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

As recent headlines suggest, going green in the workplace is a steadily growing trend. There are even awards for companies that can do it the best. While going paperless and switching to recycled office supplies is usually an executive decision , because going green can be challenging, inconvenient, and let’s be honest, expensive—employers might not be so gung-ho about turning their facilities into an eco-friendly workplace. But that doesn’t mean that you as an individual can’t do small things around the office
that will help in the preservation of the environment. Here are some simple yet effective ways you can go-green at your place of employment.

Green Transportation

Rather than driving to work every day, risking the emission of harmful toxins into the environment, try arranging a carpool with co-workers. Not only will you reduce your carbon footprint, but you can also save a bundle on gas money as well. If your place of employment is generally close in proximity to your home, you can also consider riding a bike to work. You don’t have to necessarily ride your bike every day, but once or twice a week can substantially reduce the amount of carbon released into the air. If your job doesn’t necessarily require you to be in the office, let’s say for instance you’re some sort of writer and can theoretically work anywhere as long as you have computer and internet access, ask your employer about the possibility of working from home. Make sure to tell your boss telecommuting is a good way to eliminate cars on the road and can  also be very cost effective—one less person in the office means less toilet paper and office supplies will need to be ordered.

Green Office Attire

Even if you have to wear stockings and a blazer to work every day, that doesn’t mean that you can’t wear clothes that are safe for the environment. Believe it or not, there are tons clothes made from organic cotton, wool and hemp-based materials. Another option is to buy clothes from thrift stores and consignment shops rather than purchasing them new at department stores. And if at all possible, try to avoid purchasing clothes that need to be dry cleaned as most facilities use cleaning chemicals that are harmful to the environment.

Green Office Practices

There are tons of easy things you can do in your office to go green. The first is to bring a few desk plants to decorate your cubicle. It will make your desk look more pleasant and absorb many indoor pollutions. Bring reusable containers for your home lunches and reusable dishes, silver and glassware to prevent the waste of paper products. Also remember to bring a dishtowel—you’ll need to wash these items and drying plates with paper towels is a no, no. You can also try to eliminate paper all together by emailing letters and converting all you files digitally. If you need to use paper for printing purposes, print on both sides of the paper. Whatever you do, make sure that if you do use paper to dispose of it in the proper recycling bins.
Another good way to go green in the office is to invest in a power strip chord. Because all electronics can be inserted into this strip, including computers, printers, lamps and chargers, conserving energy can be as easy as flicking off a switch.

Strike Up A Conversation

If you want to persuade your coworkers to go green as well, sometimes it’s as simple as leaving your bicycle helmet on your desk. It can spark a lot of questions of why you ride your bicycle to work and you’ll have plenty of answers.

This guest post is contributed by Kitty Holman, who writes on the topics of nursing schools. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: kitty.holman20@gmail.com.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Guest Post: Simple Green Office Practices

Yes, I just said the “P” word — Paper.  I have no use for it.  I still don’t have my printer hooked up and have no intentions of doing so.  Eco-Office Gals has no letterhead, no business cards, no paper contracts, we won’t do any job where the end result is paper – it’s just that simple.

However, what options are available if you do have to print? Using recycled materials, FSC certified paper, or tree free paper is always a good direction. Eco-Office Gals has found a few companies out there that have taking the steps necessary to provide you with the most eco-friendly paper solutions.

• Printing for less: This company provides business cards, brochures, catalogs and stationery for your business needs. However, their paper is FSC certified, and they use vegetable based inks. It doesn’t stop there either, they’re wind powered, the building is carpet-free, they use open architecture, natural lighting, and have 25 acres of preserved wetland on their property. PFL has done their homework! Take advantage of the following coupons to place your order:
  20% Off Your First Order, Promo Code: NC2010 Expires: September 30th
  $50 Off Your First Order Over $100, Promo Code: NC50AN Expires: September 30th
• The Check Gallery: Melissa, owner of Naturally Good Soaps, contacted my a while back inquiring about green checks. I had to look around a bit and I finally found one. The Check Gallery checks are printed on recycled paper using vegetable-based ink. So, if it’s time to get new checks consider ordering with them.
  Get 20% Off and free shipping and Handling with coupon code GWF 859
• EcoPaper: EcoPaper produces tree-free & acid free paper products. They use alternatives such as banana, hemp, mango, lemon, coffee and sugar cane to produce their products. Their line includes, reams of paper, journals, envelopes, stationery, sketch pads and cover stock. Take advantage of everyday low prices on office and school supplies at Ecopaper.com!

