Sustainability tips from an environmental consultant

OO:  When you advise a business how to become more sustainable, what are the top five things you look to address? 

RK: I hate to say it but there is no one-size-fits all when it comes to being more sustainable. A small business does however have many options which not only cost little to nothing to implement, but can potentially save money. And, your employees will love being a part of an office that is “doing the right thing.”

OO: In your experience, what sorts of changes have the biggest impact on the environmental sustainability/carbon footprint impact of businesses?

Paper

The most important material to think about in a typical office setting is paper. Here’s why:

o    The pulp and paper industry is the 3rd largest consumer of energy and uses more water to produce a ton of product than any other industry.

Source: Environmental Defense

o    Printing, copying, mailing, storing and disposing can exceed the initial price of paper by as much as 10 times!

Source: Federal Network for Sustainability

o    Despite technology, we still use paper, an average office worker uses about 10,000 sheets of copier paper annually

Source: Federal Network for Sustainability

Things you can do:

·         Use less paper – print only when needed, print only the pages needed, default duplex on all machines, use print preview to eliminate extra pages, use slightly wider margins to eliminate unnecessary printing.

·         Buy recycled paper. 30%, 50% or 100%. The quality is excellent these days on 100% recycled paper, the price points are comparable and you save the destruction of virgin materials that go into the process of making paper.

·         Turn scrap paper from copies into scratch pads. You’ll never buy another scratch pad again.

·         Buy local paper. You may be surprised by how close you are to a paper mill. Where is your paper made? Is there a factory a few states closer to your office? Less transportation  saves on carbon emissions to get your paper to you.

Recycling

It may seem old-fashioned, but good ol’ recycling really helps prevent virgin material destruction, landfill waste, and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling is not the same as it used to be. In many areas you no longer need to separate everything and can throw all recycling, paper, plastic bottles, cans, milk cartons, cardboard… into one container for pick up.

You may need to work with the building manager or property manager to get a recycling program started or to optimize the one in place. A great place to start is by contacting the garbage hauler or your local municipality to see which items can and cannot be recycled.

Composting is a new way to turn garbage into reusable material. Ask your municipality if there is the option of compost pick-up in your area and set up a bin to collect coffee grounds, food-soiled paper and other organics.

Transportation

·         Use environmentally friendly cars or flexcar program.

·         Use video conferencing. Business travel is expensive and one of the biggest contributors to green house gas emissions.

·         Offer bus passes, showers, bike racks and other incentives for employees to get to work without using a car.

·         Offer flexible schedules, work from home or carpooling options. Many employees see these incentives as benefits.

·         Offer employees the option of offsetting travel emissions.

General Good Practices

·         Ask property management about their cleaning practices, inquire about lighting efficiency and water management – are their low-flow toilets, laminar flow restrictors? Sometimes simply asking gets them to take action.

·         Buy energy star appliances for your office kitchen and while you’re at it use real cups, plates and flatware and use water filters instead of bottled water.

·         Buy fair trade, organic, shade grown coffee and use organic, local caterers for office parties.

·         Switch off lights and monitors when not in use, or, better yet, install motion detector sensors for lights.

*      Apply company policy to put computers to sleep during non-work hours.

·         Check online information sources. Start with the Federal Government's Energy Star website for small business. You'll find links to state resources, including financing sources to help you purchase or transition to energy-efficient equipment or fixtures. Another great resource is Greenbiz, which has links to and directories of websites with environmental information, including a searchable database of government programs and assistance.

OO:     What advice do you have for businesses that can create a positive change today?

RK:  Aside from the list above of actions to implement, I would say small businesses can have a large voice if they start talking up environmental action in their industry. Tout your successes on a website, apply for environmental awards and make sure your clients/customers know what you are doing. Your clients/customers will respond positively to a company that is trying to be environmentally and socially responsible.

If you want, elect to give small presentations on how you have gone green at your local Rotary or Chamber of Commerce. Your small actions will resonate loudly and hopefully get others to follow your lead. 

--Nancy