Greening Your Office

It may not be as passionate as red or as cool as blue, but green is rapidly becoming the color of choice for nonprofits nationwide.

When the YWCA Point Bonita in Sausalito, California first discussed the idea of "going green," the staff was resistant. Some feared that greening the organization would be an arduous process entailing a costly overhaul of their business practices.

To the staff's collective surprise, going green merely meant implementing a set of simple practices in the office. The measures included:

• Switching to 100-percent recycled paper in printers and copy machines.
• Using the backs of already-used paper in fax machines, and as scratch pads.
• Setting all computer monitors to go to sleep after being idle for several minutes (rather than letting screen savers run for long periods of time).
• Utilizing the natural bright light of their coastal location whenever possible in lieu of the fluorescent overhead lights.
• Switching to biodegradable cleaners.
• Recycling used ink-jet cartridges.

Once reticent to talk green business within the organization, sustainability is now one of the staff's favorite topics at meetings. The YMCA Point Bonita even hopes to convert other branches by discussing its green business practices in the YMCA association-wide newsletter.

"You have no idea how easy this process is nor how much credibility it will lend your business in the green market," said Marketing Coordinator Grace Reddy. "Since our certification, we have reached potential customers who had no idea we even existed before by advertising in local green business publications and exhibiting at the San Francisco Green Festival. We're convinced that we are just the leading edge of a growing trend toward adopting green practices that make good business sense."

A Systematic Approach

The YMCA Point Bonita is one of a growing number of San Francisco Bay Area nonprofits participating in the Green Business Program. This partnership of environmental agencies and utilities provides guidance and recognition to businesses and government agencies that are dedicated to becoming more environmentally responsible in their everyday practices.

"The trend seems to be accelerating," said Pamela Evans, Green Business Program Coordinator for Alameda County. "What seems to be motivating nonprofits to get in touch with us, I think, more than anything, is their community image. And, of course, they are motivated to operate on a tight budget and so saving energy, saving water, and reducing their waste management costs can help them use their resources better."

The steps necessary for nonprofits to qualify as green vary depending on the nature of their operations. All organizations, regardless of business type, must first ensure that they are in compliance with all environmental regulations. To become certified, organizations must then adopt a tailored set of environmentally sound practices, and must also demonstrate that environmental responsibility is part of their company line.

Green from the Get-Go

For Belladonna, a Berkeley-based nonprofit that strives to preserve women's ancient and contemporary spiritual traditions, environmental sustainability is literally built into the walls. "We decided right from the very beginning to be green certified," said staff member Andrew Fitzpatrick, who cites office-wide good health as Belladonna's primary motive for building green from the ground up.

In establishing its new center, the Belladonna founders:

• Used what they already had: A lot of the existing structures were kept in place and only minimal changes were made to the building -- paint was stripped from existing beams using non-toxic products; the concrete floor repainted with non-toxic paint; the walls were refinished in environmentally friendly Italian plaster.
• Used what others had tossed: Belladonna installed windows, doors, shelves, retail display cabinets, office furniture, and fixtures that had originally belonged to other businesses.
• Shopped responsibly: When Belladonna did need new items, it bought the right ones: 100 percent wool carpeting, efficient, low-wattage lighting, and non-toxic paint, among others.

Making only minimal changes to the existing building and using recycled materials wherever possible resulted in significant savings for the organization. Being green has also proved great for improving customer relations.

"Just by starting with small steps like using biodegradable cleaning products and utensils, our clients definitely notice our commitment to saving the environment," Fitzpatrick said, "and it also helps them feel more comfortable in our space. Being a green environment has definitely helped to improve the quality of our grounded atmosphere."

Green All the Way

The American Lung Association of Santa Clara-San Benito Counties already had a recycling program in place and had been taking measures to conserve water and energy when the organization decided to go from "greenish" to becoming a certified green organization.

"We have always been very environmentally conscious, as one of our major program areas is indoor and outdoor air pollution. Becoming certified as green seemed the next logical step for us," said Sheila Blash, Director of Office Administration. "We feel like it is our responsibility to set an example to our donors and the general public, as well as other lung associations."

In this case, the greening process involved a number of measures aimed at conserving energy in the office, including:

• Reminding staff to turn off lights when leaving rooms that are no longer in use.
• Refraining from running the dishwasher until it's completely full.
• Setting thermostats to relatively low temperatures in the winter (65-67 degrees) and moderately high temperatures in the summer (78 degrees). Staff members are asked to dress accordingly.

The costs of going green have not been noticeably higher for this branch of the American Lung Association. In fact, the organization has saved money by implementing energy conservation measures, as well as through other office improvements, such as making internal copies on the unused backs of papers and eliminating its need for a dumpster by instituting a recycling program. "The only real expenditures I see coming up in the future are the replacement lights, which will be money saved in the long run," Blash said.

Look for the Sticker

When replacing lights and other office equipment, the Green Business Program encourages organizations to look for products with the Energy Star sticker. This label is used to identify items that the EPA has designated as energy-efficient. Thousands of models in more than forty product categories boast the Energy Star sticker, and looking out for the symbol is one of the easiest ways nonprofits can minimize their negative impact on the environment.

If your organization is really serious about reducing energy consumption, you may be interested in the Energy Star Program, an Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA)-backed program based in Washington, D.C. Currently, Energy Star works with approximately 1,500 small businesses and 1,500 congregations, and those numbers have been growing steadily.

