by Deborah Warner

The Big Picture: Workplace Green Teams

As individuals search for ways to take positive steps toward a sustainable future, they’re taking a closer look at the choices they make at work. As a result, workplace green initiatives are sprouting around the globe in record numbers. As employees find like-minded, environmentally passionate co-workers, momentum begins to build that leads to positive change. Each week Work Goes Green explores this new world of grassroots environmental change by talking with the people who are leading the charge in companies and organizations around the world.

Sustainability Tipping Point Unleashes Green Change at Synaptics. Part 1

Headquartered in Santa Clara, California Synaptics is a leading developer of human interface solutions for the mobile computing, communications, and entertainment industries. Consumer electronics and computing manufacturers use Synaptics' solutions to enrich the interaction between humans and intelligent devices through improved usability, functionality, and industrial design.

From a workplace sustainability perspective, Synaptics also has a very progressive Green Team that is actively turning management and employees into passionate advocates of workplace sustainability. We sat down with Jim Harrington, Vice President of Human Resources and one of Synaptics’ earliest green pioneers, to find out what they’re doing and how they’re doing it.

DEBORAH:

GreenTech TV spoke with you about a year ago as we were beginning to concept our Work Goes Green series. Now a year later it is amazing to see how much you’ve accomplished. What did you do to shift things into high gear?

JIM:

Within the past year we’ve made tremendous progress. When we spoke with you last year our efforts were still very grassroots. But as a result of that grassroots movement, management saw what we were doing and gave us their support, so now we had energy coming from the bottom and the top, and that’s the best of both worlds. Eight months ago we formalized our Green Team and that’s when things really took off.

DEBORAH:

You’ve made real strides on the facility side to adopt sustainable practices. What are some of the things you’ve implemented?

JIM:

One of the big decisions was to install a Smart Energy Efficient Chiller and we also installed pre-programmed lighting for open offices. We’re already seeing approximately $1,500 in energy savings each month based on these two things. To off-set our carbon footprint even further, we joined the EPA Green Power program and purchase 120 kilowatts of renewable energy annually.

To conserve water we recently installed low flow toilets and faucet aerators. We don’t have the numbers for water cost savings yet, but when we do it will be a win for the environment and for our bottom line. We also have a policy of purchasing only pre-owned furniture for our offices.

DEBORAH:

I understand you’ve also made great progress in the recycling arena. How did you approach the program and how is it working?

JIM:

Recycling has been a big focus for us. But it can be challenging to get people to make a change to lifelong habits. So we got creative and worked with our local recycling and e-waste companies to develop a program that allowed us to channel the credit we get for bottles and cans into a charity donation. This gives the employees a goal to work towards and the check we receive at the end of the year is donated to the American Cancer Society. So that was the beginning, the way we got people’s attention. Now employees are excited because it’s a win for the environment and a win for people.

We use only recycled paper at our printer stations, and our shipping department re-uses close to 95 per cent of all of our packing materials.

DEBORAH:

Your cafeteria has really jumped on board when it comes to sustainable practices. Can you tell us about those programs?

JIM:

All of our placeware, from plates to utensils, is made from corn so it’s biodegradable. But taking it a step further, we offer a 5 percent discount to diners who bring their own plate and utensils to the cafe. In addition, all produce, food stuffs and supplies are locally sourced from within a 100 mile radius. The cafe also participates in our popular office composting program.

DEBORAH:

Well that’s ahead of the curve. Only the most progressive companies are taking steps to keep organics out of landfills. Employees produce about 15 kilograms of organic waste per day, and even though it’s biodegradable, that waste still produces methane if it’s sent to a landfill, so your program is great. How does it work?

JIM:

We use bins fitted with biodegradable liners that our local waste management company picks up twice a week. There’s absolutely no problem with odor. It did take a while for employees to learn what can be composted and what can’t, but once they understood the environmental advantages they jumped on board.

DEBORAH:

Are you doing anything to promote more sustainable transportation choices?

JIM:

We have several initiatives that are aimed at helping employees make greener transportation choices. To encourage carpooling we offer prime parking spots, car detailing, and company-paid taxi service for emergencies. We encourage using public transportation for company sponsored events by reimbursing the cost of using public transportation 100 percent, rather than reimbursing mileage. We’ve also sponsored a highly successful Bike Week that provided incentives for biking to work and raised awareness among employees about the impact that transportation choices have on the environment.

DEBORAH:

Jim, it’s really amazing that the Synaptics employees have made so much progress in just eight months. I know a lot of that momentum has come from the efforts of Synaptics Green Team to engage employees around sustainability issues and opportunities. In Part 2, which will run next Tuesday, I’d like to get an idea of the kinds of things you did to get people engaged and motivated to make sustainable choices.

JIM:

That’s great, because it is about engaging people. You can’t impose social change. You have to promote it and educate it, and our Green Team does such a terrific job of it. We have some real insights to share that can help people in other organizations who may be thinking they want to make this kind of change in their workplace.

Reprinted with permission from GreenTech TV