EarthTalk®
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine
Dear EarthTalk: What are some simple things I could do to green the office I work in?
– James Raskin, Framingham, MA

No matter how green your office may be already, there is surely room for improvement somewhere. Here are 10 suggestions to help get you and your co-workers further along on the path to office sustainability:

1. Take your Office’s Green Footprint: The website TheGreenOffice.com, an online retailer specializing in green office products, makes available a free Office Footprint Calculator to gauge what kind of effect you and your co-workers are having on the environment and identify how to make improvements.
2. Save Trees: The average office worker uses 10,000 sheets of copy paper a year. Refrain from printing when you can, use both sides of a sheet, and recycle so that the recycling industry will have raw material.
3. Power Down: Artificial lighting accounts for almost half of all office electricity use. Turn off lights that are not being used. Better yet, install motion sensors that do it automatically when no one is in the room. Also, shut down computers overnight, and set them to go into sleep mode when sitting idle.
4. Minimize E-Waste: Upgrade or repair the office computers instead of junking them. So-called “e-waste”—toxin-leaching computers and electronics—is a huge problem all over the world now.
5. Telecommute: Encourage workers to work at home when possible to save car trips. For those who must come to the office, encourage bicycling if it is safe. Also some firms now subsidize employee public transit costs to discourage driving. And online video tools like Skype can help cut down on business trips.
6. Green Screen Your Suppliers: Ask your vendors how they are greening their operations. Just posing the question can start them thinking, the precursor to action. Demand recycled paper and soy-based inks from your printers, and buy only green office supplies—which are now widely available.
7. Clean Greener: Make sure your cleaning service uses non-toxic, green friendly products—if they don’t, offer to supply them—so that you can breathe easy when you’re trying to get your own work done.
8. Eco-Renovate: If you need to renovate or upgrade anything, greenest options abound, including non-toxic paints, natural fiber carpeting, energy efficient windows and Energy Star-rated office equipment.
9. Drink Tap Water: Having big jugs of water lugged in and out every week by the bottle water company is not only unnecessary but a big waste of energy. Most tap water is safe to drink; if yours isn’t or you’re not sure, put filters on the kitchen spouts or buy filtered water pitchers and keep them in the office fridge.
10. Put Your Heads Together: Form a committee to organize and monitor your office’s green practices, to ensure that your office’s green goals don’t fall away if one or two committed employees move on, and to reinforce the importance of doing the right thing across the organization.

CONTACTS: TheGreenOffice.com, www.thegreenoffice.com.
SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk®, c/o E – The Environmental
Magazine, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. E is a nonprofit publication.
Subscribe: www.emagazine.com/subscribe; Request a Free Trial Issue: www.emagazine.com/trial.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Earth Talk: Greening the office

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!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Shop Green with Eco-Office Gals!

This is Eco-Office Gals 2nd Earth Day in the blogosphere and I’m very pleased to be here! In case you just recently found EOG, I thought I would dig up last years Earth Day Articles, so we can have some insight on what Earth Day meant to EOG last year.  Read, Enjoy, Share… and don’t forget to enter this year’s Green My World Giveaway!

• History of Earth Day – The When, Why and Where of Earth Day’s Past!
• 10 Things You Can Do In The Office for Earth Day – That speaks for itself, no?
• Coca Cola Promotes Use of Plastics for Earth Day? – Yep, I am an admitted Diet Coke fan, but this was a BIG Ooooops that I brought some attention to last year. On the cusp of Earth Month The Good Human points out this years Coca Cola’s Greenwash, too! We’ll keep an eye out for more Green wash blunders used to promote Earth Day this year! BE WARNED!
• Earth Day Is Over… Now What? - What to do? What to do?

I look forward to another great Earth Month this year as well!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Earth Day Redux

It’s that time of year again, alarm clocks, school clothes, football practice… yep school is gearing back up. Big Box stores are full of parents battering each other down for the last black and white composition notebook.  It’s almost like Christmas in August isn’t it?

I have had a bad habit in the past of not seeing what supplies I already have in the house from previous years, and it is so wasteful, I know. This year thanks to many of the green office products I have had opportunity to review I will definitely be able to scratch several items off of the list and I love it! For the rest of the lot, why not green up your kids supply list?

