To be considered environmentally sustainable, organizations must score highly on evaluated criteria such as waste management, energy management, policy management, water conservation, and air and water quality protection.

Among the notable activities that helped DFA attain Gold level status are:

• Introduction of an employee sustainability task force and a suggestion box for employees, as well as education opportunities for all employees
• Upgraded lighting, including installing motion detectors/light level detectors where appropriate; implementing weekend shutdown procedures for lighting; and labeling light switches with a reminder to turn off when not in use
• Replacing 70 percent of roofing with increased insulation levels and white, reflective material
• A partnership with Drury University and interns to investigate water saving techniques in the main plant
• Improvements to the plant’s compressed air system with upgrades to piping, controls and the establishment of a leak check program
• Purchasing only high-efficiency motors and replacing inefficient units
• Working on the waste recycling projects that generated more than $89,000 in grants to install waste recycling equipment