It should not take a large outlay of money in order to take your business from consuming more energy to one that is eco-friendly. As a matter of fact, once you have worked out all the details, you can actually raise your businesses profit margins. Just by adopting small, simple measures, any size organization can help their business to go “Green.”

• Reduce paper use: Let everyone in your organization know that they should not be photocopying or printing documents when it is unnecessary to do so. When you are going to be printing, eliminate waste by ensuring that paper is properly aligned, toner is sufficient for the job, and the quality is properly set.
• Reuse paper: Print on both sides of paper, and use scraps for notes and messages.
• Send used paper to recyclers: After paper has been used as scratch pads and on both sides, send it to be recycled. This will help to save the environment as well as reduce costs.
• Use paper that is recycled.
• Buy refurbished furniture: By purchasing used office furniture you will be reusing resources rather than contributing the depletion of our woodland.
• When finished using equipment, switch it off: For instance, each time you turn your PC off, also turn off any peripheral equipment that is attached to it.
• Set up recycle bins: Since you are going to be going “green” it is time to set up waste receptacles for separating the different type of waste that is generated. This can be done for glass, plastic, metal, as well as paper. Assign someone to take them to the local recycling unit when they are full.
• Switch to energy efficient products when possible: Replace incandescent and fluorescent lights with the newer high efficiency lights to save on lighting costs. Since laptops consume less energy when compared to ordinary desktop models, consider switching to laptops when it is time to upgrade your computer. Replacing CRTs with flat panel displays in another measure that you can use to reduce the amount of energy you use as well as take up less space on your desk.
• Use green technology based products: Manufacturers that use less energy in the production of their products should be sought out as you attempt to go “green.” There are any number of different companies that are doing everything they can to reduce the impact they are having on the environment.
• Remember to conserve and recycle water as you can: This can be done by setting up drinking stations that allow the use of a reusable cup rather than a paper one, and do not rely on running water as a fountain would. Place a filled container in toilet tanks to prevent overuse of water, or switch to low flow tanks.
• Use eco-friendly and bio-degradable packaging: When packaging your products for sale, make sure that you are using materials that will degrade when tossed into landfills, and use less packaging that is sure to reduce the amount of waste that is produced from your business.

Guest post written by Mirsad Hasic of Alternative Energy Geek.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

10 Simple Steps To Make Your Business More Green

If you’re thinking about how to create a healthier workplace environment, consider going low-VOC.

Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are chemicals widely used as ingredients in products such as paint, building materials and furnishings, office equipment and cleaning supplies. Elevated levels of VOCs have been linked to eye and respiratory irritation, headaches, fatigue and other symptoms associated with sick building syndrome.

When our company , ISC International, began to plan an office redesign, we made the reduction of VOCs a priority. At the time, some low- and no-VOC materials were just coming onto the market. But today, with a growing emphasis on indoor air quality and environmentally-friendly business practices, the low- VOC market is going mainstream. Manufacturers are responding to consumer demand, making low-VOC materials more accessible than ever.

Low-VOC paint: EPA standards for low-VOC paints took effect in 1999 and today, more than a decade later, durable low-VOC and zero-VOC paints and finishes are widely available to both professional designers and do-it-yourselfers. When talking with a designer or shopping for paint, ask for it. In our redesign, we used Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore low- and no-VOC products.

Flooring: Environmentally-friendly flooring materials and adhesives help to minimize indoor air pollution. Today, formaldehyde-free bamboo, cork and hardwood can all be laid without the use of solvent-based adhesives. In our office redesign, we used porcelain tile and natural fiber, wool-based Karastan carpet which emits little to no VOCs yet is still durable and strong. To see a full listing of eco- friendly options, the Carpet and Rug Institute’s Green Label and Green Label Plus certification program rates low-VOC carpets.

Furnishings: Many furniture manufacturers today are minimizing the VOCs used in paints, adhesives, finishes and pressed wood products. As part of our redesign, we purchased Knoll office chairs that are GREENGUARD certified. GREENGUARD is one of several independent organizations that now certifies office furnishings that meet environmental criteria. We also incorporated faux leather couches and chairs into our design; they contain no tanning compounds yet look and feel as luxurious as the real
thing.

By incorporating all of these elements into our company’s office redesign, we achieved two key objectives. First, when the project was complete, our employees were able to move into their new surroundings without experiencing any of the irritation, headaches or nausea that might have accompanied a traditional remodel. And secondly, we were able to build a healthy workplace without sacrificing aesthetics. High quality, low- and no-VOC products are becoming increasingly available, making it easier than ever for designers and building owners to reduce indoor air pollution and satisfy “green” corporate responsibility objectives in style.

