Tag Archives: responsibility

A Green Business Operations Can Start at Anytime or Age

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“Did you know that each person [on the planet] throws out four and a half pounds of trash a day?” he told NBC 7 News. “Now multiply that by 3.8 billion people. How many pounds is that?”

These words were spoken by a 12 year-old by the name of Sam Klein, who started his own recycling business. He earns up to $200 for each box of ink cartridges he recycles and donates the proceeds to charities in his home town of St. Louis, Missouri.

This is one way to make a difference. Looking to create a green business operation is another. What can you do? There are very easy and simple options that are available. Here are some ideas;

Paper: Purchase 100% recycled paper for every day printing. Did all of those pages that were tossed need to be printed? Proofread those documents electronically before they are printed.

Re-use printer cartridges: Purchase recycled ink-jet and laser printer cartridges. There can be a sizable savings if your turn them in when purchasing new ones at certain office stores.

Lights: Are the lights turned off in rooms that are not being used? Merely turning off the lights when not in use (especially at night) can save a company between 10-15% of their utility bill. Consider adding stickers to the light switches to remind staff to turn off the lights or purchase sensor lights that will turn off automatically.

Energy: Save energy and turn off computers, monitors, and printers overnight. Assign one person each week that will check the office before leaving to make sure all equipment is turned off. This not only makes it happen but starts building accountability and responsibility among all the staff.

eco-officiency has an assessment tool developed in Excel that will help you explore all the areas where you can make your business a greener environment.

There is a good feeling that comes when employees know they are making a difference for the environment. By coming together in the office as a team, they develop a sense of accomplishment that you can be sure is shared with their families. This environmental effort just may carry over into their home life, if it did not exist there already.

Contact us and we will work with you to create a green environment for your business.

The Three P’s of Recycling in Your Workplace

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According to the EPA, the average person generates about 4 1/2 pounds of trash every day. While much of this is household waste, a good portion is generated in workplaces as well. After all, many Americans spend a majority of their day at their jobs. Eco-conscious business owners have a responsibility to provide a means for managing and recycling waste responsibly.

The Three P’s of Workplace Recycling assists organizations in getting started:

People: People are the number one component of the success of your business. Recycling efforts are no different. Get your team on board by letting them know that waste reduction is a priority. They need to be involved, willing and able to participate. You can help make recycling more efficient through the other two P’s, but without your people doing their part, your efforts will fall flat.

Process: You need to put a process in place to collect and dispose of recyclables and compostables. Who’s going to be in charge of emptying the containers and taking items off-site? Where will the items ultimately end up? Will there be some kind of monitoring and accountability system? How will you recognize and reward participation and efforts that go beyond what is required? These are some of the questions you have to consider to make sure that recycling and composting enhances your business operations.
Place: The saying “A place for everything and everything in its place” is true for recycling as well. You’ll need clearly-labeled containers for different types of recyclables and compostables that your business generates. Here are some suggestions for what items may be recycled from different areas of your workplace:

Cafeteria, Kitchen or Lunch room. (Most of these type of materials are usually collectable from most community based recycling programs)

  • Metal – aluminum foil, beverage cans
  • Cartons – milk and juice tetra-pak containers
  • Glass bottles
  • Plastics – #1-7, plastic bags, shrink wrap
  • Paper bags

Office Equipment and Electronics (These type of items need to be recycled through certified e-waste recyclers)

  • Fax machines
  • Computer mice, monitors, keyboards; Laptops
  • Copiers and printers; toner cartridges
  • CDs, DVDs
  • Phones

Paper (Most of these materials can either be recycled or composted. Check your local recyclers guidelines)

  • Books, phonebooks, catalogs
  • Magazines
  • Mail, Manila envelopes
  • Cardboard
  • Packing boxes
  • Office paper, shredded documents

Miscellaneous (These materials are considered hard-to-recycle items and usually are not picked up recycling programs. Go to Earth911 or National Recycling Resources to find ways to recycle these type of items)

  • Packing peanuts
  • Styrofoam packaging
  • Light bulbs
  • Batteries

Contact us to learn more about how you can apply the Three P’s of Recycling in your workplace

Job Descriptions for Sustainability Officers and Directors

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Acre, an executive search firm that specializes in sustainability and corporate responsibility personnel recently published a report on the evolution of the sustainability professional. The report, The Emergence of the Chief Sustainability Officer, is available free for download from their website.

Acre also provides three sample job descriptions that identify possible role and responsibilities for the following positions:

Corporate Social Responsibility Manager

Corporate Social Responsibility Director

The Chief Sustainability Officer

There is also a good job description available from the Sustainable Cities Institute for a Sustainability Officer.

On our eco-officiency website we also offer a one page summary on the role and need for corporate sustainability officers