You shouldn’t let a pig build your house.

That’s the real moral of the Three Little Pigs story according to Laura Bartels

Why? Because her company Greenweaver, Inc., has made building houses out of straw a reality. We think that many small businesses can relate to creating their own game changing fairy tale as well.

The outreach team for Visa GoBiz contacted Eco-Office Gals to share Greenweaver’s video story.

When it comes to protecting the Earth, it’s all about making sustainable choices, and a growing number of small businesses are getting really creative and hoping on the band wagon. Ventilation, natural lighting, and efficient office equipment are great ideas for work stations small and large, not to mention just how simple it is to do. Laura too, has a great business utilizing alternative building technologies. So many great ideas out there, and I look forward to reading more green office tips in your upcoming posts.

I hope you enjoyed learning about Laura’s story as much as I did!
All the best,
Jen

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Green Gem of the Week: Greenweaver, Inc.

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EarthTalk®
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: I work for an office equipment company selling copiers, fax machines, computers and printers. Each year new models come out making old ones obsolete. As a result, we have loads of trade-ins with nowhere to go. What can we do with this old equipment? — Jeff P., Worcester, MA

Electronic waste, or “e-waste” as it’s called, is a growing problem in the United States and abroad, as obsolete or broken computers and other electronic equipment are taking up increasingly precious amounts of landfill space and potentially leaking hazardous substances into surrounding ecosystems.

The nonprofit Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition reports that 70 percent of the heavy metals in U.S. landfills are from discarded electronics—even though the e-waste itself accounts for only two percent of the trash by volume. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that Americans trash two million tons of unwanted electronics each year—six times the amount they recycle. To make matters worse, U.S. companies often ship old equipment to poor nations whose landfills and incinerators are ill equipped, subjecting already struggling populations to lead, cadmium, beryllium, and other contaminants.

So what can be done? If your old units still work but have merely been eclipsed by newer models, then by all means donate them to a needy cause that will either put them to good use or resell them to help fund their programs. You’ll earn a tax deduction for a charitable donation and, by keeping the equipment alive, prevent the manufacture of new units and thus, if ever so slightly, reduce the footprint of your operations.

But not every charity accepts old equipment, and no one wants to spend all day calling around to find one that does. A good place to look, then, is Goodwill, which will accept your equipment and then sell it through any one of its 1,500 retail stores across the country. Proceeds fund programs to help the disabled, illiterate, homeless, and those on welfare by providing job training and placement programs. The Salvation Army runs similar programs and also typically accepts donated old office equipment.

Another option is to donate your equipment to needy schools, either directly or via a service like iLoveSchools.com, which helps teachers find free supplies and equipment for their classrooms. The National Cristina Foundation also matches donated technology with needy schools and nonprofits. Also, the website GreatNonprofits.org maintains a list of charities in need of various types of office equipment. You can also offload equipment via Freecycle, a free service that helps find homes for unwanted stuff.

While finding a new home for your old gear is preferable, recycling is also an option. Recyclers harvest parts from old equipment that can be reused or resold. Several websites, including My Green Electronics, E-cycling Central, and Earth911, list electronics recyclers across the U.S. Some of these vendors will charge a small fee to recycle an item for you; others may do it for free. Also, Office Depot, Staples and some other stores will take back used electronics—even if not purchased there—usually for a small fee.

CONTACTS: Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition, www.svtc.org; Goodwill, www.goodwill.org; Salvation Army, www.salvationarmy.org; iLoveSchools.com, www.iloveschools.com; National Cristina Foundation, www.cristina.org; GreatNonprofits.org, www.greatnonprofits.org; Freecycle, www.freecycle.org; E-cycling Central, www.ecyclingcentral.com; Earth911, www.earth911.org; Office Depot, www.officedepot.com; Staples, www.staples.com.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk® is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.

Photo credit: George Hotelling, courtesy Flickr.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Earth Talk: Electronic “e-waste.”

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Literally! I have been dealing with the exhausting pain of a slipped disk in my neck.  I’m not ignoring you, I have so many products to flaunt and giveaway and I will be working on something big for Earth Day to make up for my absence. Right now, I am trying to commit my time to my clients and family and rest up this shoulder so I can heal and get life back to normal, or as normal as I know it to be.

Keep up with me on Twitter, Facebook, and the Eco-Office Gals Fan Page since it is often easier for me to send some short updates until I am physically well enough to commit to longer times at the computer.

Bear with me and always contact me for anything!

All the Best,

Jen

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Life has Been A Pain In the Neck!

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Going green is not just for the home. Office buildings account for 19% of all commercial energy consumption, more than any other type of building. So the environmental reasons for going green in the office are crystal clear. But evidence suggests that a green office does not only reward the environment – it actually rewards those working in it.

A recent study examined 12 office buildings and their employees in England and India. The study found no correlation between satisfaction at work and high energy consumption. In both countries, buildings that combined air conditioning with natural ventilation reported higher employee satisfaction. Seasonal illnesses (i.e. colds, allergies, etc.) were lowest in naturally ventilated office buildings. Environmentally speaking, ventilated buildings create 50% fewer emissions than those that are centrally air conditioned.

