Philadelphia Green Office Pledge:

I know that my everyday business choices have an impact on the global environment, on people inside and outside my office, and on my bottom line. 

I understand that in many cases, a good choice for the environment also makes good economic sense, and can positively affect the health of the people with whom I work. 

I’m ready to commit to a greener, healthier, more profitable office. 

I pledge to implement as many of the following green office strategies as possible. 

I pledge to:

Leadership

1. Designate a Green Office Advocate for my company to hold us accountable for our pledge.

2. Make any office renovation a green renovation.

Energy Use

3. Regulate the thermostat to minimize energy use during unoccupied periods.

4. Turn off my lights whenever I leave my office for extended periods (15 minutes or longer) and ask my employees to do the same.

5. Adjust the settings on my computer so that it automatically goes into standby mode when it is inactive for 30 minutes.

6. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents or LEDs wherever possible.  Whenever changes are to be made, choose the most energy efficient lighting tool best suited to the particular application and install occupancy and/or daylight sensors to use lighting only when needed.

7. Invest in the best possible building envelope through insulation and high-performance windows.

8. Purchase electricity from a green or renewable power generating company (if I pay for my own utilities).  Better yet, create energy on-site, such as through photovoltaic panels or ground source heat pumps.

9. Choose Energy Star appliances and equipment.

10. Encourage employees to dress for the weather to reduce how much mechanical heat and cooling is needed.

Sourcing

11. Use local businesses for products and services whenever possible and encourage employees to buy locally-made products whenever possible.

12. Buy paper with the highest percentage of recycled content or paper that is F.S.C. (Forest Stewardship Council) certified.

13. Serve locally-grown food at corporate events when possible.

14. Limit or ban the use of toxics in cleaning supplies and other substances and use integrated pest management rather than pesticides.

15. Specify non-toxic cleaning products and paints for my office.

Recycling and Reuse

16. Recycle paper, cardboard, plastic, glass and aluminum products and train employees to recycle in the office.  If I don’t have a recycling program in place, I will talk to my waste hauler or landlord about setting up a new program.

17. Return organic nutrients to the ground through composting (yes, there are options for city-dwellers too)

18. Use recycled or remanufactured laser and copier toner cartridges.

19. Reduce the amount of paper I print by reading, highlighting and commenting on documents on my computer screen whenever possible.

20. Make two sided printing and copying standard practice in my business

21. Supply reusable kitchenware for eating and drinking.

22. Reduce bottled water consumption by supplying water through a fountain, cooler or tap.

23. Purchase items with the least packaging and minimize packaging in my own products and services.

24. Consider the life-cycle impacts of my purchasing decisions and opt for durable equipment and products with a long life span.

25. Find a new home for equipment and supplies that are no longer needed by my business.

Transportation

26. Encourage my employees to take public transit, walk, bike or car pool to work as often as possible.

27. Sign up for Commuter Benefits such as TransitChek for my employees.

28. Encourage bicycling by offering secure areas for bicycle storage for both employees and customers.

29. Enroll my company in a car sharing program, such as PhillyCarShare.

30. Investigate flex time and work-at-home days for employees who commute by car.