Welcome to the Environmental Center Green Office

"Green" features of the Environmental Center

Workstations of 98% recycled materials

•   Recycled plastic furniture provides a cozy place for students to browse the Environmental Center library. Work surfaces are made from recycled agricultural waste or reclaimed wood waste (certified by Forest Steward Council). Surfaces are bonded with a non-toxic, emission-free glue and coated with ecologically sensitive stains. Our conference table is covered in maple veneer from a certified sustainable forest.
• Desk and table legs are manufactured from 100% post-consumer recycled cardboard. Glues used in the manufacturing process are water-based and non-toxic, as are the color dyes and moisture barrier sealer. Table legs are protected at floor level with a rubber boot made from recycled tires.
• Acoustic partitions in our student work area are composed entirely from 100% post-consumer recycled newsprint, coated with a water-based paint and non-toxic moisture barrier. Rubber edging is made from shredded, recycled tires.
• Seats and backs of the ergonomic chairs used in the administrative offices are made with 100% recycled plastic bottle caps. The fabric coverings on the ergonomic chairs and on the chairs around our conference table are made of 78 - 100% recycled polyester.
• The bench in the entrance way and the seating in the library are made from recycled plastic milk jugs.
• Our library shelving is reused, donated by Norlin library. The shelving, from a remote warehouse that is being moved, was to be disposed of as scrap metal. The Environmental Center was excited to give the shelving a new home.
  

Energy Efficient Office Equipment

• Energy Star copier, fax and printer meet or exceed energy efficiency criteria set by the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy. Energy Star equipment uses about half as much energy as standard equipment through settings that power down the equipment when not in use.
• Many of the Environmental Center computers will be replaced this summer with flat-panel monitor iMacs, which will use only 130 watts maximum, about a third of the energy of our current computers. The old computers will be made available for student-group use first, then recycled through CU's Property Services.

Recycled Paper and Supplies

• The Environmental Center, as well as all other cost centers of the University of Colorado Student Union, has committed to use only 100% post-consumer paper for standard print and copy jobs. Eureka!100 brand post-consumer paper allows us to "close recycling loop", since it is made with the same paper that CU recycles.
• We specify recycled content whenever possible when purchasing office supplies.

Green Building

As part of the University Memorial Center's expansion and renovation, the Environmental Center benefited from a number of green building principles:

• Recycled/renewable materials include recycled content carpet and linoleum (a natural-based, durable flooring)
• Energy savings through daylighting, which allows us to use less electricity during the day; compact fluorescent bulbs, which use less energy than incandescent bulbs; and motion sensor lighting, which automatically turns lights off after about eight minutes of inactivity in a room.
• Indoor air quality issues were addressed through the use of low VOC paint and adhesives, and operable windows.

Reference/contact information for green office products

Ecowork workstations by ecowork, http://www.ecowork.com

• Local Sales: Downs and Associates in Denver, phone 303-744-0488 (CU Environmental Center's sales representative at Downs: Stefanie Amundson).
• The Boulder-area dealer who installed workstations: Simpson Furones Partnership, contact: Jennifer Simpson, phone 303-530-0144.

HAG ergonomic managerial task chairs, model H03 340 with recycled plastic content, http://www.hag.no

• (recommended for their ergonomic features by CUBoulder's Risk Management Department, contact: Peter Marshall).
• Local Sales: Boulder Commercial Interiors, phone 303-443-3666 (CU Environmental
  Center's sales representative at BCI: Scott Cooper).
  Recycled content fabric covering available if requested (Environmental Center chairs have Messenger and Milestone 78% recycled polyester by Maharam, http://www.maharam.com).

Dauphin stacking meeting chairs with arms and recycled content fabric available on request from Juniper Valley Products, http://www.cijvp.com/

• (contacts: Dave Daiker at Juniper Valley, phone 303-370-2204; Carl Rosin at Dauphin, phone 303-908-2476).
• Recycled content fabric requested by Environmental Center was Back Again 100% recycled polyester by Architex, phone 800-621-0827.

Recycled plastic benches and seating for indoor/outdoor use available from EcoProducts in Boulder, phone 303-449-1876, http://www.ecoproducts.com/

• (CU Environmental Center's sales representative at EcoProducts: Pete Nichols).

EnergyStar (energy efficient office equipment) information available from the Environmental Protection Agency, phone 888-STAR-YES, http://www.epa.gov/epahome/hi-energystar.htm

Recycled paper information available from Conservatree, http://www.conservatree.com/ or Earth Island Institute, http://www.rethinkpaper.org/.

• Eureka100! 100% post-consumer, process chlorine-free paper available from Georgia-Pacific, http://www.gp.com/paper/eureka.html (CU Environmental Center purchases from CU Boulder's Distribution Center, contact: Ernie Valdez).

Information on green building available from US Green Building Council, http://www.usgbc.org/

Contact Dana Kelly at CU Environmental Center, ecenter@colorado.edu, for other references and products encountered while doing "green office" research.

Also check out these green offices at other schools and organizations:
The Environmentally Smart Office at UVM
ecOffice at the Center for Environmental Citizenship