This page offers sustainable business practices for businesses in Fairfax County. For additional information on these actions or for more ideas, please contact greenbusiness@fairfaxcounty.gov.
| Theme or Area of Impact | Action(s) | How do I do that? | Action Level Basic or Advanced Sustainability Practice | Upfront Cost to Implement (Nominal, Low, Moderate, High) | Cost Savings (Good, Better, Best) | Impact (Good, Better, Best) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employee and Community Engagement | Incorporate sustainability practices and information about commuter resources into employee on-boarding processes, documents, training and development |
Incorporating sustainability training at the start of employment is one of the best ways to build a culture of sustainability as your business grows. Consider adding a sustainability training course to your onboarding procedures or providing employees with information on your businesses' sustainability plans and programs, including commuter options such as transit and vanpool matching and/or biking incentives. |
Basic | Nominal | N/A | Good |
| Employee and Community Engagement | Educate staff on benefits of energy and water conservation | ENERGY STAR provides employee/building occupant engagement resources, including an employee education kit. | Basic | Low | Best | Good |
| Employee and Community Engagement | Establish a "Green Team" that meets regularly to co-create and integrate sustainability practices across the organization | Find some tips on how to start a green team from Fairfax County. For more information on starting a Green Team, see the ENERGY STAR Green Team Checklist. |
Basic | Nominal | Best | Best |
| Employee and Community Engagement | Create a staff environmental recognition award for sustainability leadership | As an example, Fairfax County sponsors the Environmental Excellence Awards. | Basic | Low | N/A | Better |
| Employee and Community Engagement | Create a sustainable employee challenge to educate and encourage employees to help your organization move forward on GHG reduction goals and conservation efforts. For example, challenge employees to take public transportation to work at least 1 day each week. Consider offering a reward to encourage healthy competition. | If possible ask employees to quantify and share the impact of the challenges (such as water bottles saved or emissions avoided) and share these numbers. There are a number of greenhouse gas estimation tools that can help estimate the impact of simple sustainable behaviors like taking the bus instead of a personal vehicle. To help employees learn about and make personal sustainability commitments, visit the Sustain Fairfax Challenge. | Basic | Nominal | N/A | Best |
| Employee and Community Engagement | Join the Fairfax County Sustain Fairfax Challenge as a team to learn about, implement, and track your business' climate actions. | Join the Sustain Fairfax Challenge. | Basic | Nominal | N/A | Better |
| Energy | Upgrade exit signs and lighting to LED | Find resources to upgrade to LEDs in your building or facility. |
Basic | Moderate | Good | Good |
| Energy | Use power saving technology for all office equipment so it is turned off or in low power mode when not in use and keep rarely used appliances unplugged | Follow this checklist to reduce plug loads from office equipment. | Basic | Moderate | Good | Good |
| Energy | Install ENERGY STAR products when replacing or purchasing new equipment | Find ENERGY STAR products. | Basic | High | Better | Better |
| Energy | Complete an energy audit or assessment to identify energy conservation measures and estimate costs for implementation. | Resources for small businesses, including tips on contacting a qualified energy auditor. Use this template as a guide for the information needed for an energy audit. |
Advanced | Moderate | N/A | Best |
| Energy | Set an energy reduction goal and track progress over time using data from utility bills, energy tracking software, or audits. |
Get started by benchmarking your current energy performance using ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. Explore what-if scenarios with Program’s Target Finder. |
Advanced | Low | N/A | Best |
| Energy | Enroll and enter at least a year of data in the EnergyStar Portfolio Manager or other energy tracking software. | Visit ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager. For guidance on how to improve energy performance in existing office buildings, retail buildings, healthcare facilities and more: www.energy.gov/eere/buildings/advanced-energy-retrofit-guides |
Advanced | Low | N/A | Better |
| Energy | Monitor monthly energy use to identify unexplained high use, unusual patterns, or inefficiencies. | This tool simplifies tracking energy performance, helping organizations to reach energy management goals. The tool provides detailed tracking of energy consumption, costs, intensity, and greenhouse gas emissions. | Advanced | Nominal | N/A | Good |
| Energy | Have an ASHRE-Level HVAC audit performed and tune-up on your HVAC system to identify potential efficiency upgrades or recommended replacements. | Information on ASHRE-level HVAC audits and ensuring your HVAC is running as efficiently as possible. | Basic | Moderate | Best | Good |
| Energy | Achieve an ENERGY STAR score of 75 or more | Learn more about ENERGY STAR certification for buildings and how to apply for certification. |
Advanced | Low | Better | Better |
