Our Sustainable Business Practices

“Our beds are empty two-thirds of the time.
Our living rooms are empty seven-eighths of the time.
Our office buildings are empty one-half of the time.
It’s time we gave this some thought.”
— R. Buckminster Fuller

Coming to work, going to meetings and field visits

  • Flexible work hours to accommodate offpeak commuting
  • Commute by bicycle to city meetings, wherever possible
  • Minimize reliance on automobile-based transportation; bike-friendly
  • Access to shower for bike commuters and post-field visits
  • Telecommuting encouraged

In and around the office

  • Austin Energy Greenchoice® member since 2002
  • Office is centrally located, five minutes from downtown, and based in rehabbed 1950s residential home
  • Emphasis placed on paperless communications and publications wherever possible
  • Research materials often sourced online or borrowed from university libraries
  • Stated goal of zero waste in office; most office waste is recycled through City of Austin’s Single Stream recycling program, or recycled for further in-office use, or for vermiculture
  • Rigorous reduction efforts for unsolicited bulk mail including printed industry newsletters, magazines, and catalogs
  • Purchase preference given to office supplies with high recycled content and/or nonpetroleum origin
  • Office dress code is “Austin casual,” based on seasonal temperatures
  • Aggressive thermostat set-back, and zoned heating and cooling
  • Onsite rainwater catch system using Gambusia speciosa fish for mosquito control
  • Native, xeric and edible plant landscape irrigated with graywater and rainwater

Lunch and cleanup

  • Access to full kitchen (stove, oven, refrigerator, sink) to make healthy meals
  • Company dining room features real porcelain plates, real steel forks and spoons, cloth napkins
  • Onsite composting, vermiculture

Health

  • Health allowance included as a percentage in every paycheck

Vacations

  • During typical slowdown of projects in summer, long vacations are possible and encouraged