Commitment to Sustainability
AMERICAN SYSTEMS believes that every corporation is equally responsible for conserving energy and promoting environmentally friendly and efficient products/services. We further believe it is our responsibility to provide for a less-polluted and more energy-efficient environment for future generations. AMERICAN SYSTEMS leverages its selection of sustainable technology and partners to deliver a wide range of sustainable products and services to both our employees and customers. We recognize the importance of broad-based corporate sustainability and have incorporated sustainability initiatives into our business practice and fabric. AMERICAN SYSTEMS is an IT and Engineering Services company and is not a manufacturer of equipment or other goods. Our business is based substantially on providing personnel who are located in leased buildings or government facilities, or who telecommute from home. As a result, our environmental footprint is small in comparison to manufacturing businesses.
Approach. Our corporate policies include recycling, reducing electricity and water consumption, reducing waste, and maximizing space efficiency. We actively source certified green products, services, and solutions to support Presidential Executive Order (EO) 13514; The U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Program; the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT); and the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 (EISA 2007), including the purchase of Energy Star and Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP)-designated products.
Renewable Energy Sources. For our leased facilities, we use commercially available power sources. Due to the leasing arrangements, we are unable to consider renewable energy sources.
Recycling Program. AMERICAN SYSTEMS has recycling programs at our leased facilities. We have a comprehensive digital waste recycling program where we engage with certified third-party recycling vendors such as WiseTek who specialize in electronic waste. We rigorously evaluate these partners to ensure they comply with local and international environmental regulations and standards for data destruction. Our waste paper is shredded and the shred is recycled. In addition, the owners of our facilities also provide for recycling of plastic and metal.
Sustainability Purchasing Guidelines. As a services company with minimal purchasing power, we are not able to establish specific sustainability purchasing guidelines for our direct suppliers. We do outline and require compliance with federal and state laws through contractual terms and conditions. AMERICAN SYSTEMS supports sustainable equipment, services and solutions by:
Sourcing. Identifying/selecting technology providers that incorporate sustainability initiatives into their products, as well as their manufacturing processes.
Delivery. Identifying/selecting distributors/suppliers who incorporate sustainability initiatives into their product packaging, support recycling, and use energy-efficient product delivery.
Mitigating Environmental Impact. As a services company in leased facilities, our options for mitigating our environmental impact are limited. We have recycling programs as described above that reduces the amount of waste that goes into landfills. We also are Gold Partners with Microsoft and host all of our corporate IT Systems in the Azure Cloud. This strategy reduces our greenhouse gas emissions due to Microsoft’s greater power efficiencies realizable in their data centers as opposed to on-premise servers hosted in our own facilities. Also, all of our facilities employ sensor controls for heating, air conditioning, lighting, and water management as well as extensive LEED innovations for an eco-efficient and user-friendly working environment. Finally, we have adopted a generous telecommuting policy for employees not required to be present at customer facilities, which reduces the personal greenhouse emissions of employees who are no longer required to commute to our facilities.
