Use high-efficiency plumbing fixtures, like high efficiency toilets (HETs) and urinals (HEUs)

Upgrade from older fluorescent T12, T8 and T5 lamps to LED alternatives

Offer repair services to extend the life of products and discourage purchasing new items

Implement a comprehensive recycling program including education, proper sinage, and monitoring

Optimize your on-premise servers and business systems by ensuring the hardware is up-to-date and energy efficient

Use washable electrostatic furnace and air conditioning filters

Plant native, regionally-friendly plants to minimize water use and impact on local habitat

Install or choose a building with electric charging stations on site

Meet if not exceed Federal and State regulations for your industry

Eliminate all single-use paper, styrofoam or plastic cups, plates, and utensils in the kitchen area. Use reusable mugs, dishes, and silverware instead

Schedule regular maintenance on company vehicles to ensure each vehicle is operating as efficiently as possible to reduce emissions

Install light switch occupancy sensors in proper locations to automatically turn off lighting when no one is present

Provide a benefits package that meets the needs of employees, and is well-defined, accessible and transparent to all workers

Carve out a “no meetings” day during the work week

Choose a pest control service that minimizes the use of toxic pesticides

Install a programmable thermostat to automate your HVAC or A/C system

Define, institute, and clearly communicate a policy to prioritize employee diversity, equity, and inclusion

Implement a supplier code of conduct policy

Arrange the workspace to take advantage of areas with natural sunlight

Philanthropically donate a percentage of your revenue or profits and/or company time to an environmental cause

Reserve at least one day a year when your company volunteers for local environmental or community projects (e.g., Habitat for Humanity, Earth Day, Save a Tree)

Optimize the color of your outside walls and the roof for your climate

Construct a vegetable garden on roof, facility grounds, or a communtiy garden in close proximity to the office

Use sensors on vending machines and place machines in shaded areas.

Provide an annual public report or update on your company’s environmental and social responsibility efforts, initiatives, and improvements

Develop an office thermostat policy that maintains internal air temperature within the recommended temperature range, and eliminates A/C and heating usage when the building is not occupied

Provide equitable opportunities to ensure women have equal access to employment, leadership roles, and pay

Provide fair and appropriate breaks for workers based on hours worked and enforce a strict policy that they must take them

Institute a policy for providing training, certification, and professional development opportunities to employees

Grow an at-home or community food garden

Create and implement a human health and safety policy

Adhere to labor, child labor, forced labor, and reasonable working hour laws and practices

Keep corporate accounting accurate and up-to-date, enabling operation decisions to be made about investing, hiring, and project management

Offer a product which the proceeds go to an environmental or social cause

Implement “Just-In-Time” inventory systems to avoid overstocking and product obsolescence

Ship products with least amount of packaging possible

Properly dispose of all hazardous waste materials including batteries, paint and chemicals, lightbulbs, aerosol cans, and electronics

Resell your used corrugated cardboard boxes.

Install water flow rate controls (aerators) on faucets

Install a filtered water tap or water bottle refill station that provide high-quality drinking water

Conduct an energy assessment/audit to pinpoint specific areas of energy use and waste

Ensure all windows and doors are properly installed, functioning, maintained, and weather-stripped, etc.

Encourage employee carpools

Significantly limit the amount of physical marketing materials you produce

Replace regular light bulbs with LED bulbs

Undergo regular and complete check-ups and maintenance of your HVAC or A/C system

Establish a paperless billing program for your customers

Use concentrated cleaning products

Have accessible green space somewhere onsite or in close proximity to grounds

Conduct multiple quality checks on your products and/or services before distributing to consumers to ensure highest possible quality

Conduct investigations of ethical violations, and when substantiated hand out fair and reasonable consequences

Install timers on non-essential electrical appliances

Choose paperless billing with vendors, business partners, and suppliers when possible

Eliminate unnecessary paper usage as much as possible including forms, contracts, meeting agendas and materials, proofs, and drafts

Administer company-wide employee training on sustainability efforts both at work and at home

Conduct exit interviews to gain insights on company culture and operations and make improvements based on feedback

Give opportunity for all employees to provide feedback of any kind and feel secure and empowered to do so

Apply window film to reduce excess solar heat in the building

Become an active member, either by serving on the board, donating or volunteering time for an organization that continually works to improve the environment

Recycle or sell your used toner cartridges

Purchase recycled or remanufactured toner cartridges

Change your HVAC or A/C filters every six months or more frequently as is recommended by filter type

Regularly test your irrigation system to ensure proper configuration, optimized watering schedule, and eliminate overwatering and waste

Designate carpool, hybrid, and EV parking spaces that are in preferred areas of your parking lot (e.g. closer to the building entrance or covered)

Reduce junk mail by removing your organization’s name from national direct marketing databases

Use a sustainable web hosting service

Reuse, sell, or donate used or unneeded furniture, equipment, and office supplies

Use virtual meeting platforms to replace travel when possible

Donate old and unused merchandise to a local charity.

Communicate your social responsibility initiatives with customers and other stakeholders in a way that clearly defines your company values, policies, objectives and actual performance

Add shades/window covering to reduce heat gain

Provide regular formal review, linked to a comprehensive development plan, with clear and constructive feedback to all employees

Use a shared or centralized printer

Establish a clear governance and decision-making structure, including the composition of the board of directors, board committees, executives, and shareholders

Create and implement a policy for protecting sensitive information

Conduct regular cyber/data security checks

Create and implement an employee code of conduct

Create and enforce a whistleblowing policy

Create and enforce a policy for preventing and addressing discrimination and harassment

Regularly disclose business practices, operations, and financial statements to shareholders and stakeholders

Train employees on your cyber/data security policies and what to do in case of a potential breach

Designate your office as a smoke-free working environment with outside smoking areas 25 feet away from building entry areas and common walkways

Use ceiling fans in place of air conditioning when possible

Offer environmentally friendly gift-wrapping options, such as recycled wrapping papers, tissue paper, bags, and boxes.

Commit to inviting, receiving and acting upon customer and community feedback in a welcoming and constructive way at all times.

Document board meetings with minutes and final write-up/reports and distributed to all essential members

Organize a sustainability committee to lead your organization’s sustainability program

Complete the GBB getting started steps

Develop a sustainability mission statement for your business and define your company’s core commitments

Populate your company’s sustainability accomplishments in your profile

Announce your commitment to GBB to all employees

Use natural odor elimination

Relax the office dress code to allow for attire that doesn’t require dry cleaning

Use an environmentally friendly display board instead of foam core board to post memos, schedules and other notices in a centralized area.

Keep a spill kit handy to catch/collect spills from hazardous materials. Make sure there is adequate absorbent material to contain the largest possible spill.