Incorporate the Spirit of Earth Day Into Your Building

Earth Day is the world’s largest environmental movement. And for almost 50 years, Earth Day events have engaged and inspired people across the world to take environmental action.

If your organization is inspired by this eco-friendly movement, go beyond the one-day celebration. Consider celebrating throughout the year by taking daily green initiatives. Afterall, in today’s business world, sustainability is expected – even demanded.

Demonstrate your commitment to sustainability by pledging to conserve water, paper and energy in your building.

Reduce Paper Consumption

While most paper goods tend to be recyclable, many paper towels are not. As these are likely made with recycled paper pulp- a non-recyclable product. This has resulted in a major global landfill issue, 254 million tons of trash result from paper towels every year. Furthermore, natural resources are also depleted in the process of manufacturing this one-time use item.

If your restroom currently offers paper towels, World Dryer offers a great opportunity to help reduce your building’s carbon footprint. Provide residents with an environmentally friendly way to dry their hands. Modern hand dryers promote sustainability without compromising sanitation. Plus, the installation will help your building save money and earn LEED credits.

Use Water Wisely

In the U.S. about nine percent of the total water allocated to commercial and institutional facilities is used by office buildings. The top three uses of water in office buildings are from restrooms, HVAC and landscaping as declared by the EPA.  

Water is the most precious resource to humans as 100 percent of our survival depends on it. So, why not protect it? Commercial buildings can do their part by incorporating a water management plan along with some of the following practices:

• Ensure restroom automatic sensors are working properly
• If needed, replace bathroom fixtures with more efficient models: seek for the WaterSense label, these fixtures use at least 20 percent less water than standard models.
• Implement smart water landscaping and irrigation practices.
• Improve your cooling systems by seeking out alternative onsite water sources.

Save Energy

Conserving energy goes beyond saving on electric costs. Did you know that buildings significantly impact the environment through their massive use of electricity? The USGBC said that “If half of new commercial buildings were built to use 50% less energy, it would save over 6 million metric tons of CO2 annually for the life of the buildings—the equivalent of taking more than 1 million cars off the road every year.”

When you’re planning for your yearly building repairs consider including more efficient lightbulbs and sensor motion light switches or simply remember to turn off the lights. It’s important that you encourage a culture of conservation in your building. Remember that every time you have the lights on -unnecessarily- is like having your car running outside for no given reason.

Reminding your building residents throughout the year why the planet needs of their contributions, will keep the Earth Day spirit alive through daily operations.