While we’re working to reduce the amount of waste that comes from our products, we also want to make sure we’re walking the talk at home. That’s why we’re striving for zero waste at our Berkeley office. This year, we’ve made significant progress to improve processes and identify opportunities for waste reduction. By working closely with our facilities team and engaging with our employees, our waste diversion rate has gone from 22% in FY2011 to 55% in FY2012. We’ve been able to make this huge leap in large part because we’ve added composting to our resource recovery mix, an action that’s supported by Berkeley’s municipal composting program.

Some of the other efforts we undertook in FY2012 include:

• Creating visually compelling informational posters to encourage responsible materials, sorting by demonstrating which items should go to landfill, recycling or compost bins.
• Encouraging employees to print documents only when absolutely necessary and to change their computer settings to produce double-sided prints.
• Installing collection areas for more difficult to recycle products, including plastic bags and batteries.