Sustainability at ASU: Going Green in the Office (Orientation / Part I)

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Dinah Mosley
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1 Sustainability at ASU: Going Green in the Office (Orientation / Part I) Conservation is a state of harmony between us and the land. John Muir

2 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

3 What is Sustainability? Ecology Economy Society A balance between economic, environmental and social imperatives.

4 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

5 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

6 Sustainability Goals 1. Carbon Neutrality American College and University President s Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) Metric Tons CO2 Eq. 350, , , , , ,000 50,000 0 FY 2008 Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Incl. Transp.) for All Campuses Year Transportation Refrigerants Solid Waste Agriculture Fleet On-campus Stationary (Natural Gas) Purchased Chilled Water Purchased Electricity Energy: Purchased, Site Generated, Natural Gas Transportation Solid Waste, Refrigerants, Fertilizers

7 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

8 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.

9 Sustainability Goals 4. Principled Practice Expressing our value system in operating our campus Procurement s Green Purchasing Guidelines Cleaning Practices Food, Campus Harvest

10 Resources University Sustainability Practices provide useful links and educational opportunities on their website: The Green Tool Box is another free resource to help guide your office through it s transition to a green office: Both facilitated and self guided presentations are available to you and your office through the USP website!

11 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

12 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

13 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!

14 Getting started!

15 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 Proverb

16 Step 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!

17 Green supply procurement What does postconsumer content mean? What does it mean to be biodegradable? Where do I find used office supplies?

18 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

19 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.

20 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: sunset/default.aspx

21 Paper 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.

22 Electronics Update existing devices rather than buy new ones Perform regular maintenance to ensure long life of equipment

23 Furniture Procure local sourced furniture manufactured with sustainable forestry practices Buy furniture made from post-consumer recycled or repurposed materials

24 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

25 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.

26 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 degrees A reminder 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

27 Break Room Reduce packaging by purchasing items like sugar in bulk Send reminder s pre-meeting to BYOM if beverages will be served Purchase fair-trade organic coffee Why fair-trade?

28 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

29 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.

30 Work Place Culture Verbally recognize employees who are actively supporting your office sustainability practices

31 Sustainability Leadership at ASU

32 Will you be ASU s next leader in sustainability? Join the prestigious Practices Network, tell us your story!

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