January 2017 marks the 5-year anniversary of Farallon's announced commitment to Going Greener. From volunteering to composting, recycling to reusing, Farallon has made significant progress since 2012. A Green Team that includes a lead from each of Farallon’s nine offices was formed to facilitate green events across the firm. Green focuses have included reducing use of electricity and paper, cleaning up community roadways and parks, and planting trees. Specific accomplishments are highlighted below.
Farallon's efforts have not gone unnoticed. In both 2015 and 2016, Farallon was honored by the King County Solid Waste Division as a Best Workplace for Waste Prevention and Recycling. Farallon's Oakland office achieved certification as a Bay Area Green Business.
Farallon is Going Greener not only in the office, but also at project sites, assisting clients with climate resiliency and green remediation services. Projects incorporating green services include landfills, upland and sediment sites, groundwater and soil remediation projects, and underground storage tank cleanup sites.
5-Year Highlights:
Volunteer Events
- Annual road cleanups in Issaquah, Washington, where over 50 pounds of trash and
recyclables were removed from 2+ miles of roadway each year - Volunteer event in Bellingham, Washington led by the Washington State Department of
Ecology and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife deploying cages of live
Penn Cove mussels to assess the effectiveness of stormwater management practices
in Puget Sound - EarthCorps restoration event involving removal of invasive plant species at Watershed
Park in Kirkland, Washington - Kelley Point Park restoration event improving natural habitat and water quality in
Portland, Oregon
Recycling/Reuse/Composting
- Electronics, Styrofoam, paper goods,
aluminum, plastic, light bulbs, batteries,
and toner cartridges recycled at all
nine offices - Used paper bins in each office promote
reuse of paper - Composting bins used in all nine offices
Office Processes
- Invoices and all Farallon document deliverables completely electronic
- Double-sided and black-and-white printing encouraged where possible
- Printed pages tracked quarterly across all nine offices
- New green tips announced each month
- Various fun green-themed competitions among offices
Seasonal Events
- Earth Day tree-planting event
- Living or artificial Christmas trees used in Issaquah and Portland offices since 2014
Transportation
- Annual bike-to-work competitions among Farallon offices
- Bike rack installed at Issaquah office for two-wheeled commuters
- Transit vans purchased as more-energy-efficient, lower-maintenance field vehicles
Energy
- Motion sensor lights installed in restrooms and storage room in Issaquah office
- Electricity use monitored for Issaquah office
For more informaiton on Farallon's Going Greener commitment, please contact:
