Green Office
Butler University is creating a culture of sustainability on campus, and faculty and staff play a vital role in this effort. The Green Office Program was created to help individual offices set sustainability goals, implement sustainable workplace practices, and show our community that small changes to our everyday lives can make a difference. Through this program, Butler employees are empowered to serve as an example of sustainability and expand environmental stewardship on campus.
Our Green Office Program aims to achieve holistic sustainability by acknowledging the three pillars of sustainability: environment, society, and economy. To be certified, offices need to implement sustainable practices in the action areas of awareness, employee wellness, diversity, equity, and inclusion, transportation, energy conservation, and waste reduction.
To participate:
Applying to become a Green Office can be completed in just a simple few steps:
- Discuss your sustainability goals with other office/department members and supervisors. Because sustainability is a collaborative effort, success requires engagement from office/department members. For this reason, at least 80% of the office must participate in the Green Office Program.
- Designate a Green Leader who will fill out the certification assessment, advocate for sustainability initiatives in your office, and communicate with the Office of Sustainability for support.
- Fill out the intent to participate form. Once 80% of office colleagues have agreed to participate and a Green Leader has been designated, completing this form will notify the Office of Sustainability of your intent to participate in the program. After you complete this form, the Office of Sustainability will reach out, confirm your participation in the program, and set up a consultation (if requested).
- Review the Green Office Guide. This document provides a detailed description of the sustainability initiatives your office can choose to implement and any resources you may need in the process. Review and determine which actions your office has already implemented and which you want to add to your office’s sustainable practices.
- Take action! After talking with your office, implement any initiatives or actions listed in the Green Office Guide. This could be making necessary changes to daily routines, adding any signage, or eliminating barriers that hinder sustainability in your office.
- Complete the Green Office Certification Form. Once you have made your chosen changes to the office, complete this form to tell us what your office is doing. The form is presented as a series of checklists listing the actions described in the Green Office Guide.
- Certification! After you have completed the Certification form, the Office of Sustainability will review it and present you with the award that corresponds to your level of certification.
What is an office?
An office is defined and determined by the group applying for Green Office Certification. Your office can be a small group that shares a general space or as large as an entire department. Consider who you interact with regularly and can communicate sustainability initiatives within a meaningful way.
Scoring:
Each office completes the Green Office Certification Form and is awarded one of three levels: Gold, Silver, or Bronze. The table below outlines the certification level awarded based on the number of points earned.
| Points Earned | Certification Level |
|---|---|
| 20 | Bronze |
| 30 | Silver |
| 40 | Gold* |
The Green Office Certification lasts two years at which point your office will need to reapply, using the same process listed above. If you and your office were hoping to get a higher sustainability score and certification level, you are welcome to reapply one year from your initial submission. This will give your office enough time to implement the additional sustainability initiatives needed to earn a higher score.
Green Office action areas:
- The Green Office Certification covers six different areas of sustainability: awareness, wellness, diversity, equity and inclusion, transportation, energy, and waste reduction.
- Review the sustainability actions below, also listed in the Green Office Guide along with recommendations. These are the same questions you will answer in the official Green Office Certification Form via Google form.