David R. Meister is president of ISC International Ltd, a privately-held company that provides global messaging services such as OCR fax services, and text message broadcasting services to businesses around the world including five of the top 10 businesses in the Fortune 500.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Low-VOC Commercial Design Goes Mainstream

Why not support the gadget craze while doing something good for the environment? You can find endless gadgets online that are environmentally friendly that also do their part to help save on energy! Envirogadget is a great online source for all of your nerdy, green gadget needs. Here are some fun office gadgets to take to work.

Portable 40W Solar Power Station
This is a solar powered work station where you can plug in your computer, phone, lamp and other electrical devices that can be powered by the sun. Note: Positioning the station near a window with an excessive amount of available sunlight is vital to the proper function of this solar power station.

Recycled Circuit Board Photo Frame
Decorate your office with recyclable circuit photo frames made from recycled motherboards that are environmentally friendly to Mother Earth. If you’re technologically savvy, these frames will highlight the “geek” in you while adding to your environmentally friendly side.

The Green Recycled and Recyclable 16-Ounce Mug By Aladdin
Take your coffee to work and recharge your energy all day long with an environmentally friendly and green, recycled coffee mug. This mug is 100% recycled from food grade plastic and helps you help the environment without buying paper and Styrofoam cups everyday.

HiSaver – Energy Saving Powerbar for PCs
If a Solar Power Station isn’t in your budget or your preference for office gadgets, consider buying an energy-saving Powerbar to use at work for you PC. This power strip is connected to a motion sensor and after 10 minutes of no activity, will automatically cut itself and up to 4 attached devices off from using energy.

Eco-cartridge – Recycled Cardbord Ink Cartridge Concept
What makes these ink cartridges eco-friendly is that they are made out of cardboard and therefore, do not need to be shipped in excessive packaging. These cartridges are designed for Epson 79 printers and are made with biodegradable cardboard and packaging products.

Globe – Energy Saving Desk Lamp
Almost everyone has a desk lamp at work or even home. Imagine having one that was is friendly to the environment – now you can. This lamp uses a 13 watt light bulb and can save up to 25% of electricity than a typical desk lamp.

With modern technology, being environmentally friendly can be fun and tech savvy too! Do your part to help Mother Earth – if you’re going to buy office supplies and gadgets, make sure they’re energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

Maria Rainier is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at First in Education and performs research surrounding online degrees. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Environmentally Friendly Gadgets in the Workplace

Regardless of whether or not you adopt an eco-friendly attitude in your personal life, you should consider what the impact of your company has on the environment, your community, and the people who live there. Embracing an eco-consciousness with it comes to your business is not only a good move to shine up your public image (and potentially increase consumer approval and consequently, sales), but it’s also the right thing to do for the environment. Every company that operates publicly should make an effort to reduce their carbon footprint within the community that supports them. So whether you have a small family operation that only employs a handful of people or you’re responsible for running a branch of an international, multi-million dollar corporation that employs hundreds or thousands globally, you need to be socially responsible enough to look at your pollution and waste and make an effort to do less harm.

One great way to start is with a waste assessment. If you’re not tracking your company’s waste, you could be doing more than just throwing away trash that could be recycled or using up unnecessary energy that pollutes the air and water; you could be losing a lot of needless money. By examining records (such as utility bills), doing company walkthroughs to see how materials are being used, and sorting through trash occasionally to see how many items are being wasted, you can get a good idea of the extent to which your business is flushing money (and the environment) down the drain. Ideally, you will find only a modicum of waste, but more likely it will be a landslide.

Next, you need to go about repairing the damage. A good step in the right direction is implementing a recycling program, and if you do it right, it will more than pay for itself. Start by setting up bins around the office, workshop, warehouse, or storefront you operate for employees, clients, and customers to recycle. You can make separate bins for glass, plastic, aluminum, and paper, or simply put it all together for later sorting (although this seems like a form of waste in itself…a time-waster). Next, set up a pickup with your local recycling center or find a way to transport these items yourself. A pickup will likely cost you something, but if you do it yourself, you can earn back the money you spent on your setup by turning in your cans and bottles for cash (either by weight or by item). Perhaps you can even get employees to pitch in and put the money into an “office party” fund or donate it to a green charity. By the way, donations are another great way to help the eco-friendly community, and you can use them as a tax write-off.

You should also make every effort to ensure that what’s coming into your business is just as green as what’s going out. Conserving energy or opting for sustainable alternatives is a great way to cut back on harmful pollution created by energy production, so use natural light whenever possible, set computer systems to go into sleep mode after a period of non-usage, install the insulation needed to cut back on heat and air conditioning, and think about adding solar panels on the roof of your facility (government rebates and tax breaks can reduce the initial cost and you’ll see a marked drop in utility bills). Doing your part for the environment doesn’t have to cost a lot, but it will take some effort on your part. Don’t shirk your responsibility in this area and your community, the environment, and future generations will all benefit (as will your business).

