Here are a few simple practices we plan to begin implementing immdeiately as we begin our quest to become a more environmentally responsible company. Chances are you have read many of them in the past, but have you ever practiced them?
Make recycling bins readily accessible to yourself and your employees.
Track how much paper you toss out on a weekly basis and begin encouraging yourself and others to toss it in the recycling bin instead. This can be as simple as sticking an old grocery bag next to your desk and remembering to toss all of your unneeded paper products into that bag. Many local communities support some kind of recycling program making it easy for you to pass up the trash dumpster and hit the one marked recyclables. If you are concerned with important documents being mixed in with everyday waste then invest in a small paper shredder, which you should be able to find for under $50 at your local office supply store. Lastly reuse old paper and scraps for note taking. Paper waste continues to be one of the largest contributing factors in total US waste
generation.
Go Digital, save electronically.
Start utilizing digital storage on a daily basis. Use a relatively cheap flash drive or external hard drive to transport important documents. Bookmark web pages instead of printing them. Don’t like the clutter on your browser, then take advantage of one of the many social bookmarking sites out there such as Digg or Del.icio.us. Not only do these pages becoming easily accessible in the future but others may be interested in what you have book marked in the end driving more traffic to your site. Create folders in your email program to organize important emails for review. Set up your bills digitally and eliminate that 15 page summary you get from Cingular every month, most companies and banks allow you to pay bills online through echeck, credit or debit card.
Eliminate unwanted mail “junk mail”.
There are a number of ways that you can reduce the amount of junk mail you receive on a daily basis. One way that I have heard is to label the unopened mail “Refused. Return to Sender.” This is one thing we will be testing out and reporting on later. There are also several organizations responsible for a large percentage of junk mail you receive outlined here. It may be as simple as contacting these companies and asking to be removed from their list. This is something that will need to be researched as we have all tried to remove ourselves from countless spam email lists and you know were that gets us.
Let the light in.
Reduce the amount of electricity you use by making your office friendly to natural light. Open the blinds let it in, if it is nice outside open the whole window thereby reducing your air conditioning and heating costs as well.
Donate, Recycle and auction used supplies and equipment.
There are a lot of things that offices toss out on a daily basis that could easily be reused and recycled. There are many programs and charities in place that collect used office furniture, supplies, art supplies, computers and the like to be reused in schools, youth centers and auctions to raise money. Many of the big cell phone companies have implemented recycling programs, which allow you to recycle your old phone, check out www.recycledwirelessphones.com for a list of a number of participating companies. Interested in making a profit on your used equipment, consider selling it on eBay. It is amazing what people are interested in buying; you may find that you make enough money to fully fund the replacement.
Buy recycled.
Consider buying recycled products whenever possible. Paper, toner cartridges, packaging are among many of the things offered in recycled form these days.
Be conscious of the amount of electricity you consume on a daily basis.
Turn off a light when you leave the room. At the end of the day power down printers, scanners and even power strips as they continue to consume electricity even while not in use. Switch of the coffee maker, shut your monitor off when you head out to lunch. There is of course some controversy regarding how often a PC should be powered down and that is a decision you will have to make for yourself, I for one see no reason to leave it running day in and day out. Some things here are unavoidable fax machines perhaps, company servers are and obvious one but it is important to be aware of what is necessary and what is just burning energy and increasing your electricity bill.
Begin researching the introduction of Organic and Recycled Alternatives in your product line.
Consider “green” alternatives to products, processes, packaging and marketing. Is it cost effective? Is there a market sector you are discouraging by not offering these products? Does your company’s product contradict your company policy? Would it make you feel better about your product or service? You could be amazed to find that your company is able to offer more socially and environmentally conscious products and services at your current pricing structure. AS[ONE] Clothing will continue to document our progress as we research the introduction of organic apparel alternatives, eco-friendly printing processes and recycled packaging into our product line.
Be enthusiastic.
Be enthusiastic about your new practices and products, talk to and encourage others to research the alternatives and implement some simple policies. Your enthusiasm can be infectious.
Lastly encourage yourself and employees to get out and enjoy the outdoors during their free time.
You can’t expect someone to see the importance of what they are doing if they don’t benefit from the rewards!
