Green Office Certification Action Checklist

This is an action list for your office to complete to the best of your office’s ability in order to achieve Green Office Certification. Once you have done all of these actions, please fill out the Google Form Checklist provided by your OS contact. Please do not hesitate to contact the Green Office Team with any questions, comments, or concerns!

Steps for Certification

Working Together: 

• We participated in the Green Office presentation given by the Green Office Team.
• We completed our two-week check-in to discuss our office’s successes and areas of improvement.
• We contacted the Green Office Team if we had questions.
• We signed up for the Office of Sustainability Newsletter to stay up-to-date on campus sustainability initiatives.

Reduce & Reuse: 

• We have reusable mugs or dishes available for office staff instead of plastic or disposable ones.
• We try to bring lunch/snack foods in reusable packaging. 
• We limit the purchase of bottled water and individually packaged beverages for our office and try to buy in bulk to reduce packaging waste. 
• We set our printers to print double-sided as the default and reuse scrap paper when possible. 
• We keep our meetings paperless when possible and limit the printing of emails. 
• We limit the use of laminated paper and cellophane. 
• We have a reusable bag on hand for use in the office.

Recycling & Waste Management: 

• We educated office staff about waste collection practices and we train new office staff as part of orientation.
• We have landfill and recycling bins centrally located with clear signage.
• We keep an office paper recycling bin near the printer for easy access.

Energy Use & Conservation:

• We educate all office staff about energy use and conservation practices. We train all new office staff as part of their orientation.
• We use LED light bulbs rather than CFLs or incandescent light bulbs whenever possible. 
• We use smart-strips or switch-activated powerstrips whenever possible. 
• We use communal office appliances in a central location rather than individual office appliances in individual office spaces.
• We ensure lights are switched off when leaving individual office spaces for an extended period of time and when the last person leaves every day.
• We ensure all computers, printers, and appliances (except for refrigerators) are switched off at the end of each day (not just in “sleep mode”).
• We switch off or turn down heating or air conditioning at the end of each day whenever possible.
• We use natural lighting and ventilation whenever possible.
• We encourage office staff to use alternative transportation to commute (carpool, public transit, walk, bike, etc.) whenever possible.

Water Use & Conservation: 

• We only brew the amount of coffee that will be consumed by the office staff. 
• We only run our dishwasher when it becomes full.
• We check our sinks and toilets regularly for leaks and request maintenance as soon as possible. 
• We educate our staff on the impacts of salting sidewalks in the winter and we utilize proper techniques.

Purchasing:

• We use communal office supplies in a central location rather than individual office supplies in individual office spaces to encourage bulk purchasing.
• We consider what we can reuse before buying new.
• We consider long-term and short-term costs when purchasing, including factors such as: quality, expected lifetime, warranties, supplies required, maintenance, and the ability to recycle and reuse.
• We find ways to reuse or recycle furniture, appliances, and other large items, so they will not be landfilled. (Consider SWAP!)
• We plan our purchases so that they do not require multiple deliveries.
• We buy paper products made with recycled content.
• We buy energy efficient appliances and printers whenever possible.
• We choose non-toxic cleaners whenever possible. 
• We buy durable and reusable products as opposed to single-use or disposable items. 
• We buy locally whenever possible.
• We buy fair trade products when possible and/or products that are made under social, environmental, and economic standards that respect people and the planet.

Community Engagement:

• We are aware of the sustainability values of the University (equity, efficiency, education, and research) and align them with those of our office.
• We create a welcoming office space and encourage staff to cultivate office plants and other sustainable decorations.
• We take lessons learned from the Green Office Certification Program and use them in our homes.

Additional Recommendation:

• We participate in Office of Sustainability events, such as the Sustainability Symposium and Earth Week.

Platinum Level 

Waste Audit: 

• We conducted a waste audit for our office space with OS interns.
• We reviewed the waste audit results and implemented suggestions. 

Energy Audit: 

• We conducted an energy audit for our office space with OS interns.
• We reviewed the energy audit results and implemented suggestions.

Volunteer Event: 

• We chose at least one community organization that we want to partner with.
• We discussed why we want to connect with a community organization and what connections we want to foster.
• We attended a volunteer event with over 50 percent of our staff.
• We sent a group photo of our office volunteering to our OS intern consultant/contact.