So if you have to print or use paper for your business, choose responsibly! Do you have a company you recommend for it’s responsible printing and paper practices?

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Eco-Options: Paper

In the past, if you wanted to use wood for your green home, you were forced to use reclaimed flooring that was salvaged from old barns and warehouses. Reclaimed flooring really shines in traditional design aesthetics where a more rustic look is desired. What if you’re aiming for a newer look? One that fits in your modern, contemporary, or transitional green home?

Enter Staybull Flooring™. With over 20 species of recycled flooring to choose from, you can install eco-friendly wood and end up with a green floor that also has many benefits.

With the arrival of Staybull Flooring™ up to 98% of a log can be used to create a product that is both eco-friendly and more durable than solid flooring.

Here are the Top 5 Benefits Staybull Flooring provides:

• VOC Free – No formaldehyde’s, benzene, or any other toxic solvents are used
• Eco-Shield™ Floor Finish – offers high abrasion resistance and meets Europe’s REACH standards
• A multi-faceted look – See Brazilian Cherry, Mahogany, Oak, and Maple in a whole new way
• Edge-glued planks ensure that your floor won’t cup, twist, or crown
• Wider planks and longer boards lowers buying cost & decreases install time

How does Staybull compare to other eco-flooring options?

Sure, there’s bamboo, but your colors options are limited and there’s that nagging problem of VOCs many brands are plagued by. There’s FSC wood flooring available, but because of high demand it’s very expensive. Engineered flooring is another option, but ultimately doesn’t solve the problem that no one wants to talk about – the tons of wood left behind by mills that produce any hardwood-based flooring.

You see, typical flooring production uses between 40-60% of usable material. This means that there are literally tons of wood sitting in landfills. Or worse, these piles are doused with gasoline and burned. Clearly, the releasing carbon emissions into our already compromised atmosphere isn’t helping matters.

Help us do our part. With every successful installation of Staybull Flooring™, more wood gets saved being needlessly wasted, or burned.

Check out Staybull Flooring™ today.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Green Gem of the Week: Staybull Flooring™

AusPen White Board Markers Price: 7.95	Kitchen Compost Bin Price: 14.99	Mini Recycling Bin Price: 6.45	Replacement Carbon Filters Price: 5.99
Recycling & Waste Basket Price: 5.99	Recycle Bin Wall Brackets Price: 5.99	Newspaper Bundle Bin Price: 17.99	Stackable Recycling Containers Price: 17.75
Recycle Bin Wheel Kit Price: 11.70	Curbside Recycling Bins Price: 9.99	Hanging Waste Basket Price: 9.99	Personal Document Destruction Container Price: 68.95
Upright Containers Price: 24.75	The Waste Watcher Price: 99.00	Shredinator Price: 139.00	Smart Sort – 22 Gallon Price: 119.00
SuperSorter Series Price: 400.00	Outdoor Container Price: 515.00	HP Ink and Toner Cartridges Price: 10.99	Brother Ink and Toner Cartridges Price: 10.99

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Recycle Bins & More

EarthTalk®
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: Which woods are OK to purchase, and which are not, in the interest of preserving forests and not harming those who depend upon them? – Jon Steiner, Boise, ID

Deforestation continues to be one of the world’s biggest environmental problems, especially in fast developing regions like South America, Southeast Asia and Africa. Cutting down large numbers of trees erodes land and silts waterways, displaces native people and wildlife, and releases tons of carbon dioxide (which is stored in living wood fiber) into the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

Of course, wood products are essential to modern life. Without wood we wouldn’t have the buildings, furniture, paper and other essentials we make use of every day. That’s why protecting sources of wood has become a leading concern among not just environmentalists but everyone else as well.

In response to the problems wrought by increasing deforestation, some forward-thinking wood products professionals teamed up with environmentalists, native people’s advocates, community forestry groups and responsible corporations to form the nonprofit Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) in 1993. Previous attempts to stem the tide of unchecked logging—including international negotiations and boycotts—were having little effect, so FSC vowed to use the power of market forces to create change for the better.

FSC promotes responsible management of forests by certifying forestry operations around the globe and promoting its certification system at every step of the wood products distribution chain. Whether you’re shopping for wooden furniture, building materials or other items, one easy way to tell if the wood you are considering buying was harvested from sustainable sources is to look for the FSC label on it or its packaging. If it is, you can trust that such products were harvested sustainably and are not contributing to deforestation-related woes. If you don’t see the FSC logo, you should inquire as to where the wood came from and whether or not it was harvested sustainably.

