As concerns over climate change and our impact on the environment increases, there has never been a better time to start going green. Many businesses still believe that going green is too expensive or time-consuming, with the current economic climate adding to the notion that reduction of waste is not a priority. However, there are many simple ways a business can reduce their impact on the environment and it doesn’t necessarily have to involve drastic or expensive changes. By investing in changes now not only can it improve the profile and reputation of your business it could potentially save money through proposed tax cuts and reduced wastage.

Some of the easiest ways of being energy efficient are making sure lights, air conditioning and computer monitors are turned off when not in use, using motion censored lighting wherever possible. Surprisingly, the need for air conditioning and central heating can be reduced significantly by choosing the right blinds for your office windows. By opting for insulating honeycomb or cellular blinds rather than the standard vertical or roller blinds you can drastically reduce heat loss, keeping the office both warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Ask your waste disposal suppliers about recycling options as you may be able to recycle anything from paper and exhibition display materials such as banner stands to broken computer equipment and hazardous waste. Consider changing to suppliers that are dedicated to reducing their carbon foot-print, as there are many companies offering environmentally friendly products and services ensuring that your supplies do not contribute to damage caused by other businesses. Although recycling is an excellent way to improving your company’s green credentials, the best way (and most cost effective) is to avoid unnecessary waste in the first place. One of the easiest ways of doing this is reducing paperwork and print-outs. If possible print on both sides of the paper, send memos via email and store documents digitally. Keep any unwanted non-confidential print-outs for use as scrap paper and use recycled paper when possible, not only will you produce less waste, but help minimize those costly stationary orders.

There are many ways you can take charge of waste management, but as with any change it is most effective when everyone involved is equally committed. Many businesses offer incentives for employees to car share and use public transport, why not make it a team effort by getting your staff on board? Provide all necessary facilities for staff to heat, prepare and enjoy their lunch on-site to avoid the need to drive to local restaurants and cafes. Either provide mugs and cups or encourage staff to bring their own, reducing the need for wasteful paper and plastic coffee cups. By getting everyone involved you’ll not only boost team moral, but make the smaller changes more effective in reducing your business’s impact on the environment.

Liberty-Belle Howard is a UK blogger with a keen interest in green issues. She is currently writing on behalf of Marler Haley.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Go Green And Minimize Business Waste

WEEE recycling has not been optional for businesses in the UK. Since the 2007 Directive placed the responsibility for end life product disposal firmly on the shoulders of any company that manufactures, retails, otherwise distributes, stores or disposes of electrical or electronic equipment – failure to comply is creating devastating consequences for developing countries that accept black market e-waste. While it has always been legal to ship functional equipment out of the UK, it is not acceptable to dump off containers full of broken equipment into African countries such as Nigeria and Ghana.

Recent investigations by agencies such as Consumers International and the Environmental Investigation Agency have proven that struggling third world countries have quietly become the world’s largest e-waste dump sites for technologically advanced Western countries. Some figures suggest that two thirds of today’s electronic waste is being secretly shipped out of the country under the guise of “household effects” or “personal possessions”. The European Parliament wants to see illegal shipments reduced to less than 15% by the year 2016, and the expectation is that manufacturers will pick up the responsibility and expense to see that this reduction occurs.

WEEE recycling can be done directly by each business through collection locations that are easily available to the public. From there, returned equipment can be checked for functionality or repair potential. Donations to under-privileged individuals or groups could be promoted through tax credit incentives. Currently, as little as 10%–15% of the UK’s e-waste is actually being recycled, due to the inconvenience and expense involved in the process. Whether or not government incentives sweeten the prospect, manufacturers and distributors must comply with the 2007 WEEE recycling directive.

Ethically, it is in the best interests of businesses to not only enjoy the profit that modern technology makes possible, but to also invest in the responsibility that comes with being part of an electronically advanced society. Caring for this planet is the responsibility of all, but particularly those who have the financial means and abilities to “clean up their own mess” – so to speak. Poorer regions such as Africa, China and India lack the resources or public education to protect themselves from toxic practices such as e-waste dumping. The fact that the long term damage to people and environment from poisons such as lead, mercury and cadmium is well known makes this matter even more egregious.

A PROPER BUSINESS RESPONSE…

For WEEE recycling to be successful, local businesses and authorities must become honest in their reporting procedures. With about 450,000 tonnes of e-waste being currently processed in the UK, the whereabouts of the remaining 500,000 tonnes are a poorly disguised mystery. Presently it is too easy and too profitable to hand off unwanted electrical equipment to unscrupulous brokers who will ship it out of the country as quickly as possible.

Secondly, licensed WEEE recycling centers must be available and affordable for increased usage by smaller companies that lack their own on site recycle processing departments. Thinking only about business interests is no longer enough. Caring about the welfare of the UK is an improvement, but caring about the future of other cultures and this planet, if not as financially profitable, will certainly be reason enough for a better night’s sleep and a clear moral conscience. After all, “To whom much is given, much is required”.

