From recycling and composting to solar power and hybrid cars, going green has become part of the daily lexicon. What's less discussed- and equally accessible-are the green purchasing practices offices can employ to do their part to reduce the nation's carbon footprint.
Conventional wisdom says such changes are costly, particularly in this sluggish economy. But that's not necessarily true. The following are seven ways you can help your office go green, and even save money along the way.
1. Printing
Just because your office has instituted a comprehensive paper-recycling program, uses recycled paper and prints on both sides of paper doesn't mean "paper" can be checked off the green list. Many printer inks still require harmful chemicals, and those chemicals can leach into a landfill and potentially affect the water supply.
Businesses can switch to vegetable-based inks, virtually eliminating the toxins that traditional printer inks usually expel into the environment. And no one will be able to tell as those inks have the quality and/or diversity of color as traditional inks. Switching to solid ink technology-which uses solid sticks instead of toner cartridges-produces less waste as there is no cartridge left behind.
Looking for the best paper possible? Make sure your office purchases paper that is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). FSC certification means that at all steps of the process-from pulp to paper mill to distributor to printer-loggers used sustainable techniques to allow for forest regeneration, that there was no habitat destruction or water pollution and no indigenous people were displaced as part of the operations.
2. Office Technology
IT by its nature demands significant energy and resources with computers and servers. There are, however, ways to reduce the environmental impact of all that technology. Such strategies range from the simple-such as turning off power strips on individual computers at night-to the high tech, such as using virtual servers that store information online and offsite, a move that significantly reduces power needs.
Companies can also use cloud software and applications that are stored online, once again reducing onsite energy needs.
Other strategies include using a software management program called Granola that, when installed on a server, laptop or PC running Linux or Windows, optimizes energy usage and reduces system energy usage up to 35 percent-even at 100 percent utilization.
3. Landscaping
With many landscaping companies offering more green alternatives, businesses no longer have to choose between beautifying their property and making it more environmentally friendly. Looking to beautify your office's lawns and greens without the harmful chemicals?
Choose a company that doesn't employ harmful chemical fertilizers. Or hire someone who uses grass clippings for compost and other landscaping applications instead of throwing them away.
But finding a truly green landscaping company doesn't stop with the mulch and clippings.
Choose native plants that require little or no watering and steer towards companies that don't use harmful fertilizers or chemical mulch dyes, an increasing trend, and instead use 100 percent organic hydro-seeds.
4. Lighting
Lighting is an easy way to green your office space, create a more appealing work environment and save big bucks in the process. There are a host of lighting products and accessories available on the market-everything from LEDs and compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFL) to dimmers and motion-sensor technology that reduce lighting usage and help both the bottom line and the environment. Companies can also receive tax credits covering part of the cost of such upgrades. (See listings on page 26).
Just switching to CFL lighting can make a huge difference. On average, CFLs require about 75 percent less electricity than an incandescent bulb of similar light output. For example, a 60-watt incandescent bulb can be replaced by a 15-watt CFL. So for every hour of operation, the CFL uses 45 fewer watts of electricity.
And while LED lighting has traditionally been an expensive alternative for many home and business owners, its growing popularity has made it more price-competitive. Dimmers and motion-sensor technology can also reap big benefits in places like bathrooms and closets where lighting needs are sporadic.
5. BioHeat
For those who aren't interested in abandoning their oil tanks in the winter, bioheat offers a clean, green alternative to standard #2 heating oil-and one that doesn't require modifications to your existing system.
Bioheat is traditionally sold as B-20 and is a blend of 20 percent from renewable sources and 80 percent traditional heating oil. Some companies offer Bioheat at the same price as their #2 fuel oil, or solely provide Bioheat to all customers.
Companies with fully functional wood stoves or those interested in a new heating system can call on a growing number of companies offering wood pellets and bricks made of 100 percent recycled wood. They can be used in wood stoves or wood-pellet boilers and are super-efficient. The long-burning bricks look and feel like logs, but burn much longer, saving you money while making good use of wood scraps that would otherwise have ended up in a landfill or a junkyard.
6. Energy Audit
Being energy-efficient means knowing your building's or office's current energy performance. A comprehensive energy audit can look into every nook and cranny of a building's envelope, identify inefficiencies and provide comprehensive checklists indicating the things you can do-big and small-to help improve performance and save money.
That can be as small as turning your fan on reverse during the winter to help keep heat in the office, turning off lights when not in use, or turning your air conditioning down just a few notches during the summer to help save 10 percent on cooling costs. More involved and costly suggestions could include incorporating spray-foam insulation in the office walls or replacing leaking windows.
7. Coffee
Most office employees couldn't survive without their caffeine fix, but that doesn't mean the environment has to suffer. Instead of making the requisite stop at Dunkin Donuts, why not bring your own mug and brew a nice, fresh cup of fair-trade-certified coffee instead? Don't want to risk pouring the dregs from the pot? Local companies are starting to offer single-serving pods-resembling a tea bag-in a variety of different flavors, from English Toffee to Blueberry Cobbler to standard Breakfast Blends.
What's more, those single serving pods are compostable-unlike the Styrofoam or coated plastic take-out cups or single-serve K-cups, which are chucked at an astonishing rate of 3 billion per year, the equivalent weight of the Empire State Building. And these green alternatives can be up to 30 percent cheaper than K-Cups. Only the plastic wrapper, or 14 percent of the total packaging, can't be composted.
Jim Cavan is the director of media and public relations and Sarah Brown is the founder and director of the Green Alliance in Portsmouth. The Green Alliance is a green business union that works with small- to medium-sized businesses in NH and Maine acting as both a dedicated sustainability coordinator and a dedicated PR firm. For more information visit www.greenalliance.biz, call 603-817-4694 or e-mail info at greenalliance.biz.
Current Issue - April 2024