Going Green: Facilities Management

Environmental Goal: Significantly Reduce Environmental Impact Through Responsible Facilities Management*

A. Environmental Objective—Greenhouse Gas Inventory

  1. Environmental Objective: Create and maintain a greenhouse gas inventory for Apollo facilities.
  2. Performance Update: As of May 31, 2010, greenhouse gas inventory was compiled for domestic facilities for which we exercise direct financial control of utility payments.

B. Environmental Objective--Energy Demand Reduction Participation

  1. Environmental Objective: Participate in energy demand reduction program that helps the local community meet its energy needs during periods of high demand.
  2. Performance Update: As of May, 2010, Apollo began energy demand reduction program for some of our Phoenix Riverpoint buildings through collaboration with Phoenix utility company and outside vendor.

C. Environmental Objective--Renewable Energy Credits

  1. Environmental Objective: Achieve Renewable Energy Credits (REC) for substantial offset to nationwide energy usage.
  2. Performance Update: Increased renewable energy credits (REC) to equal 30% of nationwide energy usage. Accomplished via purchasing Green-e certified RECs through NextEra Energy beginning October, 2009. As a result of this REC, University of Phoenix ranked number 9 among U.S. EPA’s top 20 colleges and universities in its Green Power Partnership program. http://www.epa.gov/grnpower/toplists/top20ed.htm

D. Environmental Objective--Single Stream Recycling Headquarters Locations

  1. Environmental Objective: Implement single-stream recycling programs at Phoenix locations.
  2. Performance Update: December 1, 2009 - began single-stream recycling at 27 Phoenix locations.

E. Environmental Objective—National Recycling

  1. Environmental Objective: Implement recycling programs at all campuses within Waste Management service areas beyond Phoenix.
  2. Performance Update: In 2009, Waste Management began single-stream recycling at 9 locations nationwide to date.

F. Environmental Objective—Lighting and Battery Recycling

  1. Environmental Objective: Implement recycling program for lamps and batteries at Phoenix Riverpoint locations.
  2. Performance Update: For Phoenix locations:
    • 2008 – Established light bulb recycling with individual lighting vendors.
    • February, 2010, transitioned to Waste Management’s Lamptracker program to streamline process and provide accurate accounting of recycling process.
    • 2010 - Began battery recycling at 3 headquarter buildings.

G. Environmental Objective—Optimize Energy Performance

  1. Environmental Objective: Achieve increasing levels of energy performance to reduce environmental and economic impacts associated with excessive energy use.
  2. Performance Update: 2010 – Began reducing the amount of emergency lighting in several Phoenix buildings, replacing all fixtures and upgrading them to T-5 lamps; enhanced commissioning of air conditioning systems to surpass SEER.

H. Environmental Objective--Water Efficient Landscaping

  1. Environmental Objective: Limit the use of potable water for landscape irrigation.
  2. Performance Update: Reduced potable water consumption for irrigation by use of captured rainwater and drought-tolerant and native plant species at Phoenix Riverpoint headquarters.

I. Environmental Objective—Green Cleaning Products

  1. Environmental Objective: Utilize green cleaning products.
  2. Performance Update: For 24 Phoenix buildings utilizing green cleaning services using green cleaning products.

J. Support Community-wide Sustainable Efforts

  1. Environmental Objective: Participate in, and support, sustainable practices with local and regional vendors.
  2. Performance Update:
    • At Riverpoint facilities in 2009 in collaboration with café vendor improved café practices to reduce waste and provide healthy organic alternatives.
    • At Riverpoint in 2009 – Began hosting monthly Farmers Market at headquarters to promote local vendors and products.

K. Resource Reuse

  1. Environmental Objective: Reuse building product and materials in order to reduce demand for virgin materials and reduce waste.
  2. Performance Update: For remodels and reconfigurations in some existing Phoenix buildings, increasing the reuse of existing furniture and furnishings.

L. Environmental Objective—Use of Recycled Content Materials

  1. Environmental Objective: Increase demand for recycled content materials to reduce impacts resulting from extraction and processing of virgin materials.
  2. Performance Update: Began using 100% recycled paper supplies (Green Seal certified) in the bathrooms in 27 Phoenix facilities.

 

*Excerpted from “Apollo Group: Environmental Objectives and Performance Summary.” For a summary of this and other activities, please see http://www.apollogrp.edu/gogreen/goals.asp.