This post was written by UK blogger Thomas O’Rourke – an online writer who regularly writes about environmental issues such as WEEE recycling.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

WEEE Recycling Is Not Just Good Business – It’s the Law

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

One area of our home that is not green is our kitchen cabinets. I confess, our plates, cups and travel mugs… they are littered with plastic. With 3 kids in the home and a husband that walks out the door with cups full of coffee or soda, never to return (the cups, he normally comes back), plastic is a cheap convenience. In our defense, we are paperless in the kitchen, no disposables, no coffee filters, no paper products and we recycle, and compost. Am I forgiven?

When I came across The Green Glass Company, I was intrigued. What better way to step beyond simple recycling efforts then turning wine, beer and soda bottles into tableware?

With origins dating back to 1992 in South Africa, The Green Glass Company has seen many incarnations and has grown into the largest producer of reclaimed glassware in the world.The Green Glass Company strives to satisfy not only its recycling heritage but also its eclectic and diverse clientele. With its patent on the unique wine bottle to goblet conversion process, The Green Glass Company team and its state-of-the-art equipment are at the forefront of the reclaimed glassware market.

Revered throughout Europe and other parts of the world as collectible art glass, The Green Glass Company goblets have even been chosen for the table of King Carlos of Spain, a former Mayor of New York City, movie sets, and, celebrity dinners. In addition to their popularity with consumers and collectors, The Green Glass Company products are quickly becoming a valuable marketing tool in the corporate world. Sandblasted with a company name or logo, the glasses not only provide enduring brand exposure, they also provide insight into a company’s awareness and commitment to preserving our resources.

From Kings and Mayors to the Smith household, we have had the pleasure of sampling a set of these glasses in our home for a few weeks now.  As much as I loved the goblets, I went practical with a set of tumblers, or the bottom section of the bottle.

Through a partnership with Cave B winery, these tumblers are created from reclaimed Bordeaux bottles collected from the organic restaurant, B&B and tasting room on the Cave B estate.

I was sent a set of 4 glasses, each one different from the other and they are really nice. They are thick, heavy weight glass, not the thin garbage you get in the sets from the store.They are made from wine bottles, after all. Another plus, my husband doesn’t walk out of the house with them and the little ones won’t touch them.

The Glass Company’s product line creations don’t stop at glassware. Their line includes vases, pitchers, candle holders, even coat hooks made with bottle tops! There is a wonderful variety to choose from when deciding on your Green Gift Giving this season!

How about giving (or receiving) something from The Green Glass Company this holiday season? The Green Glass Company is giving away a $40 gift code to one of my readers!  Do as many of the below as you wish and leave a separate comment for each one:

• Visit The Green Glass Company Store and comment here on what you would love to buy if you won the GC.
• Blog about this giveaway and link back to this post.
• Become a fan of The Green Glass Company or Eco-Office Gals and comment that you did.
• 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 The Green Glass Company and comment 5 times that you did! Don’t forget to use the coupon code! (I will confirm)

The deadline for entering is Friday 12/10/10 at 8pm EST at which time one winner will be randomly chosen.  Please don’t forget to leave a separate entry for each one of the above that you do 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!

(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.)

And the winner is….

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Green Gift Giving: Green Glass Company

I have had the opportunity to review the innovative creations of Way Basics in the past, and was excited when I was contacted by them recently to review their newest line, the Madison Bookcase.  They sent me the Espresso version (also available in black and white), shown the the picture, to review. (Be sure to grab your valuable coupon code at the end of this post)

I had the perfect home for the bookcase, across from the girls room and main bath. We really struggle with storage space in our recycled home and this was an extremely useful piece of furniture. It holds the bath towels, and the girls hair accessory bins in the top and middle and all the girls books and DVD’s on the bottom. On the very top shelf we set up some of their porcelain dolls. So, although it’s proper use is a bookcase, this line also make for great looking multi-purpose storage. To make this  product even more awesome, if you have even less living space then we do, you can line a few of these together and they make a really nice room separator.

Not only does it have a sleek, modern look, but it was SO simple to put together. When they say “World’s Easiest Assembly” they’re not kidding, we had this together in minutes, no tools, no screws – nothing.

The Zboard that are used to build their products are safe and eco-friendly.  They contain no formaldehyde, there is no out-gassing, they’re made from 99% post-consumer waste and they’re recyclable. Way Basics product line is full of fun colors and products which would make great green holiday gifts for all ages.  Consider Way Basics to decorate the grandkids rooms with colorful storage cubes or a cute little table and stool set.  Maybe a bookcase for the book lover in your life. While you’re shopping use coupon code WBEOG10 for 10% off the entire store.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post, the product was given to me free of charge to review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by the company.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Green Gift Giving: Way Basics

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

This morning, I was sent a request to read a post on Software Advice. The topic hit spot on with my own values on paperless, so I am more then happy to share this with my readers!

