“Help people understand they are part of the solution”

IDENTIFY STAKEHOLDERS

• Make sustainability and energy efficiency a regular part of business decision-making

• Engage supporters to help influence others

• Seek to understand and address concerns of skeptics.

• Identify who is tracking waste and efficiency in key departments

• Consider formally or informally appointing people to reduce waste and increase efficiency in each department

• Ask for feedback

SELECT METRICS

• Establish baselines for energy use, food purchasing and disposal, and waste pickups

• Set specific short- and long-term energy use and waste reduction goals. Celebrate wins!

• Tie goals to a specific timeline

• Provide information to employees on how to reduce waste

• Implement a few simple metrics to track waste reduction/energy efficiency improvement

"There are always some energy efficiency opportunities.”

Find specific resources and grants here

REDUCE ENERGY USE AND COST

• Determine who your utility provider is — and other options in the area

• Review three months of utility bills. Look for average use cost and peak times.

• Conduct an energy use assessment to shift use to lower cost times and reduce overall consumption —some utility companies provide this for free!

• Find consultants to for free efficiency assessments.

• Switch out lights for more efficient LEDs. Use your energy use/ cost evaluation to figure out which lights to start with

• Use timers or motion sensors for low-use areas.

• Check facility insulation, especially around doors, windows, and refrigerated areas.

SWITCH TO RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES

• Check your utility provider’s source of energy. Many providers offer “green energy” options for the same or less cost.

"One little leak was costing us more than a full unit in our leak test.”

Find specific resources and grants here

IMPROVE EFFICIENCY

• Log refrigerant use to track changes and target improvement.

• Perform a refrigerant leak test every six months. Fix the leaks.

• Check that refrigerant valves are capped — this is the most common source of leaks!

• Add doors or night covers for refrigerated areas.

UPDATE EQUIPMENT

• Replace outdated equipment with Energy-Star efficient appliances — check for tax rebates.

• Check if your state or city offers grant programs for high-efficiency upgrades.

“Look at it from the perspective of usage—and remove the ability to discard it”

Find specific resources and grants here

• Start with a trash audit to establish a baseline

• Identify opportunities to reuse, recycle, compost or donate.

• Remove trash cans in most staff areas. Replace with compost and recycling bins.

• Perform a recycling audit — paper, plastic, and metal. This step can save 20% of your trash disposal bill

• Re-use or re-sell still-good materials.

• Review your waste management contract to determine how much waste is diverted

• Lower your per-ton rate by renegotiating or using another vendor.

• Explore alternative recycling options — vendors will take back their boxes, re-use pallets, set up a free table

• Encourage staff to reduce trash by a certain percent each quarter.

• Track impact using waste disposal pickup rates.

“A cost you have to pay twice”

Find specific resources and grants here

• Conduct a trash audit to target where the most food is being thrown out.

• Analyze how much discarded food is still fit to eat. 40% of food in the US is wasted by consumers

• Implement a first-in, first-out system for buying and using food

• Check local options to donate food that is still good but not salable

• Reduce portion sizes in cafeterias and at staff events