Green Apple School Supplies offer a great selection of environmentally responsible school supplies for your kids to fill their backpacks. Like Banana Paper or Rulers made from Recycled Yellow Pages, and much more!

My husband has a friend that is deaf and his sign language skills are very beginner, so the banana paper notebooks and pencils made from cedar wood scraps have been useful for hours of written conversations without the waste of virgin materials.  I love the idea of highlighter pencils, no harsh fumes when opening a cap. The raw cardboard binders may not seem too stylish for the kids, but it is an open canvas for them to doodle all over and get creative, which is what they end up doing with those chemical leeching plastic ones anyway, right?! And the list goes on! This is a great way to green up an area of your life, cause every step counts!

Green Apple Supply is happy to offer four of the following giveaways: One Banana Paper Legal Pad with special embossed cover, 50 sheets, one set of Friendly dry erase markers, chisel tips, 4 colors (tubes made with recycled paper/uses 60% less plastic and ink has no VOC’s) and a Green Apple retractable pen made from recycled components. All are perfect fit for the “green” office or backpack. Retail value for each set is $11.00. So, do any or all of the following and leave a separate comment for each one to get a chance to win!

• Visit Green Apple Supply let us know what you would love to try.
• Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.
• Tweet this giveaway
• Stumble this giveaway
• Use other forms of social networking to spread the word about this giveaway.
• Subscribe to my feed to stay up to date with the latest from Eco-Office Gals.
• Buy anything from Green Apple Supply and comment 5 times that you did! (I will confirm)

Good Luck! Four winners will be picked on 8/12/09.

Here are your random numbers:

36

Timestamp: 2009-08-15 15:31:08 UTC

Congrats! Sonya Sparks

All the best!

I forgot 5 prizes were being awarded! Apologies! Here are the other 4:

Here are your random numbers:

7 - Heather Goldsmith
115 - Veronica Garrett
56 - Chris G.
98 - clarissa neiding

Timestamp: 2009-08-16 15:39:16 UTC

Jen

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Flaunt It! Monday! Green Apple Supply

The economy is taking everyone for all their worth so why not try out a few free or cheap ways to green up your act in the office without hurting the green in your wallet?

The Green Office is giving away some office supplies. Just become a fan on Facebook and comment on their wall.  That’s it, once a week they will pick a winner. Check out details.

How about a HUGE discount on green business cards? I recently connected with PrintingForLess.  They really cover the spectrum of being green if you have to print.  Their standard is to use FSC certified paper, non-toxic ink, wind-powered facilities and more.  For first time clients I can also offer my readers a $25 Off your first order!  Use my referral code RP1D6SEJM and $25 dollars will get knocked off your first order!

I was recently introduced to a new company O’Bon and I am drooling to try a few of their products.  Recycled newspaper pencils, sugarcane paper and more.  You can request to review a product, enter to win or for more immediate gratification they have some great low cost specials.

I have to mention my tried and true favorite, Echosign.  Paperless, e-sign contracts that are SO easy to use. Don’t have too many contracts each month? They offer 5 per month for free.  If that doesn’t cut it you can go unlimited for as low as $14.95 per month.

I couldn’t close this up without offering Eco-Office Gals own green web hosting.  Starting with plans as low as $9.99 per month you can feel good knowing your site is being hosted with 130% wind powered hosting.

So, go ahead and make a few baby steps to grow your small business green without hurting your green.  Every step counts!

Image credit TheCubeKing Blog

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Green-Up Your Office For Free or Cheap!

One of the daily tasks that small businesses of all kinds must do is writing. This writing may include content writing for your website or blog, writing for promotional materials such as brochures, drafting of legal documents and business plans and many other types of writing that go into the launch and maintenance of a business. Because we do so much writing for our small businesses, learning to be greener with our writing is a key way to become a greener business overall.