I’m a Whole Foods regular. Not just any Whole Foods, but the flagship World headquarters in Austin, Texas. I live right across the street and every morning I stop in on my walk to work. I pick up two breakfast tacos and a coffee.

I also pick up a useless paper receipt.

I certainly don’t need a paper receipt – I have no desire to return a taco. Paper receipts represent a wasteful vestige of the last millennium. In fact, there is no reason – legal or otherwise – why consumers or retailers need paper receipts. Electronic receipts are completely valid and they are far more efficient.

Moreover, the production of paper receipts do some real damage to our environment. Here are some stunning factoids that I found at AllEtronic, an interesting business that is working to move receipts to digital format.

Read the full article…

Agree, Agree, Agree! Paper receipts are such a HUGE waste, my purse is always over flowing with debit card receipts from every stop I make during the week.  Then when I try to find that one receipt I actually do need for a return, I never find it and get stuck with a store credit instead of the cash I paid! An inefficient system from beginning to end for sure.

So, what can be done?

First, educate!

Please Kill the Paper Receipt taught me that “thermal receipt paper cannot be recycled”…WHAT? So, all the receipts (first checked for any personal information) I have tossed into my paper recycling… what about those?

Next, motivate!

So, what we really need is a strong incentive to move to electronic receipts. We need incentives – primarily monetary – that motivate consumers and retailers to push toward the vision of paperless retail purchases.

Finally, vote and comment!

After taking the time to read Please Kill the Paper Receipt, take a minute to answer their poll and sharing your thoughts on this in the comments, or post the link on FaceBook , Twitter or other social networks.  This way you can educate others as well. Thank you to Software Advice for sharing this post with me this morning, a Green Gem of the Week for sure!

Cheers!

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Green Gem of the Week: Please Kill the Paper Receipt

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

EarthTalk® 
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: How effective have plastic bag bans and restrictions been on reducing plastic litter and other problems associated with their proliferation? And is it really better to use paper bags, which will just lead to more deforestation? — Peter Lindsey, New Canaan, CT

Plastic bags, first introduced in the 1950s as a convenient way to store food, have since developed into a global scourge, littering roadsides, clogging sewer drains and landfills and getting ingested by animals and marine life. And in recent years we’ve discovered how they are so prolific that they now comprise a significant portion of the plastic and other garbage that has collected in huge ocean gyres far from land.

A few countries around the world—Bangladesh, China, India, Australia, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Israel, South Africa, Taiwan and Mumbai, among others—have taken stands against plastic bags through taxing their usage or banning them outright. The environmental think tank, Worldwatch Institute, reports that China’s decision to ban free plastic bags in 2008 has cut demand by some 40 billion bags, reduced plastic bag usage there by 66 percent, and saved some 1.6 million tons of petroleum.

In March 2007, San Francisco became the first (and is still the only) major U.S. city to implement an across-the-board ban on plastic bags. Large supermarkets and pharmacies there had to ditch plastic shopping bags by early 2008 in favor of paper bags or those made from all-natural biodegradable cornstarch-based plastic. Environmentalists are particularly fond of the latter option for those who don’t bring their own grocery bags, as these cornstarch bags offer the biodegradability of paper without the deforestation as well as the convenience of plastic without the damage to ecosystems. San Francisco officials had originally tried to work with retailers on reducing plastic bag use voluntarily. But after a few years of little or no cooperation, they decided to just institute the ban on anything but biodegradable bags. The result has been a 50 percent drop in plastic bag litter on the streets since the ban took effect.

Los Angeles followed suit and its city council voted in 2008 to ban plastic bags beginning in July 2010—but the ban will only take effect if the state of California doesn’t follow through on a statewide plan to impose a fee on shoppers who request plastic bags. City council members in L.A. hope the ban will spur consumers to carry their own reusable bags and thus reduce the amount of plastic washing into the city’s storm drains and into the Pacific Ocean. Several other U.S. cities, including New York, Philadelphia and Baltimore, have considered outright bans like San Francisco’s, but each settled instead on plastic bag recycling programs in the face of pressure from the plastics industry and retail commercial interests.

While increased demand for paper bags in the wake of plastic bag bans could lead to more deforestation, most paper grocery bags in use today are made from recycled content, not virgin wood. Also, an added benefit of paper over petroleum-based plastic is its biodegradability.Americans go through some 92 billion disposable plastic bags each year, and only five billion paper ones. If the nation banned plastic bags it is likely that paper varieties would only make up a small part of the difference, in light of the proliferation of reusable canvas shopping bags as well as the availability of biodegradable cornstarch plastic.

CONTACT: Worldwatch Institute, www.worldwatch.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.

Post from: Eco-Office Gals

Plastic Bag Bans: Will we just use more paper?

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.”