Something as simple as bringing your lunch to work can have a positive impact on the air you breathe.

Packing your own or walking to lunch helps in two ways. Your car emits the most pollution during short trips and lunchtime is the peak hour for ground-level ozone in the summer months.

Tips for employees

• Walk to lunch or bring a lunchbox. Your car emits the most pollution during short trips.
• Turn off lights in areas that are not being used.
• Pull down window shades before leaving the office to minimize heat/cold transfer.
• Use the energy saving mode on your computer and other office equipment.
• Talk to management about qualifying as a “Best Workplaces for Commuters” company.

Tips for Employers

For new company locations:

• Consider proximity to public transit when locating new places of employment.
• Use environmental design guidelines in construction projects. www.usgbc.org/leed
• Give priority to contractors who use low air emission technologies.
• Require an energy conservation plan for construction projects.

For company vehicles and gas-powered equipment:

• Prohibit testing and maintenance of stationary engines on air quality action days.
• Restrict operation of gas equipment on air quality action days.
• Promote idle reduction policies on company vehicles.
• Replace diesel fleets (on-road and non-road) with alternative fuels or cleaner diesel engines
• Fuel diesel fleets with bio-diesel and receive a tax break www.trianglecleancities.org/
• Purchase “green” vehicles. www.epa.gov/greenvehicles

For employees and customers:

• Provide on-line services to customers. When the IRS started to provide forms online, it had a great reduction in the use of its telephone hot-line. This decision improved customer service, saved employee time, and reduced driving by taxpayers.
• Provide in-house services to employees to reduce driving at lunch time. The hours surrounding lunchtime are close to peak ozone formation time during the summer.

Join our Business Coalition

We offer air awareness materials to employers within our 13-county Research Triangle Region. Display posters in high visibility areas around your office or place of business to raise air quality awareness among your employees and the public.