Creating Sustainable Workplaces and Organizations

Creating Sustainable Workplaces and

Organizations

Alachua County Manager’s Office12 SE 1st Street

Gainesville, FL 32601352-374-5240

http://www.alachuacounty.us

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What is Sustainability?

Table of ContentsWhat is Sustainability? 2

Sustainability in the Workplace 3

Seven Areas of Concern 4

Energy 5

Water 6

Transportation 7

Sustainability entails living mindfully of the future,embracingandrespectinglifeinthepresent, and caring for the wellbeing of generationstofollow.Theconceptisbroadlydefinedasmeetingtheneedsofthepresentgenerationwithoutcompromisingtheabilityoffuturegenerationstomeettheirneeds.

The ability to adapt to change has been a crucial element to the historical survival of mankind and increasingly the key to success asanorganization,corporationorcommunity.Theabilitytosustainourorganizationsandcommunitiesinthefaceofrapidglobalchangeandresourcecompetitionisthe

criticalissueofourage.Citizens,employeesandstakeholdersmustplayapart.Managers,CEOsandleaders,practicingtransformationalstewardship,increasinglyseektofindsustainablepracticesandstrategiesfortheirorganizations.Theseprinciplesofsustainableorganizationsaremoreholisticthanbusinesspracticesofthepast.Theyrecognizeboththeneed for return on investment, the wise use of resources and seek the wellbeingoftheiremployeesandstakeholders.Theseprinciplesdescribea workplace or locality that honors the diversity, inter-relatedness, values anduniquenessofthepeople,placesandcollaborativeprocesseswithinourorganizations.Sustainableorganizationsutilizelocallyappropriatetechnologyandstrategiestosecuretheirfutureandbenefittheirlocality.Thisbrochureisaninitialguidetoactionsnecessarytocreatesustainableorganizationsandworkplaces.

Randall H. ReidAlachua County Manager

Waste 8

Communication 9

Health 10

Collaboration 11

TheTripleBottomLine 12

ResourcesandLinks 12

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Sustainability in the WorkplaceBusinessjargonfollowsthetrendsofthemarketplace.Someideasdonotlast,whileothershaveadeepimpactonourworldview.Sustainabilityisnotashort-termtrend.Ithasbegunandwillfortheforeseeablefutureshapethebusinessworldbyredefiningprofit,returnoninvestment,capitalandcorporateresponsibility.Visionarycompaniesarenowbeginningtoshifttowardbusinesspracticesthatrespectpeople,profitandplanettoremainnotjustcompetitive,butsecureintheirrespectedmarkets.

Onetenetofsustainabilityisthatwemustmeasureourresourceuseandaccountfortheexternalcostsofourgoodsandservices.Thebeautyofgoing“sustainable”isthatmanyofthechangeswemakearebeneficialtoourhealthandenvironment,whilesavingusmoney.Reducingourenergyand water usage, as well as waste produced, all translate into less resource utilizationandtherefore,lowercosts.

Whetheryouareconcernedwithcuttingoperatingcostsorreducingyourbusiness’carbonfootprint,decreasingconsumptionofshrinkingstocksofnaturalresourcesismorethanapoliticalorethicalchoice.Itisnecessaryfortheviabilityofanorganization,communityandcountry.

Inthenearfuture,efficientuseoflocallyavailableresources,goodsandservices will play a huge role in reducing the high costs of power and water forbuildings.Inadditiontoreducingbusinesscosts,conservationofresourceswillpromotegreaternationalsecurity,reducingenergyimportsandshrinkthehealthandenvironmentaldamagesthatresultfromburningfossilfuels.Alltheseindicatorspointtotheimportanceof“BuyingLocal”nowandintothefutureasacriticalpartofsustainable,regionaleconomies.

Thereforelocalbusinessesareanintegralpartofthesolution.Everyaction,nomatterhowsmall,cancontributetotheglobalefforttoreduceourecologicfootprint.Sustainablebusinessmodelshavethreemaindrivers:

1. Environmental Pressure: As our energy and natural resource demandsgrow,impactstoecosystemsareproportionally growing and causing more damage to the health of our planetandcommunities. 2. Economic Pressure:Sustainabilitypresentsopportunitiesforefficiencythatcanimprovebusinessperformanceandcompetitiveness,whilereducingoperatingcosts.

3. Social Pressure: Investors,customers,environmentalgroupsandthemediahavebeguntomakesustainabilitytheprofitablechoice.

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Seven Areas of ConcernInthenextcentury,aremarkabletransformationofindustryandcommercewillhavetooccurasthehumanpopulationdoublesandresourcesavailableperpersondropbyone-halftothree-fourths.Societywill have to create vital local economies that uses radically less material andenergy.

