03 Nolte Associates

Sustainable Business Practices Nolte Associates, Inc. January 29, 2008

Firm Overview • Full-Service Civil Engineering Firm • 550 Employees Firmwide – 16 Offices throughout Western U.S. and Mexico

• 75 Employees in San Diego Office

Sustainability & Strategic Plan •Mission – Deliver Sustainable Solutions for Civil Infrastructure.

• Vision – Provide Leadership in Delivering Civil Infrastructure for our Communities.

Goal… • Business Practices Should Reflect our Dedication to Sustaining Natural Resources

Action… • Formed Committee in 2003 – Member from Each Region – Tasked with Researching a Designated Topic • Office Equipment, Supplies, Vehicles, Facilities, Kitchen, etc.

• Established Outline of Sustainable Business Practices

How Do We Implement Sustainable Practices? 1. Reduce 2. Reuse 3. Recycle

REDUCE • Vehicles – All “Non-construction” Vehicles are Hybrids – Carpooling

• Break Room / Kitchen Supplies – – – – –

Purchase Items in Bulk Energy Star Appliances Glass Dishware Only Run Dishwasher When Full Use Lexan Water Bottles

REDUCE • Office Supplies – Share Supplies – Default Printer Settings (Double-sided, Draft Quality) – Maintenance Agreements to Extend Life of Products – Electronic Reports vs. Paper – Paper • Print Preview before Printing • Sharing / Circulating Reports • Post-it Fax Notes

REDUCE • Energy – Flat Panel / LCD Monitors – Computer Monitors Turn Off After 15 Minutes of Inactivity – Must Turn Off Computer if Out of Office for 2 Hours or More – Automatic Lights

REUSE • Break Room / Kitchen Supplies – Refill Containers – Glass Dishware

• Office Supplies – – – –

Packing/Shipping Materials Ink Refills for Pens Writing Tablets for Notes/Drawing Pads Donations to Schools/Organizations

RECYCLE • • • •

Paper/Cardboard/Magazines Aluminum Glass Plastic

• Purchase Of Recycled Supplies – – – – –

Copy Paper Printer Paper Post-it Notes Folders And Hanging Files Letterhead/Envelopes

Cost Savings Product Plastic water bottles Plastic eating utensils Paper plates and bowls Paper “Paperless” Work Submittal on one project Total Savings

Estimated Cost Savings $128/month or $1664/year $36/month or $432/year $24/month or $288/year $56/month or $672/year $925 $3,977/year

Cost Savings • Sometimes It Costs More – If 15% More, Items can be Ordered Without Additional Approval

Cost Savings • Example: Business Development Paper – $0.64 More Per Proposal for the Following Savings Per Month: • 1 Tree Per Office • 184 Gallons Of Water • 249,000 Btu’s Of Energy • 19 Lbs Of Solid Waste • 38 Lbs Of Atmospheric Emissions

Education is the Key! • Recycling Stations • Email Reminders • Posted Flyers • Sustainable Design Newsletter • Fact Plaques

Education is the Key!

Education is the Key!

Education is the Key!

Education • Sustainable Office Champions – Sustainable Assessments on Projects – Sustainable Design Guide – Quarterly Training – Inter-Regional Knowledge Sharing

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