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How We 'Walk Our Talk'
at the EarthWays Center
At the EarthWays Center,
we lead by example. Here's what we do in-house to promote resource
efficiency:
Recycling and Trash
- The EarthWays Center contracts with a local business, Earth Circle
Recycling, for weekly collection of co-mingled containers
and a wide range of fibers, including cardboard; a dozen
different materials in all.
- Trash is emptied alternate weekends by our cleaning service.
For an office of 8 full-time employees, a maximum of two
trash bags (often not totally filled) go out biweekly.
- Large paper-recycling bins and comparatively small
trash containers are in use at all employee workstations,
as well as in copier and project layout working areas.
- There is a central recycling area in the kitchen for
other materials, that includes bins and a can-crusher. Employees
rotate the job of carrying the bins out to curbside on pick-up
days.
- Restrooms are the only locations in the building with
trash baskets only.
- Recycling and composting are specially set up, using
multiple containers, for meetings, training sessions and other
events.
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Purchased Office Supplies
- All Missouri Botanical Garden stationary items are
printed on 50% recycled-content stock (letterhead, envelopes,
postcards) with soy-based inks.
- Copier/printer paper is a 100% post-consumer recycled content product.
- Paper selected at outside printing sources is always
minimum 20-25% recycled content.
- Other recycled content office supplies regularly purchased
include sheet protectors, file folders, pocket folders, manila
clasp envelopes, colored photocopier paper, paper clips and
post-it notes.
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Office Machines
- Copier selection criteria included capacity
for duplex copying, auto-sleep mode, and manual feed copying,
using one-sided scratch paper; employees diligently switch copier
to "standby" when not in use.
- Toner cartridges from copier and all laser printers
are recycled. EarthWays Center purchases recycled-content brands
that include the service of spent-cartridge reclamation.
- File-sharing through networked individual computers
minimizes paper copies, and the Garden-wide email network facilitates
efficient, paperless communication.
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Reuse in the Office
- Boxes of one-sided paper are kept at every office-machine
station for draft writing, printing and copying.
- Used colored paper is stockpiled for paper-making activities
in our client schools.
- Rubber bands are reused from mail delivery and misc. product packaging.
- Erasable white boards are in use in conference room,
director's office, team workrooms; a portable version travels
to schools, trainings, etc.
- Electronic calendar use tracks individual employee schedules plus scheduling of meetings, tours, etc. in our building.
- Every employee uses outdated business cards, library checkout
clips, "Energy Quiz" scoring cards, etc. for notes
and lists; these are also stocked in fax and office-machine
stations.
- Employees use spiral-bound notebooks as phone logs
- some use a single spiral notebook for all meeting/working
notes.
- Scrap-paper boxes (white, colored, label stock) are
kept in the Project Room.
- Clasp and other large-size manila envelopes are
reused regularly for communications with other Garden staff.
We restock new manila envelopes twice a year, at most.
- Hanging and regular file folders, colored pocket folders,
ring binders and binder tabs, are stored with other supplies
for easy reuse.
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Kitchen Supplies and Equipment
- Colorful cloth napkins are regularly used by employees,
and for meetings and trainings;
- Cloth towels and dishcloths are used for kitchen clean-up.
- China cups and dishes, glasses and metal flatware are
regularly used by employees and for small meetings.
- Refillable pump-bottles of antibacterial dish-soap
and low-phosphate dishwasher and laundry detergents maintain high standards of cleanliness.
- Heavy-duty plastic plates, flatware and cups are used for
large-group events and washed in our kitchen during event cleanups.
- Plastic and aluminum trays, plastic bowls, and baskets
saved from catered events are reused as needed.
- Coffee stays hot with a minimum of electricity use when poured
immediately into thermal carafes after brewing.
- All appropriate food and house plant waste is vermicomposted
in our kitchen worm bin.
- Aerator installed on kitchen faucet cuts water use
in half.
- Sugar and other condiments are purchased in bulk,
and any leftover fast-food condiments are saved for use as needed.
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Janitorial Products
- We purchase unbleached, 100% recycled content paper towels,
and bathroom tissue in case lots.
- We do keep 100% recycled content paper napkins on hand and
use as needed.
- Restrooms are supplied with refillable pump-bottles of hand
soap.
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Physical Facilities
The EarthWays Center is housed in the historic EarthWays Home, a handsome
Victorian urban residence that was built in 1885 and renovated
more than a century later to showcase practical demonstrations
of resource efficiency in the built environment. Earthways Center features, fixtures, and products are readily
available for consumer use in both new construction and renovation.
Features include:
- Energy-efficient lighting sources
- Maximized use of daylight
- Recycled and non-toxic products
- Water-saving fixtures
- Recycling and composting systems
- Energy-efficient window options
- Blown-in cellulose insulation
- Photovoltaic array powering kitchen appliances
- Geothermal heating and cooling
- High-efficiency gas furnace
- High-efficiency fireplace inserts
- Efficient landscaping options
- Water-conserving Green Roof and rain barrel
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