Here are some top tips that you can follow to green your writing:

• Add a green note to the bottom of all of your writing. The easiest thing that you can do is to put a note at the bottom of all written communication (whether email or printed) stating your goal to be a green business. This helps to remind people that you care about being green and they should as well.
• Write promotional articles about green issues related to your small business. The fact that you are an eco-friendly business is marketable. One way to promote your business is to write about the green issues facing your industry. Submit this writing to blogs and magazines. You gain attention for your business, reduce the amount of other promotional printing that you may need to do and spread the word about green issues at the same time.
• Feature green articles on your site. Create a specific area of your site where you write about green issues. This may be a category on your blog or a section for articles on your main site. Write regularly to keep informing others about eco-friendly issues that matter to you. Promote these articles through eco-friendly groups on sites like Facebook and Mixx.
• Recycle your paper and buy recycled paper. The first thing that all businesses should do is to recycle all of the paper that is used in the office. Ideally, you will re-use some of this paper. It can be used as scratch paper or turned into homemade paper which can then be used for special cards and gifts. Shredded paper can be used for packing. Alternatively, it can be sent to the recycling plant. Also be sure that you’re buying recycled paper for everything from computer paper to business cards.
• Recycle ink and printers. Much of the writing that we do today is done by computer and printed out in-house. Be sure to always re-fill or recycle your ink cartridges. When the printer itself needs replacing, make sure that you use proper electronics recycling practices.
• Learn about green computing practices. If you haven’t already started implementing green computing into your small business then now is the time. This means using an energy-efficient computer and turning everything off when you leave the office. A good trick related to your writing is to save all documents to be printed at the end of the day and keep the printer off the rest of the time.
• Don’t print out your writing unless you have to. You would be surprised how many people still print out hard copies of drafts they have on their computer to edit them by hand then enter the changes into the computer and re-print the document. Stop printing out your drafts, do your editing on the computer and print out only a final copy as needed.
• Use eco-friendly writing utensils. When you’re not using a computer, you should be using pens that are green. Plastic ballpoint pens are bad for the earth. Old-fashioned pens like fountain pens that can be re-filled when the ink runs low are a much better option to use for your writing.
• Add a green donation button to your blog. If your business has a blog then you can add a donation button there to support a green cause of your choosing. People can donate to you through PayPal and you can turn around and donate that money to your favorite green charity. Every time that you blog, you’ll be spreading the word about another way people can be green.
• Hire green writers as needed. If you outsource any of your writing to freelancers then you should make the added effort to hire writers who specialize in being green. These writers work to reduce energy and paper waste in their in-home offices and to support green businesses with their writing. Root for Green and A Little Greener Every Day are two examples of green writing service providers.

Greening your small business writing practices will benefit your business in a number of ways. It will reduce your waste, save you money and improve your ability to be eco-friendly in the office in small ways. It’s a great area to start with if you’re working on expanding your green office practices.

Guest post by Kathryn Vercillo. Kathryn is a writer for Promotionalcodes.org.uk which gives away free voucher codes (like this Travelodge promotional code) and also publishes a frugal blog.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Guest Post – How to be Green with your Writing

What does Eco-Office Gals recommend for your paperless/green office in 2009?  Here’s a little list to help you grow your business green and more efficient in the New Year!

Echosign – a paperless contract program, you’ll love it and so will your clients!
HostGator -  wind powered hosting with GREAT customer service!
BlogSites – get your Word Press blogsite up and running in 2009.  Leave your static site in the dust!
Twitter – meet new clients on this great social media platform!
The Green Office – shop green for your business!
Google Docs – I will be trying out Google Docs in the New Year as a free alternative to MS Office.  It’s great for file sharing!
FireFox – everyone NEEDS to make this switch! Microsoft does not own you!

These are a few on my list, what’s on yours?  Share with us by leaving a comment below! All the Best in 2009!

Jen

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Your Paperless & Green Office for 2009

Since I have started Eco-Office Gals, I have tried to flaunt companies growing green.  So what about those of you that don’t have a small business or are not sure what steps you can make towards a greener future? Have you scoured the internet for a business that sounds like something you would enjoy doing to bring in some extra income in this lousy economy? Have you ever considered that there are many out there that aren’t sure how to make those green steps either?

