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"Going Green" Materials
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Links related to the topic:

Resource Venture
City of Seattle Climate Partnership
Environmental Defense Fund - Paper Calculator
CommuteSeattle.com
ABA-EPA Law Office Climate Challenge
True Green at Work: 100 Ways You Can Make the Environment Your Business (Paperback)

Information and Resorces from Panel Discussion on 4/24/08:

Amity Lumper - Cascadia Consulting
Brooke Best - Apex Facility
Garth Olson - Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt
 
Information from Cascadia Consulting's Amity Lumper (Speaker on 4/24/08 Panel):
 
Resource Venture is a FREE resource conservation service for Seattle businesses. You will find ideas, examples and guidance for:
  • Waste Prevention & Recycling
  • Water Conservation
  • Stormwater Pollution Prevention
  • Green Building
  • Food and Organics Waste Collection
  • Spill Management
  • Implement Best Management Practices
  • Design to LEED Standards
www.resourceventure.org

http://www.resourceventure.org/case-studies/by-sector/legal-services

Resource Venture Legal Services Newsletter (<--Click) - It's no secret that law firms use a lot of resources, especially paper. However, many Seattle law firms are leading the way to a more sustainable future and demonstrating that resource savings can go hand-in-hand with reduced operating costs and improved client and employee satisfaction. Read our Legal Services Newsletter for accounts of what these leading firms are doing to reduce their resource use.

Law firms strive to lessen environmental impact, Puget Sound Business Journal, August 2007
http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2007/08/27/focus7.html 

No Sheet: Reducing Paper Use a Global Concern, King County Bar Association Bulletin, April 2007 http://www.kcba.org/scriptcontent/KCBA/barbulletin/archive/2007/07-04/article8.cfm

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Links from Apex Facility's Brooke Best (Speaker on 4/24/08 Panel):
 
PSALA Sustainability Panel Discussion
Resources
 
GENERAL
  • World Resources Institute - created a complete do-it-yourself manual, Hot Climate, Cool Commerce: A Service Sector Guide to Greenhouse Gas Management. Helps quantify company’s environmental performance to chart progress.
  • Network for Business Innovation & Sustainability (NBIS) – offer “Sustainability Competency & Opportunity Rating & Evaluation” (SCORE) Assessment, sustainability assessment tool designed to help businesses benchmark where they are on the road to sustainability and identify new/overlooked opportunities.  www.nbis.org
  • Seattle Climate Partnership –Voluntary agreement among Seattle-area employers to lead the community toward goals of reducing regional greenhouse gas emissions and increased economic competitiveness. Provides members with tools and technical assistance to assess CO2 footprint and implement carbon reduction strategies. www.seattle.gov/climate/partnership.htm
CARBON OFFSETS

Carbon offsetting aims to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by funding projects such as tree planting, renewable energy development and methane-capture facilities attached to farms. Six to 20 dollars can offset one ton of carbon that a business produces.
Company needs to determine amount of CO2 emissions – facilities, operations, employee commutes, business travel, IT systems, manufacturing and other areas – and figure out how much to offset. When they offset all of the carbon it emits into the atmosphere, it becomes a “carbon-neutral” businesses.
TRANSPORTATION
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FACILITIES OPERATIONS

Energy
  • www.energystar.gov
  • Seattle City Light’s “Green Up” Program – buy green power for a portion of your electricity. The cost to Green Up power is $0.015 (1.5 cents) per KWH and is based upon the percentage of company’s annual electricity use. Participating in program demonstrates commitment to clean energy and offers number of benefits: window decals and recognition plaque; quarterly listing in PSBJ ads; listing/profile on Seattle City Light’s website; news release to various news media.
  • Seattle City Light’s “Green Power” Program – pay a little more on your electricity bill to help fund local renewable energy demonstration projects (i.e., solar electric projects at schools, universities, libraries, parks, and non-profit facilities
  • Puget Sound Energy (PSE) – have a Resource Conservation Manager Program and offer grants and rebates for energy-efficiency projects. www.pse.com/solutions/ForBusiness_EfficiencyPrograms.aspx
  • Light Doctor – specialize in retrofits, including interior/exterior maintenance; energy-efficient upgrades; and product sales, installation & recycling. Offer free consultation for facility energy-efficient assessment and have proprietary spreadsheet to show energy and cost savings. Provide information about rebate programs and other grant funding (i.e., EPAct, WSU, etc). www.lightdoctor.com
Recycling/ Waste Management
  • Resource Venture - offers free technical assistance to help businesses improve their environmental performance and reduce operating costs – waste prevention and recycling, online recycling database, water conservation (water use evaluation and sub-metering services, financial incentives for water-efficient fixtures)
  • “Take It Back Network – provide options for collecting, processing and recycling computer equipment. www.takeitbacknetwork.org
  • 3R Technology – handle e-waste management and technology recycling. www.3rtechnology.com 
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Kitchen Products
Kitchen/Composting
  • Cedar Grove Organics Recycling – offers “Clean Green” program. They provide bins, staff training, collections cost, etc. www.cedar-grove.com
 
OFFICE SUPPLY CHAIN
Paper, Toner Cartridges

Move towards a “paperless office.” Paper accounts for ¾ of office waste. The average worker uses roughly 10,000 sheets of paper each year. Paper comes from native pine forests and is chlorine bleached, a process that produces toxic dioxins.
300 million plastic printer cartridges get thrown into the landfill every year. Cartridges are typically designated “for single use only”; can be reused up to four times. Cuts down on waste and saves up to 90% on cost of new.
COMMUNICATING YOUR SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENT

To effectively communicate your sustainability commitment to stakeholders, consider taking the following steps:
  • Draft a sustainability report (ie, Corporate Social Sustainability report) – communicate your achievements to stakeholders, investors, the media and ultimately, the public.
  • Publish your sustainability report or mission statement on your company Web site
  • Distribute reports to investors, clients, vendors and other stakeholders
  • Submit your sustainability report or green announcements to the media
  • Support green initiatives in your city or community
  • www.reportalert.com
  • www.globalreporting.com
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Information from Garth Olson - Schawbe, Williamson & Wyatt
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