Vernier and the Environment
Our Building
We’re proud that our building features several innovative sustainability features, including photochromic glass, a rooftop beehive, and 17,000 watts of solar panels.
LEED-EB Green Building
We achieved a Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council for our building. The certification reflects our ongoing commitment to sustainable building practices.
ENERGY STAR
In 2012, we earned an ENERGY STAR certification for the second time. Our building achieved a score of 89 on the EPA’s 1–100 ENERGY STAR® performance scale, indicating that our building performed better than 89% of similar buildings nationwide.
Solar Panels
Between 2006 and 2019, we installed over 120 photovoltaic panels on our roof to provide energy for our building. Our annual solar energy production has remained over 16,000 kWh every year, and our annual power generation now averages 37.10 MWh of electricity annually.
Bioswale
Most of the water from our south parking lot drains into a large bioswale that hosts native plants and helps to filter the water before it goes into our local watershed.
Bees
Our rooftop bee hive provides a great home for these busy critters who keep all of our local plants pollinated.
Office Initiatives
When it comes to our business operations, we always seek out ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle. When it comes to commuting, we’re big fans of bicycles and other environmentally friendly options.
SCRAP Program
We donate many of our obsolete electronics and product packaging to SCRAP, a local organization that finds creative ways to reuse waste products. Over the years, SCRAP has diverted hundreds of tons of usable materials from the waste stream nationally.
Worm Composting
We collect food scraps from the kitchen, coffee grounds, grass clippings, and paper towels. Volunteers, called the worm wranglers, empty the scraps into the worm bin containing a colony of red wiggler worms. The worms turn this portion of our garbage into nutrient-rich compost that we use on plants around our building.
Empowering Commuters
From bikes to electric vehicles to public transportation, we support environmentally friendly commuting for Vernier employees via our commuter benefit program.
Green Team
We have a team of employees who meet to identify ways to continuously improve our policies and procedures, to educate employees on best recycling practices, and to organize contests and events about sustainability.
Our Products
In addition to customer satisfaction, we keep the environment top of mind when we develop, source, and package our products. We also encourage our partners to “go green” with us.
Extended Warranty and Repair Service
Vernier’s generous warranty supports the long life of our products and helps provide years of classroom use.
Local Sourcing
Ninety-one percent of our vendors are US-based businesses. Of those, 23% are either Oregon-based or operate offices in Oregon that we do business through directly. 6% of those vendors are in neighboring Washington, between Seattle and Vancouver.
Reduced Footprint Packaging
We constantly strive to reduce or eliminate waste from our packaging and use recycled materials.
Improving Our Supply Chain
We also work with our vendors to help make other companies’ products more green. As a result of our efforts, many of our suppliers have stopped using styrofoam packing peanuts. By encouraging them to go green we spread the message that green is the way to go.
Our Partnerships
SOLVE
Each year, we organize a group of company volunteers to work with SOLVE to clean up trash, remove invasive species, and take other measures to keep Oregon clean. Learn more about SOLVE.
Friends of Trees
In conjunction with Friends of Trees, a nonprofit organization, we planted 200 trees in the wetlands near our office. Learn more about Friends of Trees.
EarthShare
Vernier developed a partnership with EarthShare so that our employees are able to make regular payroll contributions to over 70 environmental and conservation groups. These conservation groups have accomplished a lot to keep people healthy, reduce the impact of global warming, and preserve wildlife habitat. Learn more about EarthShare Oregon.
The Nature Conservancy
Vernier supports the local chapter of the Nature Conservancy with volunteer hours and financial donations. Learn more about The Nature Conservancy.
Vernier Philanthropy
We annually contribute to many environmental and other socially responsible charities. In fact, we earned an award for outstanding philanthropic companies. Explore our philanthropic work.