Sustainability Roadmap for Startups - Green Plus

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feeding and breeding. Take it a step further by developing a strategy to encourage local biodiversity.
Healthy ecosystems can be enjoyable to observe and often serve very important functions, such as
cleaning up the air and water.
Be Energy Wise
‣ Monitor energy use. It is documented that a real-time display of energy can alone reduce consumption
by 10%. Look for data logging capabilities of your overall use or your largest energy loads so that you can
better understand and manage energy consumption.
‣ Produce your own energy. Look into which renewable energy options are most appropriate for your
facility. Common options include solar panels, solar thermal, geothermal, and wind energy.
Organizations often seek to produce enough energy to cover a significant amount of their daily usage.
Some even go so far as to produce 100% of their energy needs. Renewable energy typically requires a
meaningful upfront financial investment, but in many cases can become a new revenue stream over
time, as some utilities will pay you for any excess generation.
‣ Go carbon neutral. Purchase enough carbon offsets to neutralize your organization’s carbon footprint.
Whatever your stance on climate change, carbon neutrality means that fewer gases are being emitted
into the air, which ultimately means cleaner air to breathe.
‣ Adopt an energy management system and seek ISO 50001 Certification.
Be Water Wise
‣ Capture and re-use water that comes onto your facility’s property. Harvest rainwater to use in
landscaping by using barrels or cisterns. Or alter your plumbing to allow grey-water to be used for nonpotable
purposes. There are many common uses of water that do not actually require that the water be
clean enough to drink; minimizing non-essential uses of potable water is more efficient.
‣ Rain water runoff, though probably not top of mind, is a big deal. Runoff goes into streams and water
sources. When it does not have an opportunity to be filtered and cleaned, it can cause a threat to local
plant and animal life. What’s more, many municipal sewer systems are old and have trouble processing
massive amounts of runoff, which can lead to raw sewage backing up into water sources.
Slow down stormwater runoff and facilitate filtration with the following: rain gardens, vegetated
swales, riparian buffers, permeable paving, and green roofs. In the case of green roofs, green roofs can
lower heating and cooling costs and extend the life of a roof.
Get Around Sustainably
‣ Make it easier for employees to use alternative transportation. Install bike racks and showers.
Designate parking places for fuel-efficient vehicles.
‣ Encourage the use of public transportation by paying a portion of the fare for employees.
‣ Become a member of a car-sharing service (such as Zipcar) to allow employees to commute to work
without a car but have access if needed for errands.