At the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), environmental responsibility is an integral part of our business decision-making, grounded in our strategic plan, and an everyday practice. Whether it is through conserving resources by purchasing and using recycled products, conserving the use of raw materials, reducing the generation of waste, or developing member and employee awareness of environmental stewardship, the ultimate goal is always the same: minimizing the impact on the environment we share. [Download PDF version].
Building to Higher Standards
The Society’s Real Estate Committee chose Envision Design to design SfN’s offices in its new headquarters. The firm specializes in sustainable architecture, incorporating environmentally responsible principles.
The design and construction of the space included:
- Rapidly renewable materials made from plants with a harvest cycle of 10 years or less
- Recycled content materials to reduce the extraction and processing of virgin resources
- Locally manufactured materials to minimize the impact of transportation
Sustainable building materials used for the design of SfN’s office space include:
- Carpet containing 50% recycled content
- Wall paints with low ozone-depleting volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Custom cabinetry made of wheatboard
- Credenzas, doors, and paneling made of wood from sustainable forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
- Furniture constructed according to the GREENGUARD Environmental Institute standards for low chemical emissions
- Recycled rubber flooring material
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Lessening the Impact of Printing
The methods by which the Society prints its publications make a difference. For instance, Neuroscience Quarterly, SfN’s quarterly newsletter, is printed on a processed-chlorine-free paper made with 50% recycled fiber and 30% post-consumer waste. Per issue, it saves nearly:
- 40 full-grown trees
- 7,490 gallons of water
- 1,971 pounds of solid waste
- 2,906 pounds of hazardous effluents
Use of vegetable-based over petroleum-based inks is a standard practice. Vegetable-based inks contain fewer volatile organic compounds and produce less polluting emissions to air and water. Printing with vegetable-based inks lessens toxic residue when the paper is recycled.
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Integrating Everyday Green Efforts
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In a report from the Intergovernmental Green Building Group of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, national forecasts predict that 75 percent of all U.S. buildings will be built new or renovated by 2035, offering opportunities for improving environmental operation. The environmental benefits of green buildings are monumental, as they:
- Consume 30% – 50% less energy
- Produce 35% less in carbon dioxide emissions
- Consume 40% less water
- Produce 70% less solid waste
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The Society has integrated “green” efforts into the daily functions of its staff by adopting the following everyday practices:
- Wind power is used as a clean and renewable source for 100% of the building’s electricity use
- Filtered taps and automatic faucets and flush devices help reduce the building’s use of water by 22%
- Desk lamps use fluorescent bulbs, and overhead lights are controlled by motion sensors to ensure that lights are off in unoccupied rooms
- Paper plates and bowls used in the kitchen are made from 100% recovered fiber content and are fully biodegradable
- Drinking cups are made of a U.S.-grown corn product that is 100% compostable and environmentally sustainable
- Printer paper is made with 30% recycled fiber, and toner cartridges are recycled
- Appliances and copiers, which go into reduced energy mode after several minutes of non-use, are Energy Star certified
- Daily recycling of paper, bottles, and cans throughout the building
- Employees and consultants are encouraged to practice duplex copying and electronic record keeping to conserve natural resources and reduce the pollution and energy use associated with paper production
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Partnering with Environmentally Conscious Companies
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 SfN has partnered with Akridge building management company with the goal of maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts. Having received LEED gold certification in the Fall 2006 for its office space, SfN is currently applying for LEED-Existing Building certification.
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The Society has enlisted the property management services of Akridge for its headquarters building. Akridge will support SfN’s green efforts by:
- Employing a cleaning company that uses environmentally safe products
- Installing high-quality air filters in the building to trap viable and not viable particulate, helping to maintain indoor air quality
- Using HEPA filter vacuum backpacks that help clean the carpet and air, ensuring that 99.95% of materials end up in the filter and not in the atmosphere
Akridge building management company has just registered SfN’s building with the U.S. Green Building Council as the first step in obtaining LEED-Existing Building (LEED-EB) certification. Like the certification that SfN received for the design of its suite, the LEED-EB process is a thorough and rigorous assessment of the building’s physical components, as well as the owners’ and managers’ commitment to green technologies and management practices, such as whole building recycling efforts, use of green cleaning products, etc.
All tenants in the Society’s building have the option of turning off the HVAC in their suite on the weekends. Participating tenants save $135 an hour per floor, or approximately $7,300 a floor per year in HVAC costs. This will save the building $73,000 a year.
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Earning Green Awards
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Organizational Value
SfN fulfills its mission “in a socially, economically, and environmentally responsible fashion, including minimizing SfN’s environmental footprint through energy efficiency, recycling, and other initiatives, and being mindful of the broader impact of its day-to-day practices."?
— From the SfN Strategic Plan
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Gold Certification from U.S. Green Building Council
The Society’s office space in its headquarters building received gold certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system in the fall of 2006.
Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, LEED is a voluntary national system that provides a framework for assessing a building’s environmental performance.
Awards for Energy Efficiency and Conservation
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized SfN with the ENERGY STAR award, identifying the headquarters building as one of the most energy efficient buildings in the nation.
The Society is also a recipient of the Green Power Leadership Awards for purchasing 100% wind power for the headquarters building, SfN was awarded membership to the 2007 Green Power Leadership Club, an elite group of U.S. EPA Green Power Partners.
The EPA co-sponsors the Green Power Leadership Awards in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy and the Center for Resource Solutions to recognize the leading actions of organizations that significantly advance the development of green power sources.
Awards for Sustainable Architectural Design and Development
Sponsored by the International Interior Design Association, in partnership with CoreNet Global and the American Institute of Architects’ Committees on the Environment and Interior Architecture, Envision Design and SfN won a national award for design collaboration for the three floors of SfN office space. The collaboration received the distinction of “Highly Commended” from Sustainable Leadership Awards for Design and Development. Envision Design also received a Presidential Citation for Sustainable Design from the DC Chapter of the American Institute
of Architects.
Additionally, in the spring of 2008, Envision Design received the International Interior Design Association Mid Atlantic’s Gold Award, as well as Special Merit distinction, for excellence in design, coordination and use of color, integration of interior finishes and furnishings, and suitability of the design to the project function, for the design of SfN’s office space.
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