| Energy | Sign on with your utility company to receive all or a portion of your energy from a renewable energy source. | Some utility companies offer programs to "match" a portion or all of your electricity usage with Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). This will create and retire RECs from renewable energy facilities, equal to the electricity you use. Matching your energy use with an equivalent amount of renewable energy production is one way to "offset" the impact of your carbon footprint. Note that companies who enroll may pay a premium to purchase renewable energy. Contact your utility company for more information. Learn more about RECs. Find resources and answers to your renewable energy questions. |
Basic | Moderate | N/A | Best |
| Energy | Sign on for a direct power purchase agreement with a non-utility solar or wind energy provider in Virginia. | Under a purchase power agreement, a non-utility developer installs a solar or wind generating facility on a customers’ property and then sells the electricity generated by them back to that customer at a price that is usually less than electricity provided by the utility company. See the Virginia Shared Solar program webpage for more information. |
Advanced | Moderate | Best | Best |
| Energy | Install and produce renewable energy on-site. | Certain businesses may be able to produce their own renewable energy, like solar, on site. Check with your energy provider or see the Virginia Renewable Energy Pilot Program for more information. Take advantage of Virginia's Solar Energy Equipment Tax Exemption. |
Advanced | High | Best | Best |
| Goal Setting | Conduct a greenhouse gas inventory | Find resources on conducting a greenhouse gas inventory. The EPA has created a simple GHG emissions calculator to help small businesses and low-emitters start their GHG Inventory. |
Advanced | Moderate | N/A | Best |
| Goal Setting | Establish an organizational greenhouse gas reduction target | This GHG reduction goal should be reviewed annually, and include strategies and/or efforts to achieve your goal. Find resources on setting organizational greenhouse gas reduction targets. For a deeper dive into setting a greenhouse gas reduction target. |
Advanced | Moderate | N/A | Best |
| Procurement | Review one year of purchasing records to inform future purchasing strategies to reduce the environmental impact of your supply chain | Learn more about the environmental impact of products and services and the importance of green purchasing. | Basic | Nominal | Better | Better |
| Procurement | Initiate a procurement policy to purchase products with at least 30% recycled content when feasible | The EPA's Comprehensive Procurement Guideline (CPG) program promotes the use of materials recovered from the municipal solid waste stream. Find information on office and other products as well as a product supplier directory. | Basic | Low | Good | Best |
| Procurement | Have a written environmentally preferable purchasing plan that guides purchasing decisions | A clearinghouse on guidance and resources to establish a sustainable purchasing program at your organization. | Basic | Nominal | N/A | Best |
| Procurement | Minimize packaging in the products you buy. | The U.S. General Services Administration's Clearinghouse offers a one-stop-shop for information on making sustainable purchases. While not all businesses need to follow federal guidelines for sustainable procurement, this site offers a list on more sustainable brands to choose from, from appliances to cleaning products. | Basic | Nominal | N/A | Good |
| Procurement | Minimize packaging in the products you sell. | The International Organization for Standardization offers extensive guidelines on sustainable procurement practices in its ISO 20400 "Sustainable Procurement" report. | Advanced | Moderate | Best | Best |
| Procurement | Select vendors based on product sustainability and sustainable business practices | Fairfax County uses Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) supplier assessments to address the environmental and social impacts of its spend. Learn about this initiative and see if a similar approach may benefit your organization. | Advanced | Moderate | N/A | Better |
| Transportation | Make bicycle racks visible at customer and employee entrances to your building | Find tools to promote biking and other forms of physical activity in the workplace. | Basic | Low | N/A | Good |
| Transportation | Institute a telework schedule policy and flexible schedules to reduce commutes | Learn about the technical assistance and financial incentives available to employers that establish telework programs in Northern Virginia. | Advanced | Nominal | N/A | Better |
| Transportation | Provide priority parking for electric vehicles (EVs) | The Federal Highway Administration defines the minimum standards for signage, including EV charging and parking facilities. | Basic | Nominal | N/A | Good |
| Transportation | Provide employee charging stations for electric vehicles | See the Fairfax County guidelines for permitting and installing EV charging stations. Take advantage of the federal Tax Credits for Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure. |
Advanced | High | N/A | Best |
| Transportation | Transition company vehicles to EVs or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. | Take advantage of the federal Tax Credits for Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure. Calculate how much you can save from converting your fleet to electric vehicles. |
Advanced | High | Best | Best |
| Transportation | Establish an organizational fuel reduction goal of at least 10% for the upcoming year | Find resources on setting organizational greenhouse gas reduction targets. For a deeper dive into setting a greenhouse gas reduction target. |
Advanced | Nominal | Best | Best |