Leon Harris writes for Ryson which specializes in bucket elevator conveyors and incline screw conveyor systems to help reduce your business operation costs.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Business Gone Green: Simple Ways to Go Eco-Friendly

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, it means one thing: gift-giving season is just around the corner. But kind of clueless on what to get your co-workers this year? Below is a list of great green gift ideas that will help you shine at this year’s office Christmas party.

Reusable Water Bottle. Buying your co-worker a reusable water bottle is the easiest way to help kick-start their eco-friendly lifestyle. Not only will it reduce trash, but it will also give your co-worker a healthy and toxin-free way to keep themselves hydrated. Check out these reusable water bottles. Cost: $10-$40

Eco-Coffee Mug. Help coffee or tea lovers ditch Styrofoam cups with this perfect gift idea.  Almost identical-looking to a traditional coffee tumbler, these reusable thermal mugs are made of porcelain and have a silicone lid and sleeve. Try DCI’s I Am Not a Paper Cup. Cost: $11.95

Solar Chargers. These nifty chargers use solar energy to juice cell phones, iPods, iPhones, e-readers and much more. Help your co-worker conserve energy and reduce harmful pollutants into the environment with this modern gadget. Try ReVIVE Solar Power Pak. Cost: $27.99

Trees. Make the world more sustainable by planting or adopting a tree in your co-worker’s name. Trees not only moderate climate, but they also improve air quality, conserve water, and give life and shelter to wildlife. Check out Trees for the Future or Tree People to learn how you can adopt or plant a tree in your co-worker’s name. You can also simply donate money in your
co-workers name to help preserve the rainforest. Both organizations will send you a certificate in the receiver’s name. Cost: Whatever you’d like

Eco-Calendars. There are a variety of calendars that use sustainable, recycled paper and give daily tips on how to live green and protect the planet. This is a perfect way to remind your co-worker how to live a green lifestyle on a daily basis. Check out Every Day is Earth Day 2011 daily calendar. Cost: $13.99

Eco-friendly paper stapler. These crafty office staplers use no metal staples to hold pieces of paper together. Rather, they cut out tiny strips of paper in the corner of documents and use the strips to hold the pieces together. Try a fun and funky animal-shaped stapler produced by Made by Humans. Cost: $12.49

Gift Basket. Make your-coworker a green-starter kit gift basket filled with eco-cleaning products, body products, bamboo dishware or filled with organic treats and recipes. Cost: Whatever you’d like

By-line:

This guest post is contributed by Kate Willson, who writes on the topics of top online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: katewillson2@gmail.com.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Green Gift Giving: Great Eco-Office Gift Ideas

Over a year ago I posted about starting a compost pile in my back yard. I started out with several biodegradable lawn bags full of leaves and added kitchen scraps as I went along. Eventually, we made an area for the pile and put it all together. I used an old coffee can to collect the kitchen scraps and dumped it when it was full (or started stinking). I can’t say it was the best system, but it worked.

A few month down the road, I was contacted by BuyGreen.com. BuyGreen.com invited me to try out one of their products and I came across the BioBag MaxAir II Composting Buckets.  This bucket and the BioBags included, stepped up my composting efforts in the kitchen.

Kitchen food waste can build up bacterial odor quickly when collected in a solid plastic or ceramic pail. The reason is food waste creates heat and moisture that can not escape when placed in these closed containers. Many modern collection pails contain charcoal filters or other devices to help mask the odor, but do little to slow the rotting process. The Max Air buckets are ventilated on all sides, including the top and bottom, allowing food waste to breathe.

True to it’s claim, I was able to collect more scraps without stinking up the house. Additionally, it became a cleaner process since the scraps were contained in the mini trash bag. This eliminated the need to gag my way though washing out rotting food from the coffee cans.  Overall, this bucket streamlined my efforts and made it become a habit, rather then a chore. I’m glad I picked this product to check out. A little advice, the Biobags are very thin and start to biodegrade very quickly, don’t let your scraps get too heavy or wait too long, they may break through when you try to remove them.

Over a year later and I have a nice pile started. I recently dug down to the bottom and pulled out some nice dark soil to put around our apple tree.  Composting has been a success in our home. It’s a small effort anyone can do to make a difference.

Do you compost? Comment with any tips and tricks you may have.

In compliance with FTC Guildlines, please note that this is a sponsored post.  I was given these products to test and review free of charge.  However, I was not paid for the review and the opinions are my own.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

What’s In Your Trash? A Review

I had a potential client ask me the other day, “What is the difference between WordPress, StudioPress Genesis Theme Framework, and the child themes?” and in a split second thought I gave her the following analogy: “Think of building a house, WordPress is your foundation, Genesis is the stick frame, and the child themes are what make it yours, the shingles, the picture windows, the cut up roof, etc.”  This seemed to complete the picture for her. If you work with WordPress would you agree this is an accurate analogy?

