Changing Practices
In order to determine how AIGA could improve its own practices, we hired an engineer who was active in the Green Building Council to conduct an assessment of our practices. The recommendations are intended to guide our members as well as the staff. In addition to typical practices, like encouraging use of green office supplies or green packaging and shipping, the following suggestions were made.
Procuring less hazardous cleaning and maintenance supplies
AIGA inventoried chemical products used for cleaning and maintenance by both the staff and contract cleaning services; made sure they are all necessary; then sought alternative products with less hazardous ingredients (possible by requesting a Materials Safety Data Sheet for products). This also involved changing practices to assure that cleaning occurs when staff is not in the space to minimize the impact of residual chemical contaminants being stirred up during the cleaning process. If a cleaning service would not change its products, AIGA purchased the products for the service. The cost difference is zero to ten percent more than using generic products.
Increasing waste recycling
This practice was actually encouraged by employees, which makes the separation of waste more easily accomplished.
Conserving water
Low flow bathroom fixtures were installed and bottled water was replaced with filtered potable municipal water (which reduces the energy requirements for shipping in bottled water).
Improving mechanical system performances
While AIGA’s HVAC systems were older and less energy-efficient, an unexpected recommendation was not to replace them until necessary, since the energy consumed in building, shipping and installing a new unit is greater than the difference in the efficiency of a new unit over the remaining lifetime of the existing unit. Other improvements included making windows airtight. Many states have state agencies responsible for energy research and development that will undertake an energy audit for a fee.
Purchasing green electricity
AIGA has contracted for wind-power offsets for all electric use onsite. This involved purchasing offset amounts that the local utility must add to the energy grid equivalent to the amount of electricity used. The cost has been an increase of 1–2 percent of the annual electric expenses. AIGA is an EPA Green Power Partner, encouraging the voluntary use of green power to reduce the risk of climate change. Partners benefit from the use of green power, while supporting the development of new, renewable energy in the United States..
Installing a green roof
In 2007 AIGA installed a green roof—a vegetated roof cover—at its four-story headquarters. Eight varieties of sedum were planted in four-inch-deep containers, lined by a walkway of recycled rubber pavers. By “greening” its roof, AIGA pursues its ongoing environmental stewardship effort. Green roofs have been shown to reduce heating and cooling loads on a building, counter the urban heat island effect, filter pollutants and carbon dioxide out of the air, as well as filter pollutants and heavy metals out of rainwater.
Replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents
Given recent rapid advances in lighting technology, upgrading lighting systems that are less than ten years old often reduces electrical use by twenty to forty percent and can be very cost–effective. By replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents, lighting efficiencies substantially reduced the energy required for air conditioning since less waste heat is generated.
Utilizing low toxicity construction materials
Since AIGA's gallery is repainted with each exhibition, this recommendation involved switching to a safer latex, water-soluble paint.
Reducing paper consumption
To reduce paper consumption, policies have been adopted that develop more comprehensive and systematic digital files for record copies of documents; requirement of two-sided printing for materials printed in-house; and encouraging electronic communication over print communication.
Using recycled paper
All in-house printing and copying uses tree-free paper, comprised totally of hemp and post-consumer waste recycled pulp.
Using remanufactured toner cartridges
Remanufactured toner cartridges reduce the energy use and waste requirements created by new toner cartridges and can normally be acquired for 20 to 40 percent less than the cost of a new cartridge.
Organizing green conferences
This subject has its own literature known to many associations. However, AIGA has implemented the following practices: favoring green hotels; requiring conference facilities to provide their environmental policies and practices in their site proposals; emphasizing electronic communication over print; minimizing print materials in program packets; minimizing disposal materials used in the conference (to include reducing the use of disposable cups, plates, etc.); and maximizing waste recycling. Among the more innovative efforts AIGA has pursued has been the development of a fiber conference bag that is biodegradable and a translucent, plastic-like organic name badge envelope that is also biodegradable.
