Sustainability at ASU: Going Green in the Office - Conservation is a state of harmony
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Sustainability at ASU:
Going Green in the Office
(Orientation / Part I)
Conservation is a state of harmony
between us and the land.
– John Muir
In this Orientation… We will focus on solutions and opportunities • What is sustainability? • ASU s sustainability goals • Integrating sustainability into our organization • Green office check lists • Green events • Resources
What is Sustainability?
Ecology
Economy
Society
A balance between economic, environmental
and social imperatives.
Sustainability Defined
Sustainability is a way to grow & prosper
while reducing the stress on the planet.
– Michael Crow
President, Arizona State University
If you get right down to it, sustainability is really
the study of the interconnectedness of all things.
– Barbara Lither
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Sustainability is about taking a long-term view
and then putting efficient business practices
in place. This is our approach at ASU.
– Bonny Bentzin
Director, University Sustainability Practices
Sustainability Fact: If everyone in the world had the same standard of living as the average American, we would need 3.2 planet earths to sustain our way of life! …and population and per capita is still rising
Sustainability Goals
1. Carbon Neutrality
• American College and
University President s
Climate Commitment
(ACUPCC)
FY 2008 Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Incl. Transp.) for All Campuses
Transportation • Energy: Purchased,
350,000
300,000
Refrigerants
Site Generated,
Solid Waste
Natural Gas
Metric Tons CO2 Eq.
250,000
Agriculture
200,000
Fleet
150,000
100,000 On-campus
Stationary (Natural
• Transportation
Gas)
50,000 Purchased Chilled
Water
0
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Purchased
Electricity • Solid Waste,
Year
Refrigerants,
Fertilizers
Sustainability Goals
2. Zero Waste
– Solid waste
• Reduce
• Reuse
• Repurpose
• Recycle
• Front-end elimination
– Water waste
• Low-water use appliances
• Water-capture
• Largely still to be defined
Sustainability Goals
3. Active Engagement
• Using our campus as a
living laboratory
• Engagement tools
- cm.asu.edu
• 81K (+/-) Change Agents
- There are 68,000 students
plus faculty & staff who can
change the world one by
one. We link the ASU
community around
solutions to walk the talk.
Sustainability Goals
4. Principled Practice
• Expressing our value
system in operating
our campus
• Procurement s Green
Purchasing Guidelines
• Cleaning Practices
• Food, Campus Harvest
Resources • University Sustainability Practices provide useful links and educational opportunities on their website: http://sustainability.asu.edu • The Green Tool Box is another free resource to help guide your office through it s transition to a green office: http://sustainability.asu.edu/campus/green-toolbox.php • Both facilitated and self guided presentations are available to you and your office through the USP website!
Self audits, Certification & Evaluations • ASU s Green Office Program will provide tiered check lists so that offices can self audit • ASU has added sustainability to its evaluation criteria for employees • Completing the check lists and applying for certification will demonstrate your support of sustainability at ASU
Check List system The three check lists are organized in three tiers and focus on ten key areas, including: • Green supplies • Paper and printing • Electronics • Recycling • Reducing paper waste
You re on your way!
We recommend introducing the
program to your entire staff over an
all-employee lunch meeting.
Feel free to schedule a USP employee
to facilitate the meeting as
well as answer on the spot questions.
Happy Greening!Getting started!
Why does this matter?
• Pollution and Deforestation are on the rise
• Air and water quality are on the decline
• And our population continues to grow…
We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors,
we borrow it from our children.
– Native American ProverbStep 1 of the Green Office The first check list, or Step One of the certification process is comprised of the perceived, easy or low-cost implementation initiatives. You will notice there are more objectives involved in the beginning, but as you progress through, they taper off while simultaneously increasing in difficulty!
Green supply procurement • What does post- consumer content mean? • What does it mean to be biodegradable? • Where do I find used office supplies?
Green Supplies cont. Post consumer products are things made from recycled content derived from the waste stream of products that have already served their initial intent. i.e. Shopping bags made from plastic water bottles
Green Supplies cont. Biodegradable items are things that readily break down under natural conditions, for instance, food scraps in a compost bin. e.g. Paper and other plant based materials
Green Supplies cont.
Used office supplies!
Really?!
Yes, really. Everything we buy or
consume creates about 70 times
it s own weight in waste/energy
output. (College and University
Recycling Coalition 2010)
Lucky for us we have our own internal
craig s list known as SUNset.
Check them out at:
https://ubs.sharepoint.asu.edu/
sunset/default.aspxPaper and Printing • Use post-consumer paper • Avoid bleached paper • Seek out products with third party certification e.g. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) *FYI - ASU s Print and Imaging lab holds FSC certification Quick fact: According to the Environmental Protection Agency, each employee in a typical business office generates 1.5 pounds of waste paper per day.
Electronics • Update existing devices rather than buy new ones • Perform regular maintenance to ensure long life of equipment
Furniture • Procure local sourced furniture manufactured with sustainable forestry practices • Buy furniture made from post-consumer recycled or repurposed materials
Reduce Paper Waste • Use electronic files in favor of printed whenever possible • Set double-sided printing as the standard • Back files up electronically rather than printing and storing Quick fact: A ton of 100 percent recycled paper saves the equivalent of 4,100 kWh of energy, 7,000 gallons of water, 60 pounds of air emissions, and three cubic yards of landfill space
Waste Reduction/ Recycling
Participate in ASU s blue bin co-mingled recycling program
Fliers containing co-mingled blue bin information
are clearly posted in common areas
Reuse cardboard boxes, tape dispensers, pens,
envelopes (Avoid one time use items!)
Share supplies rather than provide one per office
e.g. staplers, hole punchers
Quick Fact: We produce enough plastic water bottles annually to form nine stacks to the moon.Energy Consumption • Shut down computers at the end of the day • Turn off monitors if you are stepping out for more than five minutes • Maintain office thermostats between 68-80 degrees • A reminder e-mail is sent out pre breaks containing energy saving steps Quick fact: A Lawrence Berkeley Lab study from 1999 estimated that one workstation (computer and monitor) left on after business hours are responsible for power plants emitting nearly one ton of CO2 per year.
Break Room
• Reduce packaging by purchasing
items like sugar in bulk
• Send reminder e-mails
pre-meeting to BYOM if
beverages will be served
• Purchase fair-trade organic coffee
Why fair-trade?Break Room cont. • Fair Trade is a market driven movement that aims to help producers of global commodities achieve obtain better trading conditions. • Beneficial side effects are increased social and environmental standards
Transportation • Promote a bike friendly workplace by providing bike lock-up and showers/lockers info • Set up a carpool board for your workplace • Use ASU shuttle system to travel between campuses Quick fact: If every ASU employee used alternative transportation just once a week, we could keep 9,904 tons of CO2 out of the atmosphere.
Work Place Culture Verbally recognize employees who are actively supporting your office sustainability practices
Sustainability Leadership at ASU
Will you be ASU s next leader in
sustainability?
Join the prestigious Practices Network,
tell us your story!
http://sustainability.asu.edu/storyYou can also read
