Creating Sustainable Workplaces and

Organizations

Alachua County Manager’s Office12 SE 1st Street

Gainesville, FL 32601352-374-5240

http://wwww.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, the inter-relatedness, thevalueandtheuniquenessofthepeople,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.Reducingourenergyandwaterusage,aswellaswasteproduced,alltranslateintolessresourceutilizationandtherefore,lowercosts.

Whetheryouareconcernedwithcuttingoperatingcostsorreducingyourbusiness’carbonfootprint,decreasingconsumptionofshrinkingstocksofnaturalresourcesismorethanapoliticalorethicalchoice.Itisnecessaryfortheviabilityofanorganization,communityandcountry.

Inthenearfuture,efficientuseoflocallyavailableresourcesgoodsandserviceswillplayahugeroleinreducingthehighcostsofpowerforbuildingsandwater.Inaddition,conservationofresourceswillreducetheexpenseoffutureenergyimports and reduce widespread health and environmental damages and costs thatresultfromburningfossilfuels.Buyinglocallyalsosupportsyourregionaleconomy.

Thereforelocalbusinessesareanintegralpartofthesolution.Everyaction,nomatterhowsmall,cancontributetotheglobalefforttoreduceourecologicfootprint.Themovementtowardasustainablebusinessmodelhasbeencatalyzed by three main drivers:

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,asthehumanpopulationdoublesandresourcesavailable per person drop by one-half to three-fourths, a remarkable transformationofindustryandcommercewillhavetooccur.Throughthistransformationsocietywillbeabletocreateavitallocaleconomythatusesradicallylessmaterialandenergy.

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•Theywillprovideyouwithnotolow-costwaystosavemoneythroughbestpracticesorrebates•Keepallequipmentcleanandmaintainedsuchasairfilters

Lighting•Usedaylightifpossibleandthencompactfluorescentlightbulbsornewlightemittingdiodes(ledbulbs)•Installlightingsensorstoautomaticallyturnlightingonandoffin space that is less used

Heating and Cooling•Setyourthermostattoa78FintheSummerand68FintheWinter•InvestinEnergyStarEquipment

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

EnergyEnergyconservationandefficiencyoffersthelargest,mostcost-effectiveopportunityforbusinessestoreducetheenormousfinancial,health,andenvironmentalimpactsassociatedwithburningfossilfuels.Commercial buildings consume about 40 percent of the world’senergy.Themajorelectricconsumersincommercialbuildingsareheating,cooling,andlighting.Togetthemostsavingsprioritizeconservationfirstandefficiencysecond,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

WaterAcommercialofficebuildingisasignificantconsumerofwater.Commercial water use can account for 10 percent of a city’s water consumption.Evenamoderatesizedbuildingof107,000squareftconsumes over 2,800 gallons of water adayormorethan1.8milliongallonsofwaterayear.Thatisenoughtosupply40averagesizedhomes.Thisbrochureidentifiesarangeofpracticalchangesthatcanreducewaterusage.

AlachuaCountyplanstoinstallover60waterlessurinals.Thesedevices will save over 3 million gallons of water a year and $25,000dollars.

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TransportationSince the oil price spike of 2008, there has been interest in improving public transit and thewalkabilityofcommunities.About 28 percent of the energy 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,askifitispossibletochooselowcarbonoptionsoroffsetyouemissionslocally•Rightsizeyourvehiclesforthejobstheyneedtoperformchoosingthemostfuelefficientoption

Since 2001, Alachua County has incorporated hybrid vehicles in itsfleet.Becauseofthis,overanineyearperiodapproximately$100,000infuelsavingshasaccruedascomparedtoconventionalsedanandsmallSUVsgasconsumption.

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

Reuse•Providereusablewaterbottlesorcupsforyouremployees

Recycle•Providerecyclingcanswithsignsofwhatcanberecycled•Consolidatetrashcans

WasteOfficesproducemillionsoftonsof waste every year such as paper, printer cartridges and computerequipment.Recyclingthis waste we can reduce the demand for new material, whichcutsCO2emissionsfromfactoryproduction.Belowaresimple ways your business can begin to save money through thereductionofmaterialconsumption.

Alachua County reduces waste through providing recycling bins to employees, as well as requiring employees to print double-sided.

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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.Bymakingsustainabilityapartoforganization’scultureyouaredemonstratingtoyourcustomersthevalueourplanet.

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

Diversify•Collaborationbetweenadiversegroupofworkersallowsforexposuretonewideasandsolutions•Diversityinyourworkplacewillresultingreaterinnovationandcreativity

CollaborationCollaborationintheworkplacehasbecomeanessentialtoolforenhancingworkplacemoraleandefficiency.Acollaborativeworkenvironmentisdesigned to empower stakeholders by elevatingthemtothelevelofdecision-makers through direct engagement to solicitideas,andactiveinvolvement.Teamwork can result in more meaningful participationandbetter,morecreativeoutcomes to persistent problems than cantraditionalparticipationmethods.Acollaborativeworkplaceenvironmentfosters a healthy atmosphere and employees who take greater pride in their work and how they serve your customers.

AlachuaCountyhasadoptedanorganizationalstructurefordecision making and a policy making that features deliberately designedopportunitiesforcollaborationbetweenfunctionalgroupsofdepartmentsandencouragesopportunitiesformultilevel,sharedandrotationalleadership.

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HealthSustainability addresses not only environmental needs, but also social concerns such as the health andwellnessofemployees.Theresponsibility of providing your employees with a healthy workplace environmenthasmanybenefitstoyourbusinesssuchasreductionstoabsenteeism,insurancecosts,andstaffturnover.Ahealthyworkplacewillalso promote higher employee morale, jobsatisfaction,andhappierstaffwhowillhaveincreasedproductivity,andorganizationaleffectiveness.

Encourage•Providetipsformaintainingahealthyworkplace•Distributehealthylivingmaterial,andchallengeemployeestoalunchtimewalkinggroup,takethestairscampaign,biketoworkmonthetc.•Promotehealthyeatinghabitsthatincludelocalorganicfoods

Provide•Locatebicyclestoragefacilitieswithshower,changeroomsandlockerfacilitiesforemployees•Openaccesstonaturallightandgoodindoorairquality•Usegreencleaningproductsthatdon’temitharshchemicals

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

Resources and Links: Green Business Practices

TheU.S.SmallBusinessAdministrationWebsiteoffersaclearinghouseofresourcesforgrowingmoresustainablebusinesspractices.Offthiswebsite,http://www.business.gov/manage/green-business/moreinformationcanbe researched on a variety of topics including:

•EnergyEfficiencyGuide•EnvironmentalManagement•GreenCommutingOptions

•GreenMarketing•PollutionPreventionandRecycling•CaseStudiesandExamples

Recommended Reading Natural Capitalism: Creating the next industrial revolutionwrittenbyPaulHawken,AmoryLovinsandHunterLovinsisanexcellenttreatiseontheuseandrespectforecosystemservicesandthesustainabilityofbusiness.

The Triple Bottom Line: The Goal of Sustainability

Sustainable decision making strives to achieve atriplebottomlineofbenefitsforemployees,citizensandstakeholdersthat enhances the environment, economy andsocietyorworkplace.Thegreatestbenefitisachieved in decisions andactionsthatareoverlapped by all three spheres.Criticalareasofcollaborationanddialogueexist in the interfaces of thesespheres.

Economy

Society Environment

Optimal Decision

Collaboration and Dialogue