a short in-house training on environmental aspects and impacts for team.
• Regulatory requirements vs. voluntary best practices. 10% vs. 90%
• DDOE can help with basic best practices and direct you to help for specific sectors.
Write an Environmental Plan
• Keep it simple – recommend 10 steps or practices.
• Take notes of your meeting and share with the staff.
• Don’t try to do everything; people will get “tired” – the deadly green fatigue.
What’s in the Plan?
Recycling
Waste reduction
Energy efficiency retrofits
Reduce water consumption
Stormwater Best Management Practices
Green purchasing
Materials substitution
Purchase renewable energy
Environmental compliance
E-cycling
“Green meetings”Carbon offsets
Green roofIPM/landscaping
Measure• Track your data (gallons, kilowatts, btus,
miles). Energy efficiency expressed as GHGs reduced.
• Track the difference – show that your efforts help the “bottom line” of the company.
• Reduce risk, reduce costs, save money $$$.
Share your story
• Write a case study – good or bad
• Post it on the website
• Network with similar business types facing similar pollution/waste issues. “You don’t need to reinvent the wheel.”
• Apply for an award – Mayor’s Environmental Excellence Awards
Questions? Comments? Contact:Mary Lynn WilhereBusiness OutreachOffice of the DirectorGovernment of the District of ColumbiaDistrict Department of the Environment51 N Street, NE, 6th FloorWashington, DC 20002Office: [email protected]