20 Sustainability
Initiatives to
Kickoff Your
Sustainability
Program
Begin your sustainability journey.
©2024 Clearyst GBB LLC - All Rights Reserved
Produced by:
Green Business
Benchmark°
20 Sustainability Initiatives to Kickoff Your
Sustainability Program
Getting Started
Easily launch your organization’s sustainability program and start making an immediate impact with these 20
initiatives. These sustainability initiatives are low effort, making them easy to implement. Looking for a way to track
your progress toward these–and hundreds of other–initiatives? Sustainability management software makes it a
breeze! Find out how the the right software can simplify and accelerate your sustainability journey.
Energy
Water
1.
Replace regular light bulbs with LED bulbs that last
longer and save energy.
11. Plant native, regionally-friendly plants to minimize
water use and impact on local habitat
2. Arrange the workspace to take advantage of areas
with natural sunlight; design future spaces with
natural lighting opportunities in mind
12. Install a filtered water tap or water bottle refill
station that provides high-quality drinking water
and encourage employees to use them in place of
bottled water
3. Install a programmable thermostat to automate
HVAC or A/C system
4. Apply window film, shades, or coverings to reduce
excess solar heat in the building
Consumption & Waste
13. Test your irrigation system to ensure proper
configuration, optimized watering schedule, and
eliminate overwatering and waste
14. Install water flow rate controls on faucets to
reduce water waste
5. Eliminate all single-use paper, styrofoam, or plastic
cups, plates, and utensils. Use reusable mugs,
dishes, and silverware instead
Transportation
6. Implement a comprehensive recycling program
including education, proper signage, and
monitoring
16. Install bike racks outside of the office or choose a
building with ample bike racks on-site to support
the amount of employees
7.
Use environmentally-friendly, non-toxic, bio-based
cleaning products
17. Give employees the option to have a hybrid work
week
8. Purchase all office paper products made from 50-
18. Designate carpool, hybrid, and EV parking spaces
that are in preferred areas of your parking lot (e.g.
closer to the building entrance or covered)
100% recycled materials
Community & Society
9.
Organize a company volunteer day for employees
to volunteer at local environmental or community
projects
10. Assist at least one other business in learning about
sustainability, social responsibility, and green
business efforts and encourage them to join GBB
©2024 Clearyst GBB LLC - All Rights Reserved
15. Encourage employee carpools
Workplace & Culture
19. Use air-filtering plants throughout the office to
improve indoor air quality and employee wellbeing
20. Administer company-wide employee training on
sustainability efforts both at work and at home
Initiative Glossary
Energy
1. Replace regular light bulbs with LED bulbs that last longer and save energy
LED lighting is the best choice for energy efficiency, durability, and longevity. While incandescent bulbs are less
expensive to buy, LEDs can last 25 times longer and use at least 75% less energy.
2. Arrange your workspace to take advantage of areas with natural sunlight; design
future spaces with natural lighting opportunities in mind
Utilizing natural light when possible not only reduces energy consumption, but also promotes office workers’ health
and wellbeing. If possible, position workstations close to windows and design well-lit spaces for tasks that require the
most brainpower.
3. Install a programmable thermostat to automate your HVAC or A/C system
You can reduce energy consumption and save up to 10% a year on cooling and heating by setting your thermostat
back 7°-10°F when the building is unoccupied. A programmable thermostat takes the stress out of remembering to
reset it everyday and can be programmed to temperate the area before people arrive.
4. Apply window film or shades to reduce excess solar heat in the building
Although windows are great for reducing needs for overhead lighting, solar heat gain through windows can increase
the need for excessive A/C, accounting for 33% of cooling costs. Solar film blocks heat gain and protects against
glare and ultraviolet exposure.
©2024 Clearyst GBB LLC - All Rights Reserved
Initiative Glossary
Consumption & Waste
5. Eliminate all single-use paper, styrofoam, or plastic cups, plates, and utensils. Use
reusable mugs, dishes, and silverware instead
Over time, using reusable cups, utensils, and dishware can save hundreds of single-use items from the landfill and
create a more sustainable culture at work.
6. Implement a comprehensive recycling program including education, proper
signage, and monitoring
Although recycling has great sustainable benefits like energy saving, waste reduction, and greenhouse gas reduction,
it is still not a common practice for most people. In the office, make recycling easy, accessible, and clear for everyone
to participate through a focused and efficient recycling program.
7. Use environmentally friendly, non-toxic, bio-based cleaning products
Cleaning products are essential to a healthy and attractive workplace, but many include chemicals associated with
human health and environmental concerns. Using non-toxic, environmentally friendly products can reduce these
concerns. The EPA provides online search tools such as Safer Choice-Certified Product Search to help find certified
non-toxic products.
