I Love Working Green Day

Valentine's Day 2007 also was a day to showcase how the Department of General Services is committed to "working green" in order to save energy, conserve resources and reduce our impact on climate change.

200 DGS employees also showed their commitment by taking the "Change a Light, Change the World" pledge.  PG & E provided  a super energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulb to employees who took the pledge.

CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy than a conventional light bulb.*

Representatives from the Office of State Publishing, Office of Fleet Administration, Office of Administrative Hearings, Office of Public School Construction, Division of the State Architect and the Telecommunications Division provided interactive exhibits in the Ziggurat atrium in West Sacramento.

In addition to the sustainable green building and green buying practices managed by the Real Estate Services Division and Procurement Division, here are some of the many ways in which other DGS offices are greening their missions and operations:

• Last year alone, OSP recycled 36 tons of used aluminum plates and recycled 2,600 tons of used paper.
  
  
• OFA is moving to even more fuel-efficient vehicles in 2007 and calculates that policy will divert 371 metric tons of climate changing gases from the atmosphere this year alone.
  
  
• TD diverted 20 tons of used batteries from landfill last year.
  
  
• DSA is using a paperless, electronic plan review process. DSA will save 10 tons of paper a year by using its e-Plan Review.
  
  
• OAH handles more than 11,000 filings a year, which translates into tens of thousands of pieces of paper. Administrative Hearings converts all incoming files electronically. The result: eliminating or dramatically reducing the amount of paper and energy used to copy and move these files.
  
  
• OPSC is overseeing $100 million in bond money aimed at helping fund green school construction.

*Note: CFL bulbs are to be recycled or disposed of as hazardous waste. More information is available from the CA Integrated Waste Management Board.