I have had a lot of fun working with the new StudioPress Themes lately and I thought I would share some examples today. All of the new themes work off of the Genesis Framework, which has been awesome to work with. But each one uses a different child theme, customized by Eco-Office Gals and making each unique.

• Eco-Office Gals was built on the Enterprise Child Theme.
• Hamptology Homes – uses the AgentPress Child Theme, this theme is built for Realtors and proved to be a very functional set up.
• IIA Analytics – built on the Education Child Theme, although this theme has Colleges in mind, it worked nicely for our redesign.
• Marie Scripture – The Landscape Child Theme has been a great fit for this artists website. Showing off featured paintings up front, and random click through to take the visitor deeper into the site.

As you can see the same framework can have many different facades, customized by EOG for your tastes and specific needs. I’ll be working on at least 2 more very soon, one is leaning towards Enterprise and another possibly using the Outreach Child Theme with a shopping cart.

I look forward to sharing them with you and as always feel free to contact me and let me know how I can help you!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Building the House of WordPress

So, I debated, I polled my readers and I debated some more. I simply wasn’t happy with the last redesign of the Eco-Office Gals site. So, I re-re-designed it with an awesome StudioPress Theme and I am very happy with the results!

I feel that it’s less busy, has a nice home page that highlights the company and our services more. I also designed a brand new logo, featuring bamboo. Bamboo is a sustainable grass used in so many products, including office supplies, building and furniture. I thought it was a nice fit for Eco-Office Gals since we promote the growth of green and sustainable business.

The new site has also streamlined and separated some of the services available. You will now find that our WordPress Theme design has it’s own page since it is a large area of our business. You can still view all our other green and paperless services on our Services page.

Leave a comment letting us know what you think of the new design and as always feel free to contact us so you can grow your business green today!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Eco-Office Gals Is Live, again…

I hope everyone enjoyed reading about the wonderful personal care products I received.
Part two will focus on everything else.

• I got the cream cleanser from EcoStore USA. It is a cleanser that can be used to clean just about any surface. I love the smell and I love that it is earth-friendly and not harmful to me and my family.

• From Naked Binder, I received 9 binders in different colors. These are great! They are sturdy and will last, not to mention they are very green. I will be able to find many good purposes for these.

• From Buygreen.com I decided to get a wool pillow, it is standard size and firm and I love it! It seems like it has been a long time since I had a really good, quality pillow, but now I finally have one that is green and healthy. Definitely one of my favorites.

• Watercheck.biz sent me an indoor water conservation kit. I have not had the opportunity to use everything in the kit yet, but it is a great little kit to help you make your home more eco-conscious.

• Ecominders sent me some of all 3 of their product lines. I also received t-shirts and a reusable tote, which I take to the farmers market with me every Thursday. I love these products. They serve as great reminders to take steps to be more friendly to the planet and to be more conscious of what we are doing.

• Barefoot Books sent me 2 books from their collection. One called Whole World and another called The Sun in Me. These are both great books to teach children about being kind to the planet and about the earth and all of the beautiful things that it holds

• weeBgreen sent a kidzsack that is adorable!!! I don’t have any children, but I know just the little girl who will absolutely love it! These little bags are great, they are recycled and the markers are non-toxic.

• Project GLO sent me 15 pens, and I absolutely love them!!! These pens are so great to use and so great for the planet.

• From Intentionkits.com I received an intention kit with confidence, strength, and courage intention cards and intention tiles with the words power, strength, confidence, courage, and Ask! Believe! Receive! These are great little kits to help focus on areas in which one feels they need help or improvement.

• From Natural Luxe I ordered a scrabble tile pendant which I absolutely adore! This is another one of my favorite items. I had a very hard time choosing what to order with my gift certificate, but I am so glad that I chose this.

• From Happy Baby Organics I received coupons for trial offers for many of their meals. As I stated before I do not have children, but I am going to give these to some friends so that they can try the products.

Thanks again Eco-Office Gals for giving me the opportunity to try these products and to get to know these wonderful companies!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Ginny’s GMW Giveaway Review Part 2

If you need some great Green Office Supplies, look no further! Eco-Office Gals now offers affiliate links to great green office products! Help support the Eco-Office Gals website by shopping thru our shopping links. They are separated by:

• Eco-Paper
• Office Supplies
• Recycle Bins & More
• Lunch Date
• Water Bottles
• Reusable Bags

Happy Shopping!

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Shop Green with Eco-Office Gals!