The nonprofit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) warns consumers to avoid purchasing some tropical hardwoods unless they can be assured that it came from sustainable forestry operations. Many of these woods—including Big Leaf Mahogany, Spanish Cedar, Caribbean Pine, Ipe, Rosewood, Teak, Ramin, Merbau, African Mahogany, and Okoume—are difficult to manage sustainably as they typically grow in low densities in natural forests and regenerate poorly after logging. Some woods and wood products may contain FSC-certified wood without bearing the logo, while other woods may be OK without going through the FSC certification process. If you don’t see an FSC logo you should ask. If the store salesperson can’t provide information, then you can’t be sure.

Even better than purchasing sustainably harvested new wood is to seek out reclaimed or salvaged wood, as it precludes the need for logging altogether. An added benefit of using reclaimed or salvaged wood—look for it at used building supply stores and even at construction sites where older materials are being tossed—is that it provides incentives for municipal recycling programs. NRDC suggests that if you can’t source used wood, consider recycled plastic lumber or composites if they are applicable for your project.

CONTACTS: Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), www.fsc.org; NRDC, www.nrdc.org.

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.

photo credit: thingermejig, courtesy Flickr

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Protecting sources of wood

Happy 2010! I hope it has been a happy and safe one so far and continues to be so! Let’s start off the year with a straight giveaway. Something special for one of my readers to start off 2010 right.
Tara Burner owner of Revived Jewelry has made a special, custom necklace for one of my loyal readers. Tara’s description of this beautiful piece of upcycled eco-art:

Made from Tiger’s Eye, recycled aluminum wire and a sterling silver charm with “Believe” on it.
“It is easier to believe than to doubt.” ~E.D. Martin
Each of these items is made of a gemstone that was hand chosen for the necklace.
Recycled copper wiring and other recycled wiring is used on each necklace.
Each is designed by hand and done so with feeling, care, love and prayer along with being energized creating your one of a kind Revived Jewelry item.
Each necklace comes on a black imitation leather cord tied in a double slip knot for easy adjusting to whatever length you desire.
Each necklace comes in an organza bag with a card describing Revived Jewelry.

A huge Thank You to Tara for making this custom piece of upcycled jewelry for my readers! Want to win? Do as many of the below as you wish and leave a separate comment for each one:

• Visit one of Tara’s many sites found at the bottom of Tara Burner and comment here on a product you would love to try, something you learn from the one of the sites, or leave a comment on one of her sites and link to it here.
• Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.
• Follow @TaraBurner on Twitter and retweet:  Custom, Upcycled Jewelry Giveaway by Revived Jewelry! http://bit.ly/4Hj091 #giveaway #green comment that you did.
• 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 Revived Jewelry and comment 5 times that you did! (I will confirm)

The deadline for entering is Wednesday 1/06/09 at 8pm EST at which time one winner will be randomly chosen.  Please don’t forget to leave a separate entry and any entries that show obvious laziness i.e. a simple “Thanks for the great giveaway” will not be published therefore not counted. It’s just not fair for the people that do know how to follow simple directions. US residents only. Thanks!

Here are your random numbers:

9

Timestamp: 2010-01-07 12:45:05 UTC

Crystal enjoy your necklace.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Flaunt It! Monday: Revived Jewelry

(In compliance with the new 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.)

In honor of America Recycles Day we celebrate a company that make recycling a part of our everyday lives!

Small Steps™ by Marcal® brand products focuses squarely on the company’s green heritage. For over five decades, Marcal has been saving trees and reducing landfill by making its paper products from recycled paper. Marcal uses paper collected from curbs in residential neighborhoods in cities and towns across America; from the small blue baskets in office buildings, unwanted junk mail, and waste from printers; all in an effort to do something good… to produce something that people need.
Marcal is an integral part of the northern New Jersey community. The company uses recyclables from more than 600 municipalities from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York and New England. The company is one of the largest employers in New Jersey, employing over 900 people.

This company had a true passion in recycling way before it was the cool thing to do. Yes, since 1950 they have been using paper waste, not trees to bring paper products into our home. After all is “Your Ass Worth A Million Trees A Year?”

So, Marcal sent me some of their Small Steps products to try out.  Now any of my readers that have been with me a while know that I try not to use paper at all, if possible.  One thing I almost never buy is paper towels, I use my Skoy Cloths and washable rags. So, when I received this shipment which included several rolls of paper towels who would know how perfect the timing would be!

