Commitments for a Sustainable Office Environment
B&F is leading a multi-faceted initiative to elevate the University’s commitment to sustainability in campus operations.
As part of our best in class leadership goal, it is important for B&F staff to lead by example by reducing environmental
impact of our buildings and daily operations. The following is a list of commitments we should all feel comfortable
making that will reduce our environmental footprint. Each action you take, no matter how small both at work and at
home, has a positive impact on our environment. Please commit, or encourage your unit to commit, to as many of these
statements as possible to make an important and enduring impact. Nothing in this document precludes the University’s
responsibility to provide a reasonable accommodation to an employee with a disability in compliance with state and
federal non-discrimination laws.
Energy: Energy consumption is both a major contributor to greenhouse gas production tied to climate change, and a
major financial impact on the University’s budget. Efforts to reduce energy consumption are a major win-win for the
University.
 I will participate in and support Planet Blue Team efforts that have occurred or will occur in my building. For a list of
energy saving tips please visit http://www.planetblue.umich.edu/home.php.
 I will purchase only equipment that is rated Energy Star compliant, where available.
 I will encourage staff to use the manually operated doors if physically able, leaving the electric powered opener to
individuals who need it for access or to move loads through the door when hands are full and no one is there to hold
the door open.
 I will encourage staff to use the stairs if physically able and it is reasonable to do so, rather than taking the elevator.
 I will coordinate meetings in locations where participant travel is reduced or accessible by mass transit systems.
 I will turn off lights when not needed and rely on natural day-lighting as much as practical. I will consider task
lighting for work spaces in lieu of multiple overhead lights.
 I will turn off vehicles when stopped at a loading dock or parking area. I will not allow the vehicle to run for long
periods to warm up – ideally it should be started and allowed to warm up only as long as it takes to remove
snow/ice from the windows.
 I will encourage the use of alternative transportation modes available to staff through Parking & Transportation and
evaluate reducing the number of vehicles assigned to my department.
http://www.pts.umich.edu/alternative_transportation/index.php
Water Use: Bottled water has a strong environmental impact due to the energy and petroleum used to produce the
bottles, and energy used to transport the bottles to market. National studies have shown up to 75% of the bottles end
up in a landfill rather than being recycled, and up to 25% of the water tested is actually tap water with less purity than
municipal provided tap water because federal rules are less stringent on bottled water. In 2007 Procurement Services
estimated 584,000 disposable water bottles were delivered to the Ann Arbor campus – a substantial financial
investment to replace water from the tap. Work areas such as outdoor venues have no option, so total elimination is
not feasible.
 I will encourage my unit to consider replacing bottled water coolers with in-line filtered water dispensers.
 I will eliminate bottled water from my work area when other sources of drinking water are available.
Printers and Copiers: Printers and copiers have dropped in price to the point they appear to be necessary for more and
more work stations. Multiple small printers, while more convenient, are not as efficient as central systems that receive
a higher use rate and where recycled toner can be less expensive to purchase. The more pieces of electronic equipment
in an area, the higher the energy consumption is going to be.
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I will set duplex printing as the default for all printers that have the capability to conserve paper.
I will participate in ITS Green Computing initiatives. http://www.climatesavers.umich.edu/
I will send documents to a black and white printer if available to conserve energy and toner costs.
I will request an evaluation of scanning and faxing capabilities of copy machines in my area to eliminate multiple
scanners and fax machines to save energy, time and money.
I will consider the number of printers in my area and determine if any can be centrally consolidated.
Office/Cleaning Supplies:
 I will use recycled-content and other eco-friendly supplies as available, such as paper pads, file folders, pens, paper
clips, paper, toner cartridges, and materials used for marketing.
http://www.procurement.umich.edu/greenpurchasing.html
 I will reduce the number of deliveries to the office by consolidating orders to a specific day of the week; reducing
fuel usage, carbon emissions and traffic congestion. I will also consider setting a minimum order value to reduce
packaging waste, order supplies on-line, request electronic or CD catalogs from vendors to reduce paper waste, and
buy local products if available.
 I will replace restroom and break room paper supplies with recycled-content paper supplies and bleached paper
towels with unbleached paper towels.
 I will replace cleaning supplies in the break room and air fresheners in restrooms with eco-friendly products.
 I will reduce paper goods in the break room by evaluating use of paper plates, paper cups and plastic silverware and
replace them with reusable dishware if a sink is available to wash them.
 I will consider the Property Disposition Office to look for reusable furniture before ordering new.
http://propertydisposition.umich.edu/
Waste Reduction
 I will reduce the number of phone books in my area. Before ordering campus directories we will evaluate the need
for each staff to have one and determine if we can consolidate to a few centrally located. I will use the online
directory in lieu of the paper copies.
 I will help reduce unwanted junk mail by contacting organizations to be removed from mailing lists.
 I will support and promote recycling programs. http://www.plant.bf.umich.edu/grounds/recycle/
 I will reduce hard copy promotional materials, newsletters, and mass mailings to University departments. If hard
copies are necessary they will be evaluated on volume and distribution.
Other
 I will update new employee orientation packages to include sustainable practices in the office.
 I will support the new OS-1 cleaning system when it is implemented by Plant Building Services in my building. OS1
focuses on the health of the building occupants, cleaning staff, and reducing environmental impacts from cleaning
processes. http://www.plantops.umich.edu/grounds/building/os1/
 I will hold green meetings and training sessions by asking attendees to bring their own mugs for coffee and
beverages and maintain as much information electronically as possible, depending on the type of audience
anticipated.
Finally – report your successes or new ideas to the Office of Campus Sustainability so they can be celebrated and
shared across units. If you need any assistance, please contact us at 615-7025 or e-mail ocs_contact@umich.edu.
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