Comments on: What points can I look at for my environmental audit of a business or organization? http://okavangochallenge.com/sustainability-issues/what-points-can-i-look-at-for-my-environmental-audit-of-a-business-or-organization Sat, 19 May 2012 13:53:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Philip K http://okavangochallenge.com/sustainability-issues/what-points-can-i-look-at-for-my-environmental-audit-of-a-business-or-organization/comment-page-1#comment-3470 Philip K Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:20:59 +0000 http://okavangochallenge.com/sustainability-issues/what-points-can-i-look-at-for-my-environmental-audit-of-a-business-or-organization#comment-3470 Do they recycle in their office? What steps have they taken to reduce their energy use? What do they do to promote green living among their employees? And finally since they're an investment firm how have the used their money to help (and not hurt) the planet?<br><b>References : </b><br> Do they recycle in their office? What steps have they taken to reduce their energy use? What do they do to promote green living among their employees? And finally since they’re an investment firm how have the used their money to help (and not hurt) the planet?
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]]> By: Attorney http://okavangochallenge.com/sustainability-issues/what-points-can-i-look-at-for-my-environmental-audit-of-a-business-or-organization/comment-page-1#comment-3469 Attorney Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:15:59 +0000 http://okavangochallenge.com/sustainability-issues/what-points-can-i-look-at-for-my-environmental-audit-of-a-business-or-organization#comment-3469 Grace Kennedy has two divisions investments and foods. The corporate office for such an organization will have the typical environmental issues that any office environment will have. e.g. paper (use and recycle), energy (electricity for lights computers etc, gas for heat, etc.) Energy efficiency can be increased with specialized lights (fluorescent, LEDs etc), even with light switches in each office so the lights are turned off when it is empty, etc. Obviously energy efficiency can be increased with higher efficiency heating systems, insulation, double or triple pane glass windows, etc. You have the disposal of office wastes, etc. Now for typical corporate offices the above may not be covered by many environmental laws or regulatations. It might be covered by building codes with energy efficiency, etc. Think also about energy star (epa guidelines for efficiency -- which while not binding are suggestions) I do not know if the food divisions have any research at the corporate office.. if so you can have issues with kitchens (even spilling grease down the sink can be an environmental issue) then you have the impact of disposal of wastes (even food wastes have potential environmental impact.. think of chicken poop on chicken farms ... but there is a lot of waste in cooking and high BOD in effluent from food manufacturing. ("BOD" is biological oxygen demand which when released into a sewer has to be treated or it depletes the oxygen content of the lake or stream where the water is released and kills fish by suffocation)... The laws would be local POTW (publicly owned treatment works) .e.g., the laws that cover the local sewage plans and they are usually called "pretreatment regulations".. especially in commercial kitchens and industrial users...<br><b>References : </b><br>I am an environmental attorney and an environmental engineer!!! Grace Kennedy has two divisions investments and foods.

The corporate office for such an organization will have the typical environmental issues that any office environment will have. e.g. paper (use and recycle), energy (electricity for lights computers etc, gas for heat, etc.) Energy efficiency can be increased with specialized lights (fluorescent, LEDs etc), even with light switches in each office so the lights are turned off when it is empty, etc. Obviously energy efficiency can be increased with higher efficiency heating systems, insulation, double or triple pane glass windows, etc. You have the disposal of office wastes, etc.

Now for typical corporate offices the above may not be covered by many environmental laws or regulatations. It might be covered by building codes with energy efficiency, etc. Think also about energy star (epa guidelines for efficiency — which while not binding are suggestions)

I do not know if the food divisions have any research at the corporate office.. if so you can have issues with kitchens (even spilling grease down the sink can be an environmental issue) then you have the impact of disposal of wastes (even food wastes have potential environmental impact.. think of chicken poop on chicken farms … but there is a lot of waste in cooking and high BOD in effluent from food manufacturing. ("BOD" is biological oxygen demand which when released into a sewer has to be treated or it depletes the oxygen content of the lake or stream where the water is released and kills fish by suffocation)…

The laws would be local POTW (publicly owned treatment works) .e.g., the laws that cover the local sewage plans and they are usually called "pretreatment regulations".. especially in commercial kitchens and industrial users…
References :
I am an environmental attorney and an environmental engineer!!!

]]> By: bubba http://okavangochallenge.com/sustainability-issues/what-points-can-i-look-at-for-my-environmental-audit-of-a-business-or-organization/comment-page-1#comment-3468 bubba Sun, 15 Nov 2009 20:04:59 +0000 http://okavangochallenge.com/sustainability-issues/what-points-can-i-look-at-for-my-environmental-audit-of-a-business-or-organization#comment-3468 I can't tell what these folks do, but it is always good to start with and inventory of energy and production inputs coming in (lets say electricity and toner for a computer company for example), and the waste stream going out (heat from the computers, waste paper, used toner cartridges, and the hours of electricity power unused devices). The goal is to minimize the inputs in order to minimize the outputs that don't profit the company (use energy saving equipment and power-saving modes for machines not in use, shift to paperless when possible, for example). Also, look for opportunities to recycle when possible (recycle toner cartridges for example - maybe find a local company that refills and buy from them). Typically, these things are done by consultants with lots of input from the company to work out what is an is not possible. The ultimate goal is to save the company money while becoming more eco-friendly. I know it is vague, but I hope it helps. It is actually easier in manufacturing than in service sector jobs. You might ought to consider time an input to be minimized, but this may be beyond what you are supposed to do.<br><b>References : </b><br> I can’t tell what these folks do, but it is always good to start with and inventory of energy and production inputs coming in (lets say electricity and toner for a computer company for example), and the waste stream going out (heat from the computers, waste paper, used toner cartridges, and the hours of electricity power unused devices). The goal is to minimize the inputs in order to minimize the outputs that don’t profit the company (use energy saving equipment and power-saving modes for machines not in use, shift to paperless when possible, for example). Also, look for opportunities to recycle when possible (recycle toner cartridges for example - maybe find a local company that refills and buy from them). Typically, these things are done by consultants with lots of input from the company to work out what is an is not possible.

The ultimate goal is to save the company money while becoming more eco-friendly.

I know it is vague, but I hope it helps. It is actually easier in manufacturing than in service sector jobs. You might ought to consider time an input to be minimized, but this may be beyond what you are supposed to do.
References :

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