Green Teams

It’s not easy being green, but at McGraw-Hill our Green Teams bring together top talent to tackle seemingly insurmountable challenges like reducing waste and energy consumption at our multi-billion dollar company. Green Team members gather together and brainstorm innovative ways to improve environmental performance, and then work together to implement solutions.

Launched in early 2007, Green Teams are presently operating in twenty-one facilities. Activities have included conducting building-wide awareness campaigns, encouraging paper conservation, recycling old electronics and office equipment, and beautifying local parks.

One vibrant example is the Easton Environmental Concerns Committee, chaired by William Nies, SRA Managing Editor and Chairperson of the Easton Environmental Concerns Committee. This Green Team operates at the Polaris and Easton Commons facilities in Columbus Ohio, and provides a forum for employees to pursue their personal environmental interests and deliver a lasting impact on McGraw-Hill and the community.

The Ohio-based committee's goals are to decrease the waste stream and increase reuse and recycling. In pursuit of these goals, employees also donate time and money to local environmental education organizations and assist with litter clean-up.

“Working over the last 20 years, our efforts have reduced waste removal from the office sites by at least half, saved more than a million pounds of paper, 5,400 pounds of metal and countless pounds of plastic, glass, cardboard boxes, and electronic equipment,” says Nies. “On top of that, employees have volunteered hundreds of hours to collect recyclables, educate others, pick up community trash and help at the recycling center.”

The efforts of the Ohio team have been honored by their community as well. Keep Franklin County Beautiful and the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio, sponsors of the Annual White Glove Awards, presented the Easton Environmental Concerns Committee with the coveted White Glove Award in the category of outstanding business recycling in 2001.

In addition to policies and procedures, reducing our footprint requires action and commitment, like those in Ohio, from all employees. McGraw-Hill will continue to encourage Green Teams in coming years, channeling broad enthusiasm for environmental initiatives into measurable reductions in our environmental footprint.