This round of the Mommy Go Green Blog Tour introduces us to a company called Green Irene LLC. Green Irene Eco-Consultants are independent business people who work from home and are distributors of eco-consulting services and dozens of recommended green home products. Green Irene follows a direct sales model, which gives you an opportunity to make a part time professional income doing something you can be proud of.

Green Irene flagship product is their $99 Green Home Makeover conducted in 60-90 minutes. This service covers topics such as energy conservation improvements, energy efficient lighting replacements, water conservation tools, improving indoor air quality and reducing harmful chemicals in the home. After consulting, the Eco-Consultant recommends carefully researched and tested products that will make the home greener and healthier. Through selling these products, Eco-Consultants help implement green home solutions now.

Local Green Irene Eco-Consultants are trained through a web-based video that can be completed over about 16 hours at your own pace and schedule. Green Irene Eco-Consultants help families lead a healthier, safer, and more sustainable lifestyle while saving them money by implementing ways to reduce the use of energy, water and other resources. As a result, Green Irene Eco-Consultants are important parts of their community’s efforts to Go Green.

So, if you have a healthy curiosity to keep learning in an evolving field. You’re comfortable interacting with a homeowner and going thru your consulting plan and explaining your recommendations. You’re friendly, organized, have excellent follow-up and passionate and interested in creating a healthier world, you may be a good match! Be a force for green in your community! Train to be a Green Irene Eco-Consultant!

Update! I received an e-mail from the owner of Green Irene this morning and wanted to share this new information with my readers:

Hi Jen
My wife and I own Green Irene LLC  THank you for participating in Sommer’s blog tour and posting on us. I wanted to mention that our Green OFFICE Makeover launches in January and it is for small offices who want to takes the initial steps to green their offices. Our current Green Irene’s will get that training for free so they can offer services to small business as well as to homeowners.

Sustainably yours, PJ

Grow Green!

Jen

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Mommy Go Green Blog Tour: Green Irene

Technorati Profile

The Green Office

I ALWAYS encourage no printing.  Not turning my printer on all day is a good day.  But, sometime you just have to print.

For example, our family has not yet moved into the GPS world.  I’d love one, but funds just do not permit it right now.  (Anyone looking to recycle their old one, contact me!)  Anyway, mapquest is still our good ol’ standby, so for now we print.  I LOVE allrecipes, too.  If you don’t use them for new recipes you’re missing out.  Again, I tend to print new finds.  Point is, as much as I try to be papaerless sometimes I have to print.

If you are going to print do it responsibly!

• Buy 100% post-consumer recycled paper
• DO NOT keep you’re printer on
• Recycle your ink cartridge
• Let your kids use the back page for a coloring page, no kids? Cut it up for note paper!
• Recycle

TheGreenOffice.com is having a great paper sale – up to 30% off their already low prices on 100% Post Consumer Printer Paper.  Not just printer paper either; post-its, envelopes, file folders and more.  Take advantage of this great sale to make the move towards a greener office space.

Grow Green!
Jen

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Got Paper?

Congratulations!

An e-mail was sent out Friday to the two winners of my eco-office supply pack!

Elizabeth Lowe of Baby Sweet Pea: gifts and products for the sweet pea in your life, has claimed her pack and a big congrats goes out from Eco-Office Gals!
Ulanda Celestine of The Internet Income Center and Affordable Energy got back to me last night, so congats to her, too!

Acknowledgments!

Pack includes:
An assortment of ReBinder products from Sustainable Group
Pencils, Clips and Coupons from GreenOfficeStore
Post Its, Pens, Note Pads & Coupons from TheGreenOffice.com
Natural Lotion Samples from Watkins Store

A BIG THANK YOU to all of these great companies for contributing. I hope you will support them in their green office efforts!

Didn’t win this time? Don’t fret! I will be doing more give aways in the coming months! Know someone that loves freebies & give aways? Make sure they sign up for the Eco-Office Gals Newsletter!

Have a product you would like to promote in my giveaway? Contact Me!

I will be announcing the new prize in the coming week… don’t miss it!

The Best to All of YOU!

Jen
Eco-Office Gals

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

August Newsletter Winners!