- At least 80% of our office is aware of Butler University’s Sustainability and Climate Action plan (BUSCA) and the President’s Carbon commitment. (1)
- We discuss sustainability and/or the Green Office program with colleagues in other departments. (1)
- We discuss our office’s sustainability initiatives in regular office meetings and communications. (1)
- We share our office’s copy of the Green Office Guide (this document) with new hires to inform them of our sustainability goals and current practices. (1)
- Our office members discuss how to incorporate sustainability into their lives outside of work. (1)
- Upon certification, we will display our Green Office seal in a visible area to promote the Green Office program and sustainability as a whole. (1)
- Our office has requested (or received) personalized training from the Office of Sustainability staff focused on any items included in the Green Office program or beyond. (1)
- Have you inspired at least one other office/department to participate in the Green Office Program? (2)
- Everyone in our office is aware of the resources available via EAP and Mental Health Resources including relaxation apps, medical, recovery, and self-help links. (1)
- At least 50% of our office members utilize the HRC (online options available) and/or participate in physical activity at least 3x a week. (1)
- Our office encourages employees to take wellness breaks including campus walks or desk stretches. (1)
- At least 50% of our office members frequently utilize the ecotherapy trails on campus. (1)
- Our office has incorporated nature into our office space to increase mental and physical health, productivity, and creativity. (1)
- Our office offers team-building opportunities to increase office morale and employee well-being. (1)
- At least 50% of our office members consciously incorporate plants into their diet or are vegan or vegetarian. (1)
- Everyone in our office understands how to identify an incident of bias and knows how to report an incident.(1)
- At least 50% of our office has attended Safe Space LGBTQ+ Ally Training. (1)
- At least 50% of our office attends at least one event/lecture/workshop on a topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion each year. (1)
- We encourage our office members to learn about the Indigenous People native to the land on which Butler sits. (1)
- At least 50% of our office members walk, bike, utilize public transport, and/or carpool as their main form (at least 4 times per week) of transportation. (1)
- We walk to meetings on Butler’s campus. (1)
- We carpool to local and regional meetings. (1)
- If possible, we attend long-distance meetings via video/conference call. (1)
- Office members are discouraged from flying for work-related travel and consider alternative means of transportation first. (1)
- At least 50% of our office members drive electric or hybrid vehicles. (1)
- We use natural light or task lighting instead of overhead lights when possible. (1)
- We turn off lights when leaving the office and at the end of the day OR our office has an occupancy sensor for lights. (1)
- We have signage on/near light switches to remind people to conserve energy. (1)
- Our office turns off computers and monitors every night when we are done with our workday. (1)
- We consolidate electronics on a power strip that is turned off when not in use and at the end of the workday. (1)
- We keep windows closed when the HVAC is on. (1)
- We have removed all space heaters. (1)
- We have removed all personal printers. (1)
- We share kitchen appliances such as refrigerators, coffee makers, and microwaves instead of maintaining them for personal use. (1)
- We have eliminated individual office disposal bins and are using a shared landfill and recycling station. (1)
- We avoid printing unless absolutely necessary. (1)
- Computers connected to network printers are defaulted to double-sided printing. (1)
- We keep a stack of previously used paper to be made into notepads, used for scratch paper or internal memos, or loaded into a designated bypass tray in the printer for printing internal or draft single-sided documents. (1)
- We consider all other options before buying anything new. (1)
- When possible, office supplies are ordered in bulk to reduce packaging waste and the number of deliveries to campus. (1)
- Our office has a centralized location to store shared office supplies for use by all immediate office members. (1)
- We donate or recycle unwanted office supplies. (1)
- We recycle all office electronic/technology waste (batteries, cell phones, computer accessories, etc.) through the proper channels. (1)
- Our office has eliminated the purchase of single-use plastic water bottles for office members and events and encourages the use of reusable bottles and mugs. (1)
- We have a stock of mugs, cups, plates, and silverware for daily use and in meetings and do not buy single-use items. (1)
- We do not use a Keurig machine for coffee, or if we do use a Keruig, we use a reusable filter. (1)
- We purchase items for shared kitchen space in bulk when applicable (ex cream and sugar). (1)
- Whenever we get food to-go from A-Town Cafe we utilize the reusable BLUEgo containers and bring our own silverware. (1)
- When we get drinks from the on-campus Starbucks or Butler Brew we use our own reusable cups. (1)
- We have reduced the amount of junk mail by canceling unused subscriptions. (1)
- We switched to electronic subscriptions if available. (1)
- Has your office hosted at least one Green Event in the past year? (3)
- All coffee and tea purchased by and for the workplace is local, ethically sourced, or Fairtrade certified. (1)
- Our office reports building problems to facilities in a timely manner to reduce energy and water waste. (1)