Creating a Green Office

A green and happy office begins with nature. Natural lighting and natural ventilation save energy and create a more breathable work environment, be it at home or in a commercial building. Take the rapid rise to prominence of LEED certified commercial buildings as evidence of the economic benefits of the green office. But it goes beyond economics to benefit environment and employees as well.

According to the Energy Information Administration (EIA), 88% of energy expenditures in office buildings are for electricity. Office equipment and lighting account for nearly half of the energy used. So, finding a method to save on electricity costs is another big way to save money and green an office. Natural lighting is, of course, one way to save, and new ideas are in the works. Researchers in Canada have developed a unique passive solar lighting system that may soon revolutionize office building design.

More efficient office equipment and energy conservation techniques are other steps. Energy Star estimates that if every piece of office equipment purchased this year were Energy Star qualified, Americans would save $200 million in energy costs. Such devices typically have automatic standby modes and other programs that prevent them from sapping energy when not in use.

With 88% of costs going to electricity, solar power is an obvious and vital factor in greening the office and saving cash for any employer. Solar is expensive up-front, yes, but for heavy energy consumers like office buildings, they are the most cost-effective. In general, the more energy you consume, the faster the return on your solar investment.

Working from home? Even better, as you can put the home solar power system to work for your own office. Bring your coffee maker and computer off the grid and make the family happy as well!

Creating a Happy Workforce

So how do these and other green office options make the employees any happier? We’ve already established that a green, well-ventilated office creates a healthier environment. And anyone who’s ever been sick understands that they are much happier and productive when healthy. But there is also the satisfaction of being a part of something that is bigger than us.

The knowledge that the copy machine or computer he or she is using runs on solar power can be very powerful knowledge. It can make even the most menial tasks rewarding in a new and unprecedented way. Solar power and eco-friendliness are a movement. A recent poll showed that 92% of Americans want solar power development scaled up in the United States. How nice it would be, as an employee, to know that very wish was being fulfilled at your own office?

There other ways to get employees directly involved in creating a happy, green office. Recycling is an obvious step, but anything from taking the stairs to adding real air-cleansing plants also helps. Encouraging employees to walk, ride bikes, carpool or take mass transit to work is another key step that many companies are taking. Again, it contributes the triple bottom line by protecting the environment while keeping employees healthier and more active. An employee who walks or rides to work can enter an office with natural air and light flowing through it and feel that much better as they settle into the work day.

The hope is that the obvious economic, environmental and social benefits – that triple-bottom line of sustainable business – in green building will inspire an increasing number of architects, engineers and business owners to build and renovate green offices. The correlation found by researchers between a green office and a happy workforce should help to put a green seal on future office plans.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Guest Post: A Green Office is a Happy Office

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After reading Chris Brogan’s post My Site – Now an iPhone App I thought it would be a fun little project and at the cost of FREE… why not? So, I now present to you the Eco-Office Gals App for iPhone. The app gives readers access to all of Eco-Office Gals posts and Twitter feed at the touch of a button. Cool, huh?

The folks at MotherApp were great and my contribution was minimal.  I just had to provide them with a few images for the icons and the loading screen and my blog description. That’s it, they did the rest!

So, love Eco-Office Gals? There’s an App for that! Want your own free app? Grab one up at MotherApp! Let Eco-Office Gals know what you think!

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Eco-Office Gals On Your iPhone!

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EarthTalk®

From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: I’ve been following reports about President Obama’s stimulus package and what it may mean for creating green jobs. Beyond that, are there programs in place to help businesses switch to greener raw materials and/or to green up operations overall?   – Diane, via e-mail

Even though the push to create green jobs is getting the lion’s share of business news headlines right now, almost $7 billion of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, the stimulus bill President Obama signed into law earlier this year, has been allocated to help businesses reduce their environmental footprints in any number of ways.

For starters, the stimulus package rewards businesses (as well as individuals) for investments in energy efficiency—that is, for doing more with less power. The federal government has extended its tax credit program for energy efficient business improvements—whereby 30 percent of qualified expenses up to $1,500 can be credited against your tax bill—through 2010. No one knows yet if the program will be extended beyond that, so 2010 could be a great time to finally go for that upgrade you’ve been putting off.

Qualifying upgrades include the installation of central air conditioners, heat pumps, furnaces, boilers, windows, doors and roofing that meet efficiency standards set by the government’s Energy-Star program. Likewise, the costs of upgrading to code-appropriate insulation and sealing as well as installing solar water heaters and biogas or biomass stoves also qualify for the tax credit. Business owners beware, though, that they can only claim a maximum of $1,500 combined for all efficiency-related upgrades.

Stimulus money—some $2.3 billion over the next 10 years—is also available to businesses, institutions and government agencies that green up their vehicle fleets and/or take steps to encourage or subsidize employees to go green with their commutes. Companies that install alternative fuel (ethanol, biodiesel or hydrogen) pumps on site can qualify for tax credits for between 30 and 50 percent of installation costs through 2010. Likewise, businesses that buy electric or plug-in hybrid cars or trucks for their fleets can score credits of between $2,500 and $7,500 per vehicle depending on battery size and fuel efficiency.

