A. Purpose
This document describes Write Choice Consulting Firm policies and procedures for conducting their operations and activities in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner.
B. Background
In 2005, the NIH Director created the Environmental Policy of the National Institutes of Health to officially declare a commitment to the protection of the environment and responsible use of natural resources. As the steward of medical and behavioral research for the Nation, the NIH leads the way in the pursuit of knowledge about living systems and the application of the knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce illness and disability. As proactive keepers of the public health and the environment, the NIH community embraces pollution prevention and sustainable development while continually seeking to reduce resource consumption. The NIH environmental policy establishes the following important commitments: • Compliance with all federal, State, and local environmental laws and regulations, as well as Executive Orders. • Prevention of pollution by minimizing the generation of wastes where possible, reducing consumption, recycling materials, and disposing of wastes in an environmentally responsible manner. • Integration of environmental and health considerations into decisionmaking processes. • Reduce the environmental impact of staff’s commuting to and from work and NIH’s transportation of staff between facilities on and off the Bethesda campus. Following the NIH standards, all Write Choice Consulting Firm’s employees are responsible for being aware of their jobs’ environmental and health impacts and for continually striving to minimize these impacts as set forth in this policy.
C. Policy
Write Choice Consulting Firm is committed to protecting public health by conducting our operations and activities in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner. We are committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations. We recognize that reducing and, where possible, eliminating our activities’ environmental impacts is an integral part of our mission as stewards of public health. We strive to be a leader in achieving environmental excellence and will work with our employees and other internal and external entities to establish and follow principles, in conjunction with the Environmental Policy of the NIH, that will guide Write Choice Consulting Firm environmental practices. The Write Choice Consulting Firm guiding principles and practices to achieve resource conservation, waste reduction, and sustainability overall are summarized below: • Comply with mandatory requirements and conduct our activities and operate our facilities within applicable environmental laws and regulations • Conserve energy and other natural resources • Encourage employees to use mass transit • Reduce, reuse, and recycle to reduce waste • Minimize the production of hazardous waste • Adopt green procurement practices • Ensure all employees complete the environmental awareness training • Continue to review and minimize the impacts of our activities
D. Responsibilities
a) Energy Conservation Employees shall: 1. Turn off lights when not in use and use natural light when possible. 2. Turn off, not just log off, all computers, terminals, speakers, and other office equipment at the end of every workday. 3. Turn off your power strip at the end of every workday. 4. Activate the power down features on your computer and monitor to enter into a low-power or sleep mode when not in use. 5. Unplug equipment that drains energy even when not in use (e.g., cell phone chargers, fans, coffee makers, desktop printers, radios). 6. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in desk lamps as opposed to incandescent lights whenever possible. 7. Use the stairs when possible. 8. Utilize video conferencing and conference calls as an alternative to travel when possible. 9. Limit the use of space heaters.
b) Reduction of Materials Consumption Employees shall: 1. Avoid using paper by distributing and storing documents electronically. 2. Print and photocopy only what you need and double side your jobs when possible. 3. Tell staff and colleagues that you prefer double-sided documents. 4. Use the backside of old documents for faxes, scrap paper, or drafts.
c) Reduce Fossil Fuel Consumption and Air Pollution Employees shall: 1. Ride mass transit or other alternative forms of transportation, whenever possible. 2. Use carpools or vanpools, when possible, over singleuse cars. 3. Telework one day a week, if possible.
d) Minimize Waste and Increase Recycling Employees shall: 1. Use durable, reusable beverage containers, plates, and utensils. 2. Reduce the amount of toner in documents that will be printed when possible. 3. Print documents in black and white or grayscale whenever possible. 4. Recycle paper, paper products, plastic, binders, folders, catalogs, boxes, bottles, cans, batteries, electronics, toner, and ink cartridges if located at the Write Choice Consulting Firm’s facilities. 5. Recycle plastic and paper products in accordance with county regulations if located Write Choice Consulting Firm’s facilities.
e) Minimize Toxins and Hazardous Waste 1. Do not pour toxic or hazardous substances down the drain. 2. Reduce the use of toxic chemicals and use less toxic alternatives wherever possible. 3. Do not use or purchase mercury or mercurycontaining equipment unless approval has been obtained. 4. Design experiments, when possible, to use less toxic or hazardous substances. 5. Purchase chemicals in the smallest quantities needed to avoid over-ordering. 6. Dispose of hazardous chemicals appropriately and in accordance with the NIH Disposal Guide and other legal requirements.
f) Commitment to Green Purchasing Employees shall: 1. Purchase copier and printer paper that contains at least 30% post-consumer recycled content. 2. Purchase office supplies and furniture that contain the highest percentage of recycled and non-toxic content whenever possible. 3. Purchase products that contain bio-based content whenever possible. 4. Purchase Energy-saving office equipment. 5. Use the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) to identify computers and monitors with environmental attributes and purchase computers and monitors with at least a Bronze rating. options.aspx
g) Increasing Awareness of Write Choice Consulting Firm Impact on the Environment and Public Health 1. Employees will take annual training to increase the environmental and public health knowledge base, to stay up to date with industry-specific trends, barriers, and achievements.