CompoKeeper is an indoor compost container that meets the objections many have about storing food waste inside homes or office buildings. The design includes a clamshell mechanism that creates an airtight seal in the compostable liner with it’s easy to use hand lever or foot pedal so odors can’t get out and pests can’t get in. When the bag is full the easy-grab tray assists one in removing a full, flimsy bag and carrying it out to the appropriate outdoor storage area. The CompoKeeper is made in Boulder, Colorado in three sizes and only available through online. There is also a coupon for $150 offered by the Boulder County Conservation Center is offering to businesses who sign up for a recycling or composting service.
This book authored by Marsha Willard and Darcy Hitchcock discusses how to do sustainability planning in a simple and straightforward manner. It offers some great tools for assessments, reporting and developing metrics.
This is a free download by Five Winds International specifically developed for small to medium sized businesses. It has an assessment tool integrated with possible action steps.
Launched in 2011, Unilever has targeted some of the most aggressive targets in multiple areas for sustainability. Their plan is organized into three categories of Improving Health, Environmental Impact and Enhancing Livelihoods.
The Canadian government has provided a host of online tools, research and white papers to encourage businesses to be more sustainable. These are free downloads.
Some organizations want to conduct their own sustainability assessments. If so, here are some assessment tools and resources;
eco-officiency: Developed in Excel, this sustainability assessment tool has over 360 questions customized for each primary area and department of an organization. Departments include Administration, HR, IT, Facilities and Operations, Marketing and Communications, Purchasing, Finance, Accounting, Product and Research/Development, Events and Conferences. Organizations can have departments answer the questions themselves or it can be conducted at a management meeting. The cost to download this sustainability assessment is $75.
Three Steps to Eco-Efficiency, Canada: This assessment tool was developed by the Ministry of Environment of Canada to assist small and medium-sized manufacturers to develop an eco-efficiency program that is custom tailored to their business needs. The tool is a free download.
Earth Charter: This assessment is a free download available from Earth Charter International. The assessment is designed to improve practices based on the Earth Charter principles.
World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) Measuring Impact Framework: The WBCSD developed a framework to assess the contribution of business to the economic and broader development goals in the societies where business operates. It is designed to help companies understand their contribution to society and use this understanding to inform their operational and long-term investment decisions, and have better-informed conversations with stakeholders.
Although there are robust and technical environmental audits, often small companies don’t necessarily need such detail to understand their environmental impacts. Smaller companies can conduct sustainability assessments that are more geared to their business. Assessments not only review the footprint of organization operations but will also identify opportunities to improve environmental stewardship, save money, improve productivity and increase customer and employee loyalty.
To conduct your own sustainability assessment, reach out to each department or division of a company and hold informational interviews. Although more information can be gathered through in-person meetings, an organization can also conduct an assessment via an online survey. Develop a series of questions that ask specifically what each area is doing to reduce resource use and minimize environmental impact. Some organizations also like to assess the social side of business and determine how employees are engaged in the community and the non-profit organizations they support.
Here are is a list of some sample questions to ask by each sustainability topic area:
Waste Management: Is recycling provided as an option? If so, what percentage of the employees participates in office recycling?
Suppliers and Purchasing: Are office supplies purchased made from post-consumer recycled material? How many of your vendors are local suppliers? Has your purchasing department developed in guidelines that take into account green businesses practices?
Paper Reduction: What paper reduction policies and/or practices has the company done? Is the company’s marketing giveaways made from recycled material and/or recyclable?
Energy Conservation: How has your company tried to reduce energy? Do you own any energy star equipment? Does staff turn off equipment in the evenings?
Water Conservation: How has your company tried to reduce water? What water saving devices are installed in your facilities?
Toxins and Chemicals: What types of cleaning chemicals are used in your office? Is there any toxic or hazardous material located at the facilities?
Transportation: If you have a transportation fleet, what measures have you taken to reduce driving?
Employees: Does the company have any communications educating employees about conservation of resources?
Philanthropy: How does your company contribute to the community? Donations? Volunteer programs?
CORE, the oldest and largest trade association in the Rocky Mountain region dedicated to promoting sustainable business practices and a more responsible global economy, announces that best-selling authors Andrew Winston of Green to Goldand Peter Fusaro of What Went Wrong at Enron will address plenary sessions of the fifth annual Sustainable Opportunities Summit and Expo March 2-4, 2010 at the Denver Convention Center. Top executives from Wal-Mart, AT&T, Waste Management and Miller Coors will also address topics on how sustainable business practices are improving business performance while benefiting the planet.
The 2010 Sustainable Opportunities Summit and Expo features 19 panel sessions and 70 speakers. The Expo opens to the general public on March 2 with over 100 exhibitors featuring the Rocky Mountain cleantech industry. Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper will provide opening Summit remarks on “Denver, Gateway to Regional Sustainability” on Wednesday, March 3. Colorado Governor Bill Ritter will open Summit activities on March 4th.
The City of Denver will join CORE and the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship at the Leeds School of Business, University of Colorado in co-hosting the Sustainable Opportunities Summit and Expo. The Summit brings together business leaders, investors and luminaries in academia and government to exchange ideas and demonstrate the competitive advantages available through a strategy based on proactive sustainable business practices.
CompoKeeper is an indoor compost container that meets the objections many have about storing food waste inside homes or office buildings. The design includes a clamshell mechanism that creates an airtight seal in the compostable liner with it’s easy to use hand lever or foot pedal so odors can’t get out and pests can’t get in. When the bag is full the easy-grab tray assists one in removing a full, flimsy bag and carrying it out to the appropriate outdoor storage area. The CompoKeeper is made in Boulder, Colorado in three sizes and only available through online. There is also a coupon for $150 offered by the Boulder County Conservation Center is offering to businesses who sign up for a recycling or composting service.
Recommended Products, Waste Management | eco-officiency April 24, 2012 | 
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