Institutional and commercial facilities take many different paths to sustainability, according to an article on the FacilitiesNet website.

Some opt for a narrow focus that delivers quick results in one specific area, while others broaden the scope a bit by identifying several related targets, then setting goals and delivering benefits in those areas.

Then there is Florida Blue. The Jacksonville-based health insurance provider — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida — put its corporate social responsibility pledge into practice five years ago by setting ambitious goals to reduce water and energy use and increase recycling.

The results? “We have reduced our electricity usage by 15 percent, reduced our water usage by 21 percent, and diverted 80 percent of our waste to recycling plants,” says Russell Peacock, Florida Blue’s senior director of facility operations.

The organization’s efforts to curtail water use in its plumbing, HVAC and irrigation systems offers insights into the process of turning sustainability goals into bottom-line benefits.

Read the article.