8. Purchase office paper products made from 50-100% recycled materials
Switching to recycled paper is a low-effort, high-impact way to save resources and reduce the paper industry’s impact
on the environment. Recycled paper uses 31% of the energy, 53% of the water, and produces 39% less waste that
virgin fiber paper does.
©2024 Clearyst GBB LLC - All Rights Reserved
Initiative Glossary
Community & Society
9. Organize a company volunteer day for employees to volunteer at local
environmental or community projects
Participating in community projects allows employees to directly contribute to positive change in their area. Seeing
the impact of their efforts can promote environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
10. Assist at least one other business in learning about sustainability, social
responsibility, and green business efforts and encourage them to join GBB
By sharing expertise and fostering collaboration, you only only promote sustainable values but also expand your
network and influence within the business community. Collaboration could lead to strengthening reputation or new
partnerships and opportunities.
Learn more about how Green Business Benchmark° can help you tailor a sustainability program to your organization’s
goals. Identify and prioritize hundreds of actionable initiatives, track your progress, achieve certification, and promote
your achievements. Sign up for the Green Business Benchmark° monthly newsletter to receive sustainability news and
insights straight to your inbox to help support and inspire you on your sustainability journey.
©2024 Clearyst GBB LLC - All Rights Reserved
Initiative Glossary
Water
11. Plant native, regionally friendly plants to minimize water use and impact on local
habitat
Native plants are adapted to your local climate and soil conditions, making them low maintenance ideal for water
conservation. They also provide habitats for wildlife in the area, such as birds, butterflies, and bees. Choosing native
plants is not only functional and sustainable, but visually interesting, as well.
12. Install a filtered water tap or water bottle refill station that provides high-quality
drinking water and encourage employees to use them in place of bottled water
Implementing a water filtration system and advocating for the use of reusable water bottles can drastically decrease
plastic waste and conserve energy typically used in manufacturing and transportation processes, alleviating the
burden on nearby landfills. Moveover, water filters contribute to the wellbeing of the workforce by eliminating harmful
contaminants from drinking water.
13. Test your irrigation system to ensure proper configuration, optimized watering
schedule, and eliminate overwatering and waste
Wasting water is harmful to the environment and costly. A common issue in irrigation systems is broken or misaligned
equipment, which can be as simple as a leaky sprinkler head or more serious and complex. Either way, it’s important to
fix any irregularities as soon as possible.
14. Install water flow rate controls on faucets to reduce water waste
Sink faucets that use a maximum of 1.5 gallons per minute can reduce the water flow by 30% compared to the
standard flow of 2.2 gallons per minute. Using less water also reduces the demand on water heaters, leading to further
cost and energy savings.
©2024 Clearyst GBB LLC - All Rights Reserved
Initiative Glossary
Transportation
15. Encourage employee carpools
As more organizations are mandating employees to return to the office, commuting becomes a larger environmental
issue. Carpooling reduces scope 3 emissions for your organization, saves employee money on transportation, and
reduces traffic congestion. Even if no co-workers want to carpool, there are various apps and programs for ridesharing
available.
16. Install bike racks outside of the office or choose a building with ample bike racks
on-site to support the amount of employees
Encouraging and supporting employees to bike to work not only reduces scope 3 emissions, but it also enables
employees to live a healthier lifestyle. Also, a bike rack may even give you a competitive advantage by attracting
cycling customers.
17. Give employees the option to have a hybrid work week
A study found that working from home two to four days out of the week can reduce an employee’s emissions by 1129% compared to full-time onsite employees. Hybrid schedules can also allow flexibility for a better work-life balance
and expand talent attraction.
18. Designate carpool, hybrid, and EV parking spaces that are in preferred areas of
your parking lot (e.g. closer to the building entrance or covered)
Unless you’re trying to get your steps in, parking far from the entrance can be annoying, especially when you’re already
running late. Incentivize employees that are taking action to reduce their emissions on their commute to work by
saving them the best parking spots and making their mornings a little easier.
©2024 Clearyst GBB LLC - All Rights Reserved
Initiative Glossary
Workplace & Culture
19. Use air-filtering plants throughout the office to improve indoor air quality and
employee wellbeing
Air indoors can be more than 30 times more toxic than outside. Indoor plants can help detoxify the workplace from
toxins, germs, and dust. Based on a NASA study, some of the best plants for air purification include: Peace Lily, Boston
Fern, Snake Plant, Ficus, and Pothos. Plus, exposure to plants is linked to reducing stress and anxiety.
20. Administer company-wide employee training on sustainability efforts both at
work and at home
Implementing sustainability training can empower employees with practical knowledge and tools to adopt eco-friendly
practices, both in and out of the workplace. Topics covered could include energy conservation, waste reduction,
responsible consumption, and water efficiency.
Get Green Business Certified
GET STARTED ON YOUR SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM
©2024 Clearyst GBB LLC - All Rights Reserved