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At Work and on the Road
EPA Headquarters rain garden and cistern. This rain garden features water collecting permeable concrete, bioretention cells and permeable pavers.
P2 Week
September 19-25
At Work
On the Road
How can I prevent pollution by maintaining my vehicle properly?
How can I operate my vehicle and save money while helping the environment?
At Work
How can my employer be more energy efficient?
One easy way is by choosing office products (computers, faxes, etc.) that have earned an ENERGY STAR label. You can also help your organization become more aware of opportunities for increased efficiency.
How can my company promote environmental stewardship?
EPA has voluntary programs that can help companies large and small reduce their environmental impacts while also saving energy and resources.
- Take Action At Work
- Find out how companies in every industrial sector –including agriculture – can “green” their facilities and processes, by exploring EPA's many Voluntary Partnerships Programs.
How can I reduce the environmental impacts of commuting?
Encourage your employer to be a "Best Workplaces for Commuters." Offering recognition for innovative solutions to commuting challenges faced by employers and employees, Best Workplaces for Commuters is a new public-private sector voluntary program advocating employer-provided commuter benefits.
How do I manage electronic equipment replacement?
The Federal Electronics Challenge (FEC) is a voluntary partnership program that encourages federal facilities and agencies to produce greener electronic products, reduce impacts of electronic products during use, and to manage obsolete electronics in an environmentally safe way.
How can my company adopt an Environmental Management System?
EPA makes sure that we are "walking the talk" when we encourage citizens to protect the environment and their health. EPA has put a new Environmental Management System (EMS) in place at our offices to reduce our environmental footprint by acknowledging the environmental aspects of our day-to-day activities and management. At EPA Headquarters, we are reducing the impact of our energy and water use, waste generation, natural resource depletion, and pollution associated with commuting to and operating our facilities and tracking our progress with our new EMS.
How is EPA a good environmental steward?
EPA supports the principals of Pollution Prevention Week every day by operating sustainable facilities and using environmentally preferable practices. Learn more about how the Agency is reducing energy and water use, purchasing green power, constructing green buildings, and preventing pollution. Other government and private sector facilities can do the same.
On the Road
How can I prevent pollution by maintaining my vehicle properly?
- If you change your own motor oil, recycle it at a "quick lube" shop, gas station, or auto store that accepts used motor oil for recycling.
- Using the manufacturer's recommended grade of motor oil can improve your gas mileage by 1-2%. For example, using 10W-30 motor oil in an engine designed to use 5W-30 can lower your gas mileage by 1-2%. Buy motor oil that says "Energy Conserving" on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.
- Keep your car tuned up and the tires properly inflated to save on fuel costs. Keeping tires properly inflated and wheels aligned reduces tire drag on the road. Gas mileage drops 1% for every pound of air below the recommended tire pressure.
- Don't top off the gas tank. This allows harmful chemicals to escape into the air.
- Replacing a clogged air filter can improve your car's gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.
- On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) - Frequently Asked Questions
- Clean Cars -- Clean Air: A Consumer Guide to Auto Emission Inspection and Maintenance Programs
- Collecting Used Oil for Recycling/Reuse: Tips for Consumers Who Change Their Own Motor Oil and Oil Filters (PDF) (8 pp, 217KB, About PDF)
How can I operate my vehicle and save money while helping the environment?
- Think about giving your car a day off. Consider transportation alternatives such as mass transit, car pooling, bicycling, and telecommuting. By leaving your car at home two days a week, you can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1,590 pounds per year.
- Drive the speed limit; avoid high speeds. You can improve your gas mileage about 15 percent by driving at 55 mph rather than 65 mph.
- Tips to Save Gas and Improve Mileage (PDF) (2 pp, 19.8KB, About PDF)
- Good, Better, Best: How to Improve Gas Mileage
- Drive Wise
- Fuel Economy.gov
What can I do to be sure my car is "Green"?
You may be surprised to know that you have cleaner, more fuel-efficient choices in any vehicle size you need, even SUVs, trucks, and other heavy-duty vehicles.