I’m not going to get into too much detail in this post, but I will be guest posting about my family’s experience of living without water for many weeks on another blog soon.  Anyway – this was one point in my life when I probably tripled my waste since washing dishes, clothes, the house etc had to be done waterless or at the kindness of neighbors and friends. So, having these “responsibly – disposable” products were a true blessing!

The paper towels helped me keep the house clean as possible with cleaners, they were not linty and held up nicely. Granted they’re not the bleached white, fluffy soft, almost cloth-like paper towels that many people might use, but as far as I’m concerned… if you want cloth-like… use cloth!

My family got to try out the Small Steps toilet paper as well.  This is one area I’m stuck buying paper for life.  No getting around it… at least none I’m willing to try! So, why not at least try to buy a little more responsibly and use TP made from recycled paper instead of virgin forests? Right? Sure it may take a little getting used to – again it lacks the bleach and fluff many of us… this time including myself, are used to. There were no complains from the family, it served it’s purpose. What else can I ask for?

I would definitely use Marcals Small Steps in my attempt to green up my act.  There’s no reason not to! Take a look around at the paper products you are using in your home, can you make a positive change for the environment by switching to Small Steps?

Marcal is hooking up one of my readers with a great package of their Small Steps products: Dinner Napkins, 180ct Napkin Drawstring Bag, Upright-80ct Facial Tissues, 144ct Facial, Single Roll Giant Towel, 1,000ct Bath, 4 ct bath 1000 ct, 3 roll Regular towel! Do as many of the below as you wish and leave a separate comment for each one:

• Comment here on what Marcal product would help you make a green step – or something you learned from their informative site.
• Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.
• Follow Marcal Small Steps on Twitter.
• Tweet this giveaway
• Stumble this giveaway
• Use other forms of social networking to spread the word about this giveaway.
• Tried a Small Steps product before? Let us know what you think.
• Subscribe to my feed to stay up to date with the latest from Eco-Office Gals.

The deadline for entering is Wednesday 11/18/09 at 8pm EST at which time one winner will be randomly chosen.  Please don’t forget to leave a separate entry and any entries that show obvious laziness i.e. a simple “Thanks for the great giveaway” will not be published therefore not counted. It’s just not fair for the people that do know how to follow simple directions. US residents only. Thanks!

Here are your random numbers:

108

Timestamp: 2009-11-19 16:00:17 UTC

Congrats Jessica!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Flaunt It! Monday: Marcal Small Steps

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

Two important subjects to bring to everyone’s attention before you officially start your weekend.

The Green Crusaders

I was given the opportunity to review The Green Path Comany’s PDF version of the first in a series of The Green Crusaders: The Filaments see the Light.

The Green Crusaders are a group of Eco-superheroes who are dedicated to teaching families about simple ways to lead more earth-friendly lives. Our series of short stories, written for children ages 5 – 10 years of age, centers around Recycle Mycle, Hydro Hannah and Kilowatt Karlos and their sidekicks Plastic Mastiff and Eco-Ally.

Since my 6 year old spent the night at Grandma’s last night and my 4 year old is still crashed out, I read thru this book by myself as I sipped my morning coffee.  The Filaments are an unknowingly wasteful family, but with the help of the Green Crusaders they are put on a greener path.  It was a fun quick read, almost storyboard in fashion, I could totally see this being made into a Saturday morning cartoon! Actually better yet a series of commercials geared towards kids.  Oh I’ll hush what do I know of writing books, cartoons or commercials?  As you can see from the sample I pulled the illustrations are absolutely amazing, too!!

The last pages also include a pledge sheet, a checklist, and a fact sheet for kids to commit to going green.  The book is available on CD for viewing on your computer or printing. I am not sure of the CD format, but the standard .pdf format I received was typical scroll thru which is not so kid friendly, IMO.  I would love to see this presented in an e-publication, flip book fashion.

If you’re looking for a green weekend activity for the kids grab up this CD!

$500 from EcoStore USA: Clean and Simple!

EcoStoreUSA is giving away a $500 Gift Card just for using their Lemon Cream Cleanser! Grab some of this awesome cleaner, with no nasty chemicals and a video camera.  Just 30 seconds of cleaning and creativity can land a $500 Visa gift card in your hot little hands… now that’s my kind of cleaning!

Check out all the details on Ecostore USA’s Blog. May as well go over to their Facebook Fan Page and become a fan now, since that’s where you will post your video. Besides, they’re always doing exclusive giveaways for their Fans, so that’s double incentive!

Now, anyone have a video camera I can borrow? Have a great weekend!!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Green Up your weekend: Book Review & $500 giveaway