Guide to be “Green” in the Work Place

What are the benefits of a "green" work environment?

1. It is profitable!
a) Using fewer resources to achieve the same amount of work equals more taxpayer’s money available for other things.
b) Time spent ordering and maintaining supplies is costly.
c) Recycling does actually pay if you're clever and resourceful about it.
2. It optimizes existing investments!
a) Less land used for landfills equals more available land for more profitable uses.
b) Less land used for landfills equals less cost to handle the land dedicated for it.
c) Optimized land use encourages more business, housing and community opportunities, developments and
resources in surrounding areas.
3. It builds citizen morale!
a) Our culture prides itself on efficiency, frugality, and optimization. This is as streamlined as living gets.
b) "We take our work home with us" ... practical policies in workplace lend themselves to home.

What are some simple steps of achieving that goal?

1. Start with your own backyard: Don't focus on what others are doing; focus on what you can do.
2. Think before you use: Ask yourself where something used will go after you're done with it.
3. Be mindful with your work activities: Look for opportunities to reduce, reuse and recycle.
4. Recycling is simple and easy: All it takes is some labeled garbage bags in your own office to start the process.

How can your department work toward a zero garbage output?

1. Vow to go paperless in all communication channels.

2. Use whiteboards for design work instead of paper.
3. Recycle what you can.

What are some alternatives uses for office waste?

It really depends on the kind of work you do… but be creative.

For example – reuse paper. If backside is not used, 2 rips and a staple and you have a notepad.
For example – containers can be reused or make great percussion instruments for local drum circle kids projects.

How can a “green” work environment aid efficiency?

1. Lowers cost of re-supply materials and to re-supply (the effort it takes to get the materials).
2. Reduced need for garbage pickup (enables workforce/janitors to focus on other activities).
3. City's habits set good example for citizens (bragging rights).

How might you transfer this "green" practice to home use?

1. Same profitability. Kids totally get it when their recycling efforts pay off.
2. Same optimization of resources: let time shopping for supplies and handling garbage around the house equal more time for fun.
3. Same building of morale. Passing on these values starts with our kids. Richland is their responsibility in 20 years.

Why go through all this trouble?

1. It's about the future of your community. Living in a healthy and knowledgeable community.
2. It’s about lessening your own impact on the environment.
3. It’s about conserving landfill space, water, wastewater and electricity – and saving natural resources.
4. It’s about doing what we’ve always been told was practical, courteous and even expected of us since we were kids.
5. It’s about taking care of your home. Where you lay your head and where you exist. “Leave it as you found it” says it all.

Food for Thought….

• These values start with our kids: These habits can become instinctive, effortless, painless and obvious if taught early on.
• We teach by example: If we’re not doing it, how can we expect others to take these things seriously?
• Zero-garbage output is a goal, not an absolute: If we cut half our garbage, we just saved 50% of garbage handling costs!
• Take this goal in baby steps: It doesn’t have to happen all at once. Single efforts add up.