Green Audit Database Questions 10.13.09

Green Audit Database Questions 10.13.09

COMPANY POLICIES
1. What is your environmental impact statement / plan / policy (ISO 14001)? Can you provide a copy? (If not, why?)
2. Can you provide a supplier tree?
3. Do you have someone in charge of recycling and sustainability? If not: how do you measure your office’s environmental impact/carbon footprint? (Do you use a third party or is it in-house?)
If you don’t have someone in charge, are you thinking of doing that? Would you like some suggestions on how to do that?
4. How do you keep track of your plant’s energy usage?
a. What do you do to lower it?
5. Do you promote sustainable materials with your clients?

CERTIFICATIONS
1. Are you FSC certified? How aggressively do you pursue it? (Have information available to explain what FSC is to them and to offer them websites that offer information that we have used in class.)
2. Are there other certifications or organization memberships do you have? (see: SFI, LEED, Eco Logo, Sustainable Green Printing Partnership)
3. Have you received any awards for environmental performance?

MATERIALS
INK
4. What kinds of inks do you use?
a. What percentage of inks are recyclable/organic?
b. How do you dispose of them?
c. Do you refill ink cartridges?
PAPER
5. Can you send us a swatch book of sustainable papers or other materials like replacements for vinyl that you might suggest?
a. What percentage of your paper is post-consumer recycled material?
b. Do you make available non-toxic paper sources?
c. what percentage of your paper is sustainably harvested?
OTHER (Adhesives, Vinyl)
6. What other materials do you work with?
a. What adhesives do you use? How do you dispose of them? Are they recycled or disposed of in environmentally safe ways?
b. Do you ofer alternatives to vinyl signs?

WASTE
1. Do you recycle materials, if so, which?
a. Do you recycle used equipment (batteries, computers, plastics, etc)?
Do you recycle waste products? (REDUNDANT?)
Suggestion: What kind of waste does/does not get recycled?
b. Do you purchase used equipment?
2. Do you have a buy-back program?
3. How large is your facility?
4. How often do you do repairs and maintenance?

TOXIC RELEASES
1. Do you work with any hazardous materials?
2. Who(What company) disposes of your toxic waste, byproducts and hazardous materials?
3. How many tons of VOCs does the company emit? Please explain what VOCs are.
4. Have you had any environmental fines or violations in the past?

OTHER
5. Have you benefitted from using or providing environmentally conscious products?
6. Has your business become more successful through making the choice to become more environmentally sound?
7. Do you clients request these materials?
8. Do you see an aesthetic problem or decline evidenced in the use of environmentally friendly products?

RELEVANT WEBSITES:

http://www.greenprinter.com
http://www.pimn.org/environment/greatprinter.htm
http://sustainability.aiga.org/sus_resources
http://sustainability.aiga.org/