Embracing Environmental SustainabilityPublished by
Jason Smith on 6/8/2011
Organizations Embracing Environmental Sustainability in the Office.
As more organizations embrace corporate sustainability goals, they’re increasingly looking for suppliers to help "green” their organization’s purchasing behavior. As a result, we’re seeing growing demand for eco-conscious products as well as for value-added solutions, such as reporting that tracks environmental spend.
Top 20 Ways to Go Green at Work (and Save Money!)
1. Go for "Greener Options" in the products you buy.
There are a wide range of high-quality products that are equal in performance to traditional products, but can result in lower waste, fewer chemicals, lower energy use and less material use. Green options also can save you money. For example, remanufactured ink and toner cartridges are less expensive than new cartridges; and Energy Star qualified office equipment can save up to 75% in electricity use.
2. Buy remanufactured ink and toner cartridges.
Remanufactured ink and toner cartridges cost an average of 15% less than national brands and come with a 100% money back quality guarantee. One returned cartridge keeps approximately 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic out of landfills. Remanufacturing one toner cartridge also conserves about a half gallon of oil.
3. Buy high Post-Consumer Recycled Content (PCR) paper.
In the past, recycled paper may have been of poorer quality than non-recycled. But now, it is just as bright and works just as well in printers and copiers as our non-recycled papers. According to Conservatree, in 2004, over 90% of all printing paper contained no recycled content. By buying recycled paper, you are leading the way.
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4. Develop a green purchasing policy.
The policy doesn't have to be extensive or complex - just purchasing only recycled paper is an excellent start. Using 35% post consumer recycled paper as the default paper in all standard black and white printing applications enabling us to reach an average of nearly 30% post consumer recycled paper across all the cut-sheet paper we use.
5. Buy from companies whose supply chain gives you confidence.
Alliance Cost Containment can help source and implement - and offer green office products from household names.
6. Use Digital Storage Solutions to cut paper and reduce clutter.
One 4GB flash drive can store the contents of forty four-drawer filing cabinets! and one CD-ROM can hold nearly a roomful of paper! It is also more convenient to store disks and CD-ROMs than roomfuls of paper.
7. Buy Energy Star qualified electronic products.
Energy Star computers, printers and other business machines power down when not in use. They can help you conserve up to 75% of your electricity compared to standard models. By automatically switching equipment to "sleep mode" when not in use, Energy Star products save Americans more than $3.5 Billion in energy costs!
8. Use compact fluorescent bulbs.
Switching from incandescent bulbs to energy-efficient compact fluorescents delivers outstanding efficiency -- up to 75% energy savings for Energy Star qualified lights. That translates into significant cost savings as well as waste avoidance since compact fluorescents can last over 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. These bulbs fit standard fixtures and deliver excellent natural light.
9. Invest in modular furniture.
Modular components form the core of an environmentally efficient office design. Buying modular furniture helps you mix, match and grow without the need to reinvest in an entirely new look simplifying future purchasing decisions and reducing waste.
10. Use power strips to turn technology off when not in use.
Up to 75% of the electricity used to power office equipment may be consumed while the products are turned off! The simplest way to avoid this waste is to plug office equipment into a power strip that can be shut off each day.
11. Recycle your empty ink and toner cartridges.
In 2005, over 50% of all ink and toner cartridges were sent to landfills in the U.S. But it's simple to recycle. You may get money back on certain eligible cartridges or some suppliers will send FREE ink jet and toner cartridge recycling boxes to individual or organizations.
12. Recycle your office paper.
Only about 50% of all the paper used in North America is recycled. And there is a growing shortage of paper available for recycled products as Asian countries demand more recovered fiber. Consider starting a paper recycling program at your office.
13. Recycle other materials in your office.
A high proportion of materials sent to landfills from most offices can easily be reused or recycled. Recycle plastic and glass bottles, aluminum cans, cardboard, computers and cell phones.
14. Donate unwanted products and furniture.
For major businesses, signing up with Gifts In Kind is straightforward and helps you reduce waste and help your community! Visit Gifts In Kind International's web site to find a better use for your end-of-life products. If a formal program with Gifts In Kind isn't feasible for you, check with local charities. Many will be only too happy to take products that you can no longer use.
15. Use daylight rather than office lighting whenever feasible.
Artificial lighting consumes some 40% of electricity in a typical office building, and close to one-fourth of all electricity generation in the U.S. In fact, lighting consumes the equivalent of nearly half of all coal burned in the U.S., or the equivalent of all the hydroelectric power in the country! The simple act of moving your desk towards a window helps cut down electricity use -- saving money and the environment. If natural light is not an option, consider buying compact fluorescent light bulbs to reduce energy use.
16. Turn lights off when leaving your office or conference room.
Walk around any office building and you are almost guaranteed to see lights left on in empty offices.. One 100 watt light bulb left on for one hour every day consumes 36.5 kilowatt hours of energy per year. Multiply that by the millions of lights left on every day, and it's obvious that a simple way to reduce energy dependency is to simply turn lights off when they are not needed!
17. Buy Renewable Energy Credits to "offset" your energy use.
Global warming or "climate change" is one of the most significant environmental issues today and in the future. Global warming is caused by carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases that are emitted when fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas, oil, gasoline and kerosene are burned. Energy generated from renewable sources (such as wind, solar or geothermal) has much lower greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuels. By buying Renewable Energy Credits, you can effectively offset some or all of the carbon dioxide your organization emits. Speak to your local utility or energy management company to find out how to offset your company's carbon dioxide emissions. You also can click here to learn about Terrapass, one of North America's leaders in carbon offsetting. Terrapass is just one of many organizations, such as Conservation International, that also allow individuals to calculate and offset their personal emissions.
18. Help customers identify the environmentally preferable options across your product range.
Most companies that sell products tend to have a green continuum, i.e., some products that are greener than others. In many cases, a lack of information prevents customers from choosing green options vs. traditional products. Identifying the greener options in your product range can help you win loyalty among your customer base, find new green customers, and help reduce your organization's environmental impact.
19. Give reusable mugs instead of other promotional items to customers and prospects.
If one of your customers or prospects buys three cups of coffee every workday for one year - that represents over 600 coffee cups that have ended up in the trash! Help replace that waste by choosing reusable coffee mugs for your promotional giveaways. Mugs also tend to be kept and used regularly by recipients.
20. Remember, it all starts with you. Please spread the word.
If more people "Go for the Green Option" in their daily worklife, the positive benefits will multiply. Start by making more personal decisions with the environment in mind. Then help increase awareness by spreading the word to your colleagues, teams, bosses, suppliers and customers. It all adds up!
Alliance Cost Containment offers select Vendor [deeply] discounted contracts whereby, for example, a supplier develops innovative eco-conscious products, such as a line of paper and notebooks made from sugar cane waste and our Sustainable Earth brand of cleaning supplies. We also continue to invest in our reporting systems, which can measure environmental purchases, as well as our e-commerce ordering system, which makes it easy to find recycled and other green products. Through collaboration with our suppliers we can conduct campaigns to help drive more end user purchasing towards green products and also make it easy for them to recycle consumables such as ink and toner cartridges.