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Greening Your Office and Your Clients
Last month's Earth Day may have had the highest profile yet, in part because so many national retailers jumped on the bandwagon.
But there's a lot more that we can do by making small changes in our habits. Making environmentally-friendly changes in your office pays big dividends by permanently lowering your operating expenses. Electricity and fuel, office supplies and postage, and packaging and waste are just a few of the areas where you can save big.
Added Bonus: Running a green office is also a great marketing tool to attract green-minded clients.
Here is a checklist to see how you measure up. Also included are tips on how to get clients and employees on board.
Green Office Checklist
- Furnish mugs and glasses to all employees for coffee and water. Keep a few extra mugs for guests. If you must have disposable cups, use paper, not Styrofoam.
- Drink tap water, and avoid bottled water. Buy a filter if desired. Tap water is much safer and more regulated than bottled water.
- Change all of your light bulbs to CFLs and energy-saving solutions.
- Turn off and unplug all computers and electronic devices after hours. Even when these devices are turned off, they will continue to use electricity unless you unplug the power cord to keep them from charging all night.
- Unplug coffee machines and other appliances at work when they are not in use so they don't pull electricity all day.
- You can use a SmartStrip in lieu of unplugging everything. A SmartStrip is a combination power strip and energy-saving device that will turn off your electronics when not in use.
- Use environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies and insist that your housekeeping crew do the same.
- Use recycled products. Look for products with a high percentage of postconsumer recycled content, reduced chemical content, and biodegradable or compostable components.
- Reuse file folders, boxes and all other office supplies before buying new ones.
- Recycle all equipment you wish to retire. The U.S. Postal Service announced in March 2008 that it will provide free postage and already-addressed envelopes for people who wish to recycle their old iPods, Blackberries, MP3 players, small inkjet cartridges, and digital cartridges. For computers and accessories, I have had success with Dell's recycling and donation program through the National Cristina Foundation, my old laptop received a second life at a needy nonprofit in Dallas .
- Question your suppliers about their environmental policies, and switch, if necessary. Buy local, if at all possible, to reduce trucking and shipping costs. Support supplier and vendors that use less packaging material and green shipping policies.
- If you ship items, use biodegradable brown paper as packing material instead of non-biodegradable material such as Styrofoam popcorn.
- Avoid individual packaging by buying items such as coffee, sugar, and creamer in bulk.
- Whenever possible, use digital delivery methods such as email or internal fax to avoid postage, printing, ink, and paper use.
- Copy frugally. Post a sign at the photocopier that says, "Do you really need to make a copy?"
- Add a line at the end of your email signature that says, "Please consider the environment before printing this email."
- Cut out junk mail and paper subscriptions to newspapers and magazines. As an example, I read the Wall Street Journal online every morning.
- Practice onscreen editing to save printing.
- When you must print, view your document first in Print Preview before printing to save printing mistakes and print double-sided documents.
- Purchase software online and download it to avoid packaging and shipping costs and materials.
- Recycle all office trash. Give each employee two trash cans: one for recycled materials and one for landfill items. Call your city street or sanitation department or recycling program coordinator to find out how to maximize your recycling.
- Use native, local plants that require less water when landscaping and decorating.
- Offer rebate or reimbursement vouchers for employees who use public transit, carpool, or drive hybrid cars to work. Better yet, work at home.
- Support right turn technology for professional drivers. Used in route planning, right turn technology minimizes the use of left turns which take longer and cause the vehicle to idle longer, wasting fuel.
- Encourage all employees to keep a mug and a bowl with a lid in their cars. When they go to Starbucks, they can use the mug for their drink. Using the bowl as a to-go box for restaurant lunch leftovers will save many Styrofoam containers from going into the landfill.
- Keep this list electronically and help it grow. Add more green ideas from employees, clients, and vendors here.
Tip: Once you've implemented these green ideas in your firm, share them with your clients. Make it a competition among your clients, and run a contest for some free consulting time or a free gift certificate for the client who improves the most.
Your Green Office Program
Setting up a formal program will help communicate your environmental initiatives and drive behavior change in your office. Here are some steps to consider in developing your green office program:
- Gain top management commitment so that your green initiative will be supported.
- Appoint a sustainability manager who will oversee the program and encourage behavior modification.
- Name your program something fun , and design a logo, if you wish.
- Communicate the new program to your employees, clients, and suppliers by creating a poster, an intranet announcement, or other communications.
- P ost the above list on a bulletin board or intranet.
- Consider using the mantra , "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle," in your green campaign.
- Measure how you are doing by issuing periodic status reports. Post dollar savings as well as waste volume reduction.
- Reward high-compliance employees and/or vendors with awards, time off, or gift certificates.
Your Green Challenge to Clients
A great way to help our clients reduce their operating expenses is to encourage them to go green. Share this checklist with them, and perhaps make it a competition. The reward could be publicity and a write-up in your company newsletter or on your intranet, free consulting time, or a gift certificate. See below for a letter to your clients to get them started.
Green Marketing Opportunities
If there is a strong environmental certifying agency in your industry, I recommend getting your product or service certified. As an example, one of my architect friends has a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.
Green Consultants. Green consultants are popping up to help organizations and individuals go green. If you feel green-challenged or just want an expert opinion, a green consultant may be a good place to turn.
Seeing Green
Going green means you'll have more green in your pockets, for your business and home. The earth that your children will inherit will benefit, and so will you.
Article By: Sandi Smith , CPA
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