Organizations that partner with Energy Star receive a how-to guide for analyzing and upgrading their facilities, extensive technical support, along with a host of other resources. And those nonprofits that complete successful upgrades will receive public recognition for their efforts and become eligible for a national award.

"We certainly hope that the participation of [nonprofits] will increase," said Maria Vargas, Energy Star Spokesperson for the EPA. "The tools that the EPA has put in the marketplace make it so easy for organizations to participate, that there is no reason not to."

Vargas addresses those concerned about the costs associated with increasing energy efficiency by pointing out that, "in some ways, those organizations would benefit the most by pursuing some of these energy efficient options that exist." In the long run, nonprofits stand to save as much per square foot as a big organization by upgrading their equipment, she noted.

To curtail the cost of upgrading lights, exit signs, and other office equipment, Vargas suggests nonprofits split expenses with other organizations that share building space. "We have seen many of our small organizations band together to make purchases," Vargas said. "It's a nice way that you can begin to have purchasing power."

And, according to Vargas, any organization that makes strides in its environmental practices is exercising a great deal influence. "The effect that a small business can have is not trivial -- in terms of the money it can save, but also in the impact it can have on the environment," Vargas said. "It's a real opportunity for folks to make a difference in the purchases they make."

Make It the Party Line

Ultimately, the success of a nonprofit's efforts to reduce its environmental footprint relies on the degree to which it is able to make sound practices absolutely intrinsic to the culture of the organization.

When the American Lung Association of Santa Clara-San Benito Counties wanted to make sustainability improvements, the idea was immediately "green-lighted" because environmental responsibility was already the word on its organizational street.

"We did not encounter much resistance from staff or board as we discuss this at staff meetings and also new staff orientations," Blash said.

Once green is the color of your office flag, it can also be a highly effective networking tool. Fitzpatrick sees greening as a community-based endeavor, and is pleased that after being green for only a short time, Belladonna has already reaped the benefits of the green community's built-in network. "It is very easy to communicate with like-minded organizations," Fitzpatrick said.

There's No Time Like the Present

Regardless of whether your organization strives for official green certification, with minimal effort, any nonprofit can make drastic improvements in its environmental behavior.

"Go for it," continued Blash. "It takes some patience and a little time, but the effort is worth it. If everyone did just some of the steps in becoming green, the effects would multiply. Most of the steps are not that hard to accomplish. Many are just changing staff habits."

Evans looks forward to working with more nonprofits through the Green Business Program. "They're about service to the public and they're about 'walking the walk,'" she said. Evans believes that by operating more efficiently and using their limited resources as wisely as possible, nonprofits have a valuable opportunity to do just that.

"The only key you need to begin is knowledge of the resources available and a little bit of creativity," Fitzpatrick said. "Go green!"

15 Simple Ways to Make Your Office A Shade Greener (and Save It Some Green by the End of Today):

1. Avoid misprints: Don't print or photocopy e-mails, forms, and other documents unless absolutely necessary. Instead, publish documents electronically, post one copy at a central bulletin board, or distribute them as attachments via e-mail (copy the text into the body of the e-mail if the recipient cannot receive attachments). Eliminate fax cover sheets by using Post-it style fax labels.
2. Don't preach to the masses: Print only as many copies as you really need. With meeting handouts, ask staff members to share.
3. Turn over a new leaf: Use double-sided printing and copying. Many printers and photocopiers allow you to set double sided or "duplex" printing as a default.
4. Cheat your sheets: Lay out your publication with as little white space as possible: Reduce margin widths and font sizes, and use single-spacing if possible.
5. Be a perfectionist: Utilize the spell check and print preview functions of your word processing program before printing any document.
6. Utilize your virtual red pen: Most word processing programs include a tool to add tracked comments to pages on your computer. When preparing documents that will require multiple versions, get accustomed to exchanging "soft drafts" with your comments embedded, rather than editing hard copies by hand.
7. Trap the scrap: Use the back sides of old photocopies, printed sheets, and outdated letterhead for notes and scratch paper. Pages can be used in full sheets, or cut in half or quarters. Stack the pages in labeled trays, or staple them into notepads. Store them near printers and photocopiers, along with a stock of used envelopes that can be used to route internal communications.
8. Exercise your right to an empty mailbox: Remove your name and company from junk mail lists by following the advice and simple steps outlined at the http://reducewaste.org/junkmailkit. Encourage employees to follow the same process to reduce their junk mail at home.
9. Let the sun shine in: Use only as much lighting as you actually need, and utilize daylight when possible.
10. Promote mood lighting: Keep the lights off in rooms that are used infrequently, such as conference rooms and low-traffic bathrooms.
11. Light only your inner flame: Utilize the power save feature on computers and photocopiers throughout the day.
12. Respect curfew: Lights out!: Turn off computers and other office equipment at the end of the day, and request that the person last to leave the office at night checks to make sure all lights and office equipment have been turned off.
13. Dishes aren't like excuses: you can use the same ones over and over again: Eliminate the use of paper, plastic, and Styrofoam dishware. Provide staff with reusable coffee mugs and other dishware. If you have a dishwasher, don't run it until it is completely full.
14. Make it as easy as falling off a log: Post clear instructions as to what is recyclable on or near recycling and compost bins. Place containers in highly trafficked, easy-to-access locations.
15. Become an environmental evangelist: Encourage staff members to join the recycling and reuse effort. Post fun signs around the office and highlight conservation in your employee handbook. Invite staff members to bring to work items they can't recycle easily from home such as cell phones, batteries, and ink cartridges. Recognize employees who exemplify best environmental practices.