FENNEMORE PROUDLY CELEBRATES EARTH DAY

On April 22, 2023 (and always) Our Firm Encourages You To Be Inspired, Take Action & Be A Part Of The Green Revolution

In honor of Earth Day 2023 on April 22, the attorneys and allied legal professionals of Fennemore join businesses everywhere that are committed to building a healthy economy. Along with our firm’s “Chief Green Officer,” attorney Todd Kartchner we encourage you to adopt sustainability practices in your lives and careers alike – and “Invest in Our Planet,” (the theme for Earth Day 2023) in order to make a difference now, and in the future.

Think GREEN!

On behalf of Rich Brunkel, our firm’s Regional Office Services Manager, here are some sustainability initiatives that Fennemore Wendel’s offices in the East Bay have initiated – and some great ideas for your office to adopt:

1. Instituted double-sided printing from all printers and copiers. End users had the ability to change it if needed but the default is two sided.

2. Buying sustainable products – Most if not all of our paper office products are 100% recycled. Our copy paper and envelopes were printed on the 100% PCW recycled paper. Paper clips, pencils and even some pens used are all from recycled materials. We paired with Staples as a vendor due to the practices and inventory of green products. 

3. Kitchen Supplies – Our plates, bowls, and cutlery are all compostable. They were made out of recycled potato starch at one point. Our napkins and paper towels were 100 percent recycled. We went a step further in 2016 and stopped using those and moved over to Corelle dishes. These are the same type you would use at home. Full shatter proof glass and work well in the dishwasher.

4. We added lower flow faucets in our kitchens and bathrooms to control how much water we dispensed, and we did a build out in 2016 that included adding low flow or flush less toilets/urinals in our bathrooms. 

5. Paint and carpet squares we used for any remodels were environmentally safe, made by recycled products and odorless. We added in dimmer switches and motion detectors to turn lights off when not in use. 

6. Coffee and Teas – we only buy coffee that was fair trade and organic. We did research on the companies producing coffee to make sure that was the case. Farmers deserve their fair share. 

7. All major equipment and appliances are LEED certified and energy efficient. We programmed monitors and copiers to go to sleep mode if not in use. 

8. Cleaners – all of our cleaning products are strictly environmentally friendly. No bleach type products, very low smell and no harsh chemicals. This includes everything from hand soap to dishwasher pods to table and counter cleaners. 

9. Separating garbage in our common areas and conference rooms. We held trainings sessions for our office on how to separate garbage between four cans: waste, recycle, compost and lite plastics.

In the Community – and Beyond

Fennemore attorneys are active in many community efforts to improve the environment and create sustainable economies. We promote “green” building and architecture, and we are leaders in local efforts to substantially expand the local agricultural economy to create a “greenbelt” around urban area. In addition, our attorneys are active in many organizations and entities with influence over sustainable living issues.

We know there is still a long way to go, but Fennemore is excited to be taking these steps in the right direction. We continue to review our operations, and under the leadership of professional sustainability consultants and the participation of firm employees, we constantly look for ways to improve our operations, including energy conservation, waste reduction, and incentives for mass transit.

For more ways to invest in our planet, please visit: https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2023/ .