Level 2 – Sprout
Name of Green Team: _________________________________
Contact Email: _______________________________________
Education & Outreach
We have hosted a “lunch and learn” meeting in our office for all co-workers, including non
-Green Team members, to learn about sustainability and/or sustainable actions undertaken i
n our department/building.
We introduce all new office members to the Green Teams program and invite them to particip
ate by reviewing the Green Teams website and checklists and committing to take action. 
We hold departmental Green Team meetings on a regular basis - one per semester or more. 
 In conjunction with the Office of Sustainability Green Teams Coordinator, we have hosted a
Green Bag Luncheon (these occur approximately once per semester) located either in our own
building or another campus venue, including the Office of Sustainability’s E-house.
 We have reviewed all actions from Level 1 – Seed to ensure we are still practicing those
actions.
 We maintain an updated contact list of Green Team members.
Resource Use
 We have verified that copy and printer paper used in our office has at least 30% recycled
content.
 Our building is already part of the academic or residential building utilities report, or
we have submitted the “Request for Utilities Information” form in order to be added to the
report so that we can monitor our monthly electricity and water usage and compare it to
usage over the previous two years.
 We have used our building utility report at a Green Team meeting to discuss what
opportunities exist for water or electricity reduction.
 A designated area for sharing office supplies that can be re-used (file folders, binders,
pkens, paper clips, etc.) has been created.
 We emailed our team members with the above location and/or discussed the location another
way (for example, during a meeting).
 Before we purchase office furniture, such as file cabinets, desks, etc., we check with the
IU Surplus Store to see if reusable surplus items are available.
 Before purchasing new furniture we consider sustainable furniture options.
Recycling
 We have identified recycle bins that are often contaminated or underutilized and taken
corrective action, such as making sure the bins are paired (ex. recycling container has a
trash container next to it) and properly labeled.
 When we need to dispose of office furniture or equipment, we post items on the
redistribution listserv to see if it can be salvaged and reused elsewhere or contact the
IU Surplus Store.
 We consolidate office supply orders, rather than ordering one thing at a time, in order to
reduce the amount of packing material used in shipping and transportation energy used.
 We recycle packaging when it cannot be reduced.
Sustainable Computing
 We have reviewed the UITS “How can I minimize my computer’s impact on the environment?”
webpage and plan to follow through with as many recommendations as possible.
A list of actions people can take to minimize their computer’s impact on the environment h
as been sent via e-mail to everyone within our unit and/or discussed at a work meeting.
 Actions that can be taken to minimize their computer’s impact on the environment have been
posted in relevant locations (such as common printing areas).
 We have verified that our printing and copy paper contains at least 30% recycled content.
 We examined our office’s use of networked printers and other electronic devices, and
contacted IT about consolidating use where it makes sense.
Energy & Built Environment
 We have identified the entity that controls our office’s thermostat and determined that it
is working and set correctly; if it is not, we have contacted _______
 We have recorded the daily office temperature for thirty consecutive workdays (MondayFriday). (Thermometers can be loaned from the Office of Sustainability)
 All lights are turned off when not in use during the day and at night, including in common
areas such as kitchens, conference rooms, storage closets, and bathrooms. We have posted
prompts on light switches, where applicable. (Light switch prompts available from Lee
Walters- lewalter@indiana.edu, 855-2752)
 We have strategically-placed prompts encouraging individuals to unplug appliances when not
in use in order to reduce phantom energy use, and have placed water usage prompts in
relevant areas (prompts can also be obtained from Lee Walters – lewalter@indiana.edu,
855-2752).
 Lighting fixtures that could be either replaced with more efficient bulbs or removed from
the office have been identified either by someone in our office or from the physical plant.
 We have contacted our Building Services staff to identify whether cleaning products used
are Green Seal certified.
 Whenever possible, we have sleep mode enabled on all copiers and printers after five
minutes or less of inactivity.
 In our desk lamps we use CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) or LED’s (light emitting
diodes). We dispose of CFLs in cardboard boxes on our building loading docks and notify
EHS (855-6311) to schedule a pick up. Bulbs are then sent to a vendor specializing in
recycling of lighting related waste materials. [See IU’s Waste Management page]
Transportation
 We have shared “green travel” options, such as carpooling, hybrid or high-mpg vehicle
rental, airport shuttle transportation, Bloomington bus transit, campus bus, Zipcar,
Zimride, biking, carpooling, and rural transit with our staff.
Events & Meetings
 At our events and meetings we use reusable cups, dishware, and utensils whenever possible.
If need be, we include a reminder in the meeting request.
 We use environmentally preferable dishwashing soap (biodegradable, non-toxic, nonpetroleum based).
 Recycled paper products or compostables are used instead of plastic or coated cardboard
when reusable dining materials are not possible. We set up recycle bins, and if
compostables are used, we compost them whenever possible.
Innovation
 Insert any departmental innovations related to sustainability not included in the
checklist here. An unlimited number of initiatives may be added.
Example innovations include:
 Partnering with TerraCycle for collection of hard-to-recycle materials such as cookie
packaging, candy wrappers, potato chip bags, and cheese packaging
 Being awarded a small amount of money by TerraCycle for each bag, wrapper, package and
using the funds to donate to an environmental, sustainability, or conservation-related
nonprofit organization
 Conversion of paper files to an all-electronic filing system
 Installation of dual occupancy sensors in common areas such as bathrooms to reduce
electricity consumption
 Completing a Seed-level action not previously pursued
Note: Sprout Certification is achieved when 75% of total initiatives listed have been pursued (including in
novation credits, which can be pursued in place of other initiatives listed)