who takes care of our air?
These two Air Quality Workplace Partnership members are stand-out supporters of clean air. They're helping make Greater Kansas City's air cleaner and healthier by:
UMB Financial Corporation
- Employing a sustainability manager and supporting a "Green Team"that coordinates environmental awareness and outreach.
- Coordinating a recycling program that collects paper, plastics, aluminum, printer cartridges, and frequently, used office furniture.
- Using recycled ink in business materials.
- Using biodegradable cups in the cafeteria and offering reusable cups at a subsidized cost to employees. Refills in reusable cups are provided at a discount.
- Applying LEED certification standards to all new facilities.
- Analyzing low-traffic areas in existing buildings to potentially reduce lighting needs.
- Using EnergyStar Portfolio Manager to track facility upgrades and changes in emissions.
- Conducting transportation surveys and using a carbon calculator to quantify carbon emissions.
- Offering bus subsidies, monthly carpool incentives, monthly biker/walker drawings and other programs that encourage employees to explore commute alternatives.
- Providing bike racks at three facilities and showers for bike-riders at one facility.
- Linking internal activities with regional resources offered through RideShare.
- Posting air quality information in common areas and featuring air quality trivia challenges on the UMB intranet.
- Encouraging employees to give their time to recognized social and environmental programs by offering 16 hours of paid volunteer time.
- Becoming a member of the Climate Protection Partnership, Bridging the Gap, the Greater Kansas City Chamber Chamber of Commerce’s Environment Committee and Keep Kansas City Beautiful.
- Offering a Visa® Eco Rewards Card through which customers can earn double reward points for environmental purchases and donate points to selected environmental charities.
- Holding their own Green Commute Fair.
- Participating in EarthFest, health fairs and farmer’s market events.
- Helping other companies form "Green Teams" by giving presentations and offering technical assistance.
Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kan.
- Operating a recycling program for paper, newsprint, cardboard, plastics, aluminum and printer cartridges.
- Creating office purchasing policies for minimum recycled content, an excess office-supply reuse program, and a reuse policy for furniture.
- Reducing the mowing schedule at vacant lots and shortening the mowing season.
- Incorporating native plants in parks and establishing native prairie plantings.
- Upgrading heating and cooling, thermostats and lighting.
- Instituting energy conservation policies, such as turning off equipment and adjusting heating and cooling after business hours and on weekends.
- Retrofitting equipment and purchasing hybrid or flex-fuel vehicles.
- Participating in a regional carpool program to encourage employees to take actions that reduce emissions.
- Partnering with other local organizations on clean-air initiatives and projects such as Clean Cities, Blue Skyways, CMAQ, Air Quality Public Education Committee, Air Quality Forum and others.
- Participating in transportation fairs, Earth Day and other public events.
- Assisting citizens in taking actions to reduce emissions, such as holding wood-debris dump days, charcoal chimneys in exchange for lighter fluid, gas-cap testing, and community recycling events for electronics.
- Supporting a Farmer's Market during the growing and harvest season.
Learn more about what your business can do to improve the quality of our air.
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