Another way businesses can make use of tax credits is to install on-site wind or solar power systems. The federal government will pay up to 30 percent of the set-up cost. Congress has also allocated $1.6 billion for Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs) to help finance construction of renewable energy facilities run by public utilities, electric cooperatives and city, state and tribal governments.

Businesses that qualify for any of the aforementioned tax credits should be sure to file IRS Form 5695 with their tax returns and keep all relevant receipts and copies of manufacturer certifications and Energy-Star labels where applicable. Tax advisors can provide more details on how to qualify for these federal incentives, and can also advise as to what additional incentives might be available from states. Be sure to check out the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency (DSIRE), which provides a continuously updated list of both state and federal ways for both businesses and homeowners to save cash by going green.

CONTACTS: American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, www.recovery.gov; DSIRE, www.dsireusa.org.

SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk® is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.

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Stimulus Package Rewards For Businesses Greening Up

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For the past two years I have gone through companies I have advertising contracts with or have sponsored a Flaunt It! Monday and try to choose a little something that would be nice for a green client gift for the holidays.  This year my client holiday gifts have been sponsored by Sally Lee Candles.  This post isn’t part of the sponsorship, but I just think they’re great people with a great company and I want to give them some extra kudos!  My clients should all have their gifts by now (I hope) so it should be safe to say “Thank You” to Sally Lee Candles, publicly.  I hope my readers will check them out and give their candles a try.  I promise you will love them!!

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Green Christmas: Sally Lee Candles

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As some of you may know. We have passed our 1 year anniversary on our 3 Acres of land out here in no-mans-land, SC. Many of you also know that it has been the SC red clay mud pit from hell! Well, we FINALLY put a stop to that mess and had someone out here that knew what the heck they were doing when it came to growing grass! Green is sprouting up everywhere like crazy and the whole family is so happy! (Yes that’s our grass in the picture! Taken from my phone about 5 minutes ago!  Woohoo!)

Luckily, we are going into Winter so we shouldn’t have to worry about too much maintenance, but times flies and Spring will approach fast. That’s why an introduction to saferbrand.com caught my attention this morning.  After all,  lawn maintenance will have to begin, I have compost to figure out what to do with, insect maintenance, you name it, the games have just begun! Safer Brand looks to be a wonderful resource to help find products I will need in the coming years to make sure I’m not killing the family while ridding the lawn of weeds and insects and trying to keep it green. Additionally, they have this great Gardening 101 section that will give me a ton of tips for planting, composting, fertilizing etc. This will be such an awesome resource since I kill about anything that can’t feed itself (my girls are still alive, that’s about it though!)

If you’re like me and want a nice lawn, but don’t have a clue how to make it happen why not become a fan on Safer brand’s facebook page and  Safer brand is officially on twitter so give them a follow! I did, lord knows I need all the help I can get!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Safer® brand. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Green Gem of the Week: Safer Brand

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Make Money and Make a Difference with Fair Trade Fundraising

By Ashley Symons, Equal Exchange

I went to elementary school in the Midwest in the early ‘90s. Every fall, we entered the school gymnasium to get pumped up for our annual fundraiser. This kick-off event was meant to energize us to sell, with lures of all the prizes we could win if we sold the most candy bars, tubs of popcorn, or wrapping paper. The philosophy was, “the more you sell, the more you’ll win random stuff you really don’t need!” Never did we talk about how what we were selling might impact people or places. Just get the most money, and you too could win a neon-pink kazoo keychain. Woo-hoo!

Fifteen years later, I’m so pleased to be a worker-owner at Equal Exchange, where we offer schools a different kind of fundraising. My co-worker, Virginia Berman, started the Equal Exchange Fundraising Program after getting requests from teachers and parents who wanted an alternative fundraiser. After three years, we’ve partnered with over 300 groups. And the momentum continues to grow every day.

So, what’s special about this fundraiser? Well, for one it offers totally yummy fairly traded and organic coffee, tea, chocolate, nuts and dried fruit. It’s stuff that people already eat and drink, so it doesn’t feel wasteful like typical fundraisers. Plus, it’s fairly traded, so you can feel good knowing your fundraising dollars are supporting small-scale farmer co-ops and their communities. Additionally, the products are organic. The farmers use sustainable farming methods, without all those nasty pesticides and fertilizers. It’s better for them, it’s better for you and your kids, and it’s better for our earth.

Equal Exchange also developed a Fair Trade and co-op economics curriculum to accompany the Fundraising Program, to teach children that their everyday choices can make a difference in the lives of others (it’s free to download on our web site). We really believe that change is on the horizon – and we need the help of future generations to make sure we are supporting farmers internationally, while also making efforts toward greening this planet of ours.

The bottom line? Your school fundraiser can make a difference worldwide while raising money for your own community. Sounds way better than a neon-pink kazoo keychain, if you ask me.

To find out more about the Equal Exchange Fundraising Program, please visit www.equalexchange.coop/fundraiser

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Guest post: Fair Trade Fundraising

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