| Transportation | Create an employee Commuter Benefits program to incentivize employees/members to walk, bike, or use public transportation to, from, and during work hours, or be a recipient of Fairfax County's Best Workplace for Commuters award. | Fairfax County Commuter Services provides technical assistance to employers looking to implement and gain recognition for green commuter programs — Best Workplaces for Commuters. For more information on creating a Commuter Benefits Program for your employees. Fairfax County offer a SmartBenefits $50 incentive program. SmartBenefits® "Plu$50" is an incentive program that offers employees a free $50 Smart rip® card to try transit by enrolling in their employers' monthly commuter benefits program. For help starting a commuter benefit program and to qualify for the SmartBenefits $50 incentive program, contact the Employer Outreach Team at 703-877-5900 or DOTCommuterServices@fairfaxcounty.gov. |
Advanced | Moderate | N/A | Best |
| Waste Management and Reduction | Minimize water bottle use with a water cooler, filtered water pitcher, or by providing reusable water bottles | When applicable, consider ENERGY STAR products, like ENERGY STAR-certified water coolers. | Basic | Low | Better | Good |
| Waste Management and Reduction | Implement a recycling or collection program for items that are typically difficult to recycle at home, like batteries. | Some building owners provide recycling programs for batteries or other items that are typically hard to recycle at home. You could also designate a recycling leader to make a monthly drop at the local transfer station where these items are accepted. | Basic | Nominal | N/A | Good |
| Waste Management and Reduction | Manage your company's "e-waste" by recycling unwanted electronics. | E-cycling is the Law: Virginia law requires any manufacturer that sells (or offers for sale) more than 500 units of computer equipment in the state to provide an opportunity for customers to return or recycle their equipment at no charge. Some manufacturers may even offer trade in credit. See Fairfax County's Electronics recycling policy for more information. |
Basic | Nominal | N/A | Good |
| Waste Management and Reduction | Properly recycle or reuse cardboard, mixed paper, aluminum, plastic with local recycling provider | Please check with your recycling provider on which items it accepts. Fairfax County provides general resources and guidance on recycling at office and retail locations. | Basic | Low | N/A | Better |
| Waste Management and Reduction | Set up separate waste receptacles (e.g. garbage, recycling, and compost bins) with signage and labels showing what materials are accepted in each | Include individual bins for each stream your hauler collects. Examples of Fairfax County's "Recycling Right" posters, showing what can and cannot be recycled locally. |
Basic | Nominal | N/A | Good |
| Waste Management and Reduction | Adopt zero-waste practices across your office, such as having zero-waste events and meetings. | Refer to Fairfax County Zero Waste Program. | Basic | Low | Better | Better |
| Waste Management and Reduction | Conduct a basic waste assessment to understand your waste streams and identify opportunities to improve diversion or reduce waste generation. | Learn how to track waste in the workplace and assess results. | Basic | Nominal | N/A | Good |
| Waste Management and Reduction | Work with your waste hauler or building manager to perform a comprehensive waste audit to maximize recycling and composting (if applicable) | Learn more about conducting a waste audit at your facility and find worksheets to record findings here. | Advanced | Low | N/A | Best |
| Waste Management and Reduction | Prepare a plan for waste reduction with measurable and actionable goals. | Learn how to set goals and improve upon your waste prevention and recycling programs. | Advanced | Nominal | N/A | Best |
| Waste Management and Reduction | Obtain True Zero Waste Certification | Learn about the county's own Zero Waste initiative and ways it is taking action across its operations. Many of these strategies could be adapted to meet the needs of other sectors and organizations. | Advanced | Nominal | Better | Best |
| Water | Install WaterSense labeled toilets or urinals | Find WaterSense products, including commercial toilets and urinals. | Basic | High | N/A | Better |
| Water | For any landscaping, install electronic weather-based controller and ensure proper coverage to avoid runoff and limit hours of irrigation | Find best management practices for outdoor water use and landscaping. | Basic | High | Better | Better |
| Water | Install low-flow, aerators (do not exceed 1.5 gallons per minute), or no-touch sensor water faucets | Find WaterSense labeled faucets and aerators (as well as more information on cost savings and performance). | Basic | High | Best | Best |
| Water | Regularly check bill, water meter, plumbing, and irrigation to identify leaks and implement remediation methods | Assess the estimated cost of water loss from typical leaks and find tips on how to address them. | Basic | Low | Best | Good |
| Water | Set a water reduction goal by: - Tracking and monitoring water consumption using the ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager or other water tracking software, or -Collect one year of water bill data to establish a baseline and track annual progress toward reduction goal |
Find tools to understand facility water use, track leaks and other issues, and identify best management practices in commercial buildings. For additional resources, and to connect with partners, consider the Water Savings Network. |
Advanced | Nominal | Better | Best |