Growing the Impact: Greening the Office Certification Helps Achieve Cost Savings and Improve Efficiency

We launched the Greening the Office Certification program in 2022. Since then, teams have been making changes with powerful environmental impacts. See some of the results below: 

But we know we can do more! This is the cumulative effect of just 10 offices. Did you know that Carilion owns or leases approximately 150 properties? Think of the additional impact we could make. Here are some of the top reasons your office should apply for the Greening the Office Certification: 

Cost Savings 

You can support meaningful cost savings by reducing waste, conserving utilities, and using supplies and equipment more efficiently. Simple practices such as defaulting to double-sided printing, using Print to PDF, turning off or removing unnecessary equipment, reporting leaks promptly, and reusing durable items can lower paper, energy, water, and purchasing costs over time. Many of these actions require little to no upfront investment, but when adopted across multiple offices and buildings, they can create measurable operational savings while also advancing our organization’s sustainability goals.

Efficiency 

Sustainable practices can improve efficiency by encouraging teams to examine everyday workflows and remove unnecessary steps, waste, or duplication.  These small process improvements can help you focus more time and resources on patient care and core business needs.

Employee Engagement

Environmental sustainability increases employee engagement by giving teams a meaningful way to contribute to our organization’s mission beyond their day-to-day responsibilities. These efforts create opportunities for teamwork, pride, and shared ownership, helping build a culture where employees feel empowered to improve both the work environment and the communities we serve.

Get Started Today 

Applications are accepted Sept. 1 – Nov. 30. Review the information on the Sustainability hub to learn more. If you have questions, contact Marina Sotelo at mcsotelo@carilionclinic.org.