Lookingtothisfuture,thefollowingsevenareaswillbegintoprovideyourofficewithstrategiesthatsaveyoumoneywhileimprovingtheefficiencyandvitalityofyourbusiness:

Energy: Useenergyefficientlyandseekrenewableenergy

Water:Conserveandpreventpollutiontowaterresources

Transportation:ReduceCO2travelemissions

Waste: Reduce, reuse, recycle

Communicate: Engage and educate employees

Collaboration: Diversify and integrate the workforce

Health: Encourage a healthy lifestyle

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Maintenance•Contactyourlocalutilityproviderandaskforfreeenergyaudit. They may provide you with no to low-cost ways to save money throughbestpracticesorrebates•Keepallequipment,suchasairfilterscleanandmaintained

Lighting•Usedaylightifpossibleandthencompactfluorescentlightbulbsornewlightemittingdiodes(LEDbulbs)•Installsensorstoautomaticallyturnlightingonandoffin space that is less used

Heating and Cooling•Setyourthermostattoa78oFintheSummerand68oFinthe Winter •InvestinEnergyStarEquipment

Equipment•Optimizeenergysettingsoncomputers,monitorsand other electronics •Unplugdevicesthatarenotinuseandutilizepowerstrips•Reducetheamountofequipmentinuse:consolidateseveralprintersintooneefficientmulti-usedevice

EnergyEnergyconservationandefficiencyoffersthelargest,mostcost-effectiveopportunityforbusinessestoreducetheenormousfinancial,health,andenvironmentalimpactsassociatedwithburningfossilfuels.Buildings consume about 40 percent of the world’s energy.Majorelectricuseincommercialbuildingsgoestoheating,cooling,andlighting.Togetthemostsavings,prioritizeconservationfirstandefficiencysecond,lookingforno-costandlow-costsolutionswithimmediatebenefitsandshortpaybacktimes.

Afterinvesting$76,000inmoreefficientlightbulbsandlightingequipment,AlachuaCountyissavingmorethan$220,000ayearoverfiveyears.

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Conserve•Fixleaks:Millionsofgallonsofwaterarelosteveryyear through leaking pipes•Installwatersavingfixtures:Usinglow-flowsinkfixturesatthe tap can decreases water usage by 50 percent •Updateplumbingfixtures:Considerreplacingtoiletswithlow-flowtoiletsthatuse40percentlesswaterorwaterlessurinals

Reuse•Considergrey-water,reclaimedwaterorrainwaterharvestingforlandscapeirrigation

Localize•Encourageconservation,byusingnativelandscapematerialanduseoflocalwatersourcesfirst(cisterns)

WaterOfficebuildingsareasignificantconsumerofwater.Commercial water use can account for 10 percent of a city’swaterconsumption.Even a moderate sized building of100,000squareftmayconsume over 2,800 gallons in adayormorethan1.8milliongallonsofwaterayear.Thatisenough to supply 40 average sizedhomes.

AlachuaCountyinstalledover60waterlessurinals.Thesedevicessaveover3milliongallonsofwaterayearand$25,000dollars.

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TransportationSince the oil price spike of 2008, there has been greater interest in public transit and thewalkabilityofcommunities.About 3/4 of liquid fuels in the United States goes to transportingpeopleandgoods.Carpooling or taking the bus, instead of single person car trips decreasesCO2emissionsandreducesthecostofcommuting.Theoptiontowalk,bike,busor carpool gives people more choice and makes for a healthier communityandabetterplanet.

Getting to Work•Locatingyourbusinessnearpublictransportationroutes can save you and employees money on parking and gas expenses•Promotewalking,biking,andpublictransit•Incentivizecarpoolingorcarsharingprograms

Telecommuting•Offeratelecommutingoptiontoemployees•Consideralternativessuchasaudioandvideoconferencing

Business Travel and Corporate Fleets •Whentravelling,askifitispossibletochooselowcarbonoptionsoroffsetyouremissionslocally•Rightsizeyourvehiclesforthejobstheyneedtoperformchoosingthemostfuelefficientoption

Since2001,AlachuaCountyhasusedhybridvehiclesinitsfleetsavingapproximately$100,000infuelovernineyears.

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Reduce•Promoteelectronicdocumentstosaveonpaperwaste and costs •Compostfoodwaste•Printdouble-sidedwithsmallerfontsandwidermargins•Reduceplasticwaste:usetapwaterinsteadofdisposablewaterbottles

Reuse•Providereusablewaterbottlesorcupsforyouremployees

Recycle•Providerecyclingcanswithsignsofwhatcanberecycled•Consolidatetrashcans

WasteOfficesproducemillionsoftons of waste every year such as paper, printer cartridges andcomputerequipment.Recycling this waste can reduce the demand for new materials, which cuts CO2emissionsfromfactoryproduction.Belowaresimpleways your business can save moneythroughreduction,reuseandrecycling.

IfmostofAlachuaCounty’scurrentlyunrecycledwastewasdirected to private sector reuse industries it could generate 300jobsandproduceenoughenergyfor380homes.

