Attention building managers and office employees - - Earth Day is the perfect time to start a program to protect the environment and save your company money. It’s called reducing your environmental footprint.

Across the country, people are creating environmentally friendly systems that protect the environment, provide cost savings and increase employee morale.

It is not as complicated as it sounds. The basic idea of an environmental management system is to prevent pollution before it happens. Whether your goal is to start a program to be a recognized as a certified environmental management system, or just look for a few good ideas to reduce, reuse, and recycle materials, there is no time better to start than now.

At the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 3 office in Philadelphia, employees are always looking for ways to prevent pollution. Recently, the focus has been on ways to reduce gasoline, electricity, and paper.

Since 2002, EPA’s regional office and has reduced paper consumption by 30 percent, reduced annual electricity usage by 135,000 kilowatt-hours per year, and 93 percent of the employees take public transportation to work.

People who wish to reduce their environmental footprint must identify where changes could be made. Many businesses start by adding energy efficient lighting and equipment. Others start by recycling all the paper used in the office. Each employee, working as a part of a team, analyzes his or her own work environment to find ways to prevent pollution.

In 1982, the School District of Philadelphia, the fifth largest school district in the country, launched an energy savings campaign. The District consumes electricity, gas, oil, and steam at a total annual cost of $27 million. By 2002, the energy saving campaign has saved the district $150 million in utility bills.

The Rubenstein Company of Philadelphia, a building management company, has realized energy cost savings of 40 percent without sacrificing comfort or tenant satisfaction in its four buildings. These reductions are equivalent to planting 1,344 acres of trees annually, or powering 654 American homes annually.

For additional energy savings examples and associated cost savings visit the Mid-Atlantic Energy Star Program website.

Also visit EPA Region 3’s website designed to help businesses reduce their Environmental Footprint

A complete fact sheet on EPA Region 3 environmental management system accomplishments is also available online.

4/22/2005