Thinking carefully about energy consequences
Once you begin to consider the indirect energy consequences of various service and product choices, an entire range of decisions must be revisited. For instance, we eliminated the bottled water cooler because of the energy consumption involved in shipping water bottles and processing them for reuse, opting instead for a filter on tap water that enters a cooler.
Procuring less hazardous cleaning and maintenance supplies
AIGA inventoried chemical products used for cleaning and maintenance by both the staff and contract cleaning services; made sure they are all necessary; then sought alternative products with less hazardous ingredients (possible by requesting a Materials Safety Data Sheet for products). This also involved changing practices to assure that cleaning occurs when staff is not in the space to minimize the impact of residual chemical contaminants being stirred up during the cleaning process. If a cleaning service would not change its products, AIGA purchased the products for the service. The cost difference is zero to ten percent more than using generic products.
Increasing waste recycling
This practice was actually encouraged by employees, which makes the separation of waste more easily accomplished.
Conserving water
Low flow bathroom fixtures were installed and bottled water was replaced with filtered potable municipal water (which reduces the energy requirements for shipping in bottled water).
Improving mechanical system performances
While AIGA’s HVAC systems were older and less energy-efficient, an unexpected recommendation was not to replace them until necessary, since the energy consumed in building, shipping and installing a new unit is greater than the difference in the efficiency of a new unit over the remaining lifetime of the existing unit. Other improvements included making windows airtight. Many states have state agencies responsible for energy research and development that will undertake an energy audit for a fee.
Purchasing green electricity
AIGA has contracted for wind-power offsets for all electric use onsite. This involved purchasing offset amounts that the local utility must add to the energy grid equivalent to the amount of electricity used. The cost has been an increase of 1–2 percent of the annual electric expenses. AIGA is an EPA Green Power Partner, encouraging the voluntary use of green power to reduce the risk of climate change. Partners benefit from the use of green power, while supporting the development of new, renewable energy in the United States..
Installing a green roof
In 2007 AIGA installed a green roof—a vegetated roof cover—at its four-story headquarters. Eight varieties of sedum were planted in four-inch-deep containers, lined by a walkway of recycled rubber pavers. By “greening” its roof, AIGA pursues its ongoing environmental stewardship effort. Green roofs have been shown to reduce heating and cooling loads on a building, counter the urban heat island effect, filter pollutants and carbon dioxide out of the air, as well as filter pollutants and heavy metals out of rainwater.
Replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents
Given recent rapid advances in lighting technology, upgrading lighting systems that are less than ten years old often reduces electrical use by twenty to forty percent and can be very cost–effective. By replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents, lighting efficiencies substantially reduced the energy required for air conditioning since less waste heat is generated.
Utilizing low toxicity construction materials
Since AIGA's gallery is repainted with each exhibition, this recommendation involved switching to a safer latex, water-soluble paint.
Reducing paper consumption
To reduce paper consumption, policies have been adopted that develop more comprehensive and systematic digital files for record copies of documents; requirement of two-sided printing for materials printed in-house; and encouraging electronic communication over print communication.
Using recycled paper
All in-house printing and copying uses tree-free paper, comprised totally of hemp and post-consumer waste recycled pulp.
Using remanufactured toner cartridges
Remanufactured toner cartridges reduce the energy use and waste requirements created by new toner cartridges and can normally be acquired for 20 to 40 percent less than the cost of a new cartridge.
Organizing green conferences
This subject has its own literature known to many associations. However, AIGA has implemented the following practices: favoring green hotels; requiring conference facilities to provide their environmental policies and practices in their site proposals; emphasizing electronic communication over print; minimizing print materials in program packets; minimizing disposal materials used in the conference (to include reducing the use of disposable cups, plates, etc.); and maximizing waste recycling. Among the more innovative efforts AIGA has pursued has been the development of a fiber conference bag that is biodegradable and a translucent, plastic-like organic name badge envelope that is also biodegradable.
Thinking carefully about energy consequences
Once you begin to consider the indirect energy consequences of various service and product choices, an entire range of decisions must be revisited. For instance, we eliminated the bottled water cooler because of the energy consumption involved in shipping water bottles and processing them for reuse, opting instead for a filter on tap water that enters a cooler.