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Awareness & Knowledge•Postsignsconcerningsustainability,recycling,andcostsofoverconsumption•Holdemployeesustainabilityintheworkplaceworkshops•Communicatetargetsandgoals

Practice & Challenge•Provideincentivessuchasanemployeethank-youluncheon,off-sitepicnicorrecreationalactivity.•Displayprogressandsavings•Challengeyouremployeestothinkofcreativewaystobemoresustainablethroughcompetitionsorgames

Alachua County communicates sustainability through many initiativesandprograms.Recently,anorganicdemonstrationgardenwasplantedinfrontoftheCounty’sadministrationbuildingwiththesupportofstudentvolunteersanddonations.Thisprojectraisesawarenessontheimportanceofcreatinglocal food sources, working together as community and savingresources.

CommunicationInorderforsustainabilityintheworkplace to have an impact, business ownersmustmakeanefforttoengagetheiremployees.Promotingsustainablepracticescanhavebenefitsinandoutsideoftheworkplace.Manyofthestrategiesusedintheofficethatreducecarbon emissions and save money can also be used at home by employees andcustomers.Changingtheworkenvironmentisthefirststeptowardchangingoursociety’sconsumptionmentality.Customersrespondpositivelytoorganizationsthatvaluetheplanetthroughsustainablepractices.

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Engage•Introducetheconceptofacollaborative,workplaceenvironment through a “Green Team” •Holdweeklymeetingstodiscussconcernsandpossiblesolutions•Sharedresponsibilitywillcreateagreatersenseof ownership and pride in the work produced•Buylocal-supportyourfellowbusinessesandyourcommunity

Diversify•Collaborationbetweenadiversegroupofworkersallowsforexposuretonewideasandsolutions•Diversityinyourworkplacewillresultingreaterinnovationandcreativity

CollaborationCollaborationintheworkplacehasbecomeanessentialtoolfor enhancing workplace morale andefficiency.Acollaborativework environment is designed to empowerstakeholdersbyelevatingthem to the level of decision-makers through direct engagement andactiveinvolvement.Teamsofemployeescanfindmorecreativeoutcomes to persistent problems thancantop-downmethods.Acollaborativeworkplacefostersahealthy atmosphere and employees whotakeprideintheirwork.

AlachuaCountyhasadoptedanorganizationalstructurefordecisionmakingthatfeaturesdeliberatelydesignedopportunitiesforcollaborationbetweengroupsofdepartmentsatmanylevels,withsharedandrotationalleadership.

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HealthSustainability addresses not only environmental needs, but also social concerns such as the healthandwellnessofemployees.Providingyouremployeeswitha healthy workplace has many benefitstoyourbottom-line,suchasreductionstoabsenteeism,insurancecosts,andstaffturnover.A healthy workplace will also promote higher employee morale, jobsatisfaction,andhappierstaffwhowillhaveincreasedproductivity,andorganizationaleffectiveness.

Encourage•Providetipsformaintainingahealthyworkplace•Distributehealthylivingmaterial,andchallengeemployeestoalunchtimewalkinggroup,takethestairscampaign,biketoworkmonth,etc.•Promotehealthyeatinghabitsthatincludelocalorganicfoods

Provide•Locatebicyclestoragefacilitieswithshower,changeroomsandlockerfacilitiesforemployees•Openaccesstonaturallightandgoodindoorairquality•Usegreencleaningproductsthatdon’temitharshchemicals

AlachuaCountyhascreatedaHealthyCommunitiesForumthatunitesrepresentativesofbusinesses,governmentsanduniversity employers to create broad based health care awarenessthatfacilitatesresearchandbestpracticestoimproveemployeeandcitizenhealth.

Resources and Links: Sustainable Business Practices

TheU.S.SmallBusinessAdministrationWebsiteoffersaclearinghouseofresourcesforgrowingmoresustainablebusinesspractices.Offthiswebsite,http://www.sba.govsearchfor“GreenBusinessGuide”.Moreinformationcanberesearchedonavarietyoftopicsincluding:

•EnergyEfficiencyGuide•EnvironmentalManagement•GreenCommutingOptions

•GreenMarketing•PollutionPreventionandRecycling•CaseStudiesandExamples

Recommended Reading MIT Sloan Management Review - Sustainability: The ‘Embracers’ Seize AdvantageThisreportlooksathowtheprivatesectorisintegratingsustainabilityintotheirbusinesspractices.Findingsofthereportshowthereare‘embracers’and‘cautiousadopters’thatareseeingbenefitsfrombrandreputation,increasingcorporate commitment and the mainstreaming of sustainability as part of core businessstrategies.Downloadithere:http://sloanreview.mit.edu/feature/sustainability-advantage/

The Triple Bottom Line: The Goal of Sustainability

Sustainable decision making strives to achieve atriplebottomlineofbenefitsforemployees,citizensandstakeholdersthat enhances the environment, economy andsociety.Criticalareasofcollaborationand dialogue exist in the overlap between two spheres.Optimaldecisionsandactionsoccuratthe overlap of all three spheres.

Economy

Society Environment

Optimal Decision

Collaboration and Dialogue