energy
- Turn off lights in unoccupied areas
- Take advantage of natural lighting
- Put reminder stickers on light switches to turn them off
- Replace incandescent lamps with ENERGY STAR® rated CFLs or LEDs
- Replace T-12 fluorescent lamps with high-efficiency T-8, T-5 or LED lamps.
- Use partial lighting before and after public hours
- Use only necessary safety and security lighting
- Make sure automatic lighting controls are working properly
- Reduce cooling and heating in unused areas
- Adjust temperature settings and schedules to avoid unnecessary cooling or heating
- If you have a central air system, make sure the system is balanced
- Establish a preventative HVAC maintenance program
- Repair doors and windows that don’t close or seal properly
- Close window treatments during summer months
- Remove excess office equipment and use smart power strips to manage equipment use
- Reduce hot water temperature settings and use
water
- Fix leaks!
- Monitor your water bills
- Encourage staff to use efficient rinsing techniques
- Install an instant water heater so you don’t have to let the water run
- Detect and fix any leaks from pipes, fixtures, appliances and equipment
- Install appropriate low‐flow devices, shut‐off valves, faucet aerators and other water‐efficient equipment. Look for the WaterSense label
- Provide refrigerated drinking water
- Scrape dishes rather than rinsing them before washing
- Use a broom instead of a hose to clean floors, sidewalks and other hard surfaces
- Make sure all hoses are equipped with automatic shut-off nozzles
- Run only full loads in the clothes washers and dishwashers
- Water landscapes early in the morning or in the evening
- Use mulch in landscapes to keep moisture in the soil
- Clean windows only when needed
- Thaw food in the refrigerator or microwave instead of using running water
- Wash vehicles only when needed
- Discard clean water into plants instead of the drain
- Contact your water provider to see if water conservation rebates are available
travel
- Encourage carpooling to company events and offsite meetings
- Promote ride-matching service to form carpools at www.sharetheride.com hosted by Valley Metro
- Hold events at locations served by transit
- Hold events along the frequent transit network
- Provide staff with transit fares for travel locally to business meetings
- Provide secure bicycle parking facilities for employees
- Provide casual bicycle parking on-site for clients
- Provide one washroom facility where the door can be locked for cyclist/runners to freshen up
- Share trip planning tools – ValleyMetro.org trip planner, Mobile Site/Apps including RideKick, regional cycling maps
- Engage employees in regional campaigns like Valley Bike Month and Bike to Work/School Day, Dump the Pump, etc.
- Use webinars, video and teleconferencing
- Offer start and end times that avoid peak periods of travel
- Conduct regular prize drawings for employees who use alternate modes of transport
waste
- Set printers to print double sided
- Print only necessary documents
- Send memos, quotes and invoices electronically
- Minimize paper usage in meetings
- Provide recycling bins at key locations
- Encourage employees to sort materials into the proper categories through communication and signage if your community doesn’t have co-mingled or single stream recycling
- Subscribe to online newspapers and magazines
- Donate outdated electronics
- Repurpose or reuse office supplies and equipment that remains serviceable
- Donate unwanted food
- Use washable cutlery and plates
- Use kitchenware and utensils that are either recyclable or compostable
- Recycle hazardous waste through the proper environmental compliance resources
- Return used CFL (compact fluorescent) lights to hardware stores that accept them for proper disposal
- For food service businesses, enroll in the Tempe Grease Cooperative
purchasing
- Purchase FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified or 100% postconsumer recycled paper
- Purchase environmentally friendly bulk cleaning supplies
- Purchase refillable and reusable products
- Conduct lifecycle assessments on products prior to purchase to ensure maximum sustainability, return on investment and environmental efficiency
- Purchase fair trade coffee and tea
- Use minimal packaging in deliveries or shipments
- Reduce delivery frequency of office supply shipments
- Choose green eco-friendly printers
