https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php Copyright 2017, Admin Admin en-US SPHPBLOG 0.5.1 https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry100127-105031 Open around the clock, using energy to power everything from lights to heart monitors and generating trash from one-time-use supplies, hospitals – while a critical component to society – can drain environmental resources.

A study from the University of Chicago published late last year, found the health care sector in the United States accounts for nearly a tenth of the country’s carbon dioxide emissions.

According to the study, health care in America, including activities such as hospital care, scientific research and the production and distribution of pharmaceutical drugs, was found to produce 8 percent of the country’s total carbon dioxide output despite accounting for 16 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product.

Researchers attributed hospitals’ high-energy demands to their constant need for temperature control, ventilation and lighting.

Certainly it takes some forethought and planning for hospitals and health care organizations to strike just the right balance between being environmentally responsible and providing life-saving medical care. But there are ways hospitals can do both and many are starting to take steps in that direction.

More than 1,000 health care providers and systems have joined Practice Greenhealth, a group for organizations in the health care community that have made a commitment to sustainable, eco-friendly practices.

Health Care Without Harm is an international coalition of hospitals, health care systems, medical professionals and environmental health organizations working to implement ecologically sounds and healthy alternatives to health care practices.

The U.S. Green Building Council now offers a LEED for Healthcare Green Building Rating System focused on inpatient and outpatient care facilities, long-term care facilities as well as medical offices, assisted living centers and medical education and research centers.

The USGBC collaborated closely with the Green Guide for Healthcare, a sustainable design toolkit specifically for health care facilities.

Some of the ways health care office and centers can go green can enhance employee satisfaction and patient care. One example is selecting more environmentally friendly cleaning products – there are products that will disinfect and sanitize but without the use of chemicals (which can be problematic for sensitive patients).

Also, hospitals can incorporate green design and energy savings into their construction or remodeling projects. Making use of natural light and adding plants or a small atrium not only saves energy but offers a soothing environment for patients and visitors.

And certainly simple steps like recycling paper and cafeteria food selection (think: organic and local) can make a big difference.

As we’ve addressed on this blog several times, many of these green practices translate into business savings and with the cost of health care services steadily rising that seems like something everyone can support.

We’d love to hear from you – do you work for a health care facility that is going green? What steps is your company taking and how is it working?
]]> Holly Fisher https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry100127-105031 Admin Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:50:31 GMT https://greenofficeprojects.org/comments.php?y=10&m=01&entry=entry100127-105031 https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry100121-144203
The Environmental Paper Network is taking steps to improve both recycling efforts as well as the manufacturing of recycled paper. The network is a diverse group of environmental organization joining forces to support environmentally sustainable policies and efforts within the pulp and paper industry. This latest initiative, called the RePaper Project, not only has a goal of increasing recycled paper, but also creating “social conditions that spur technological innovations and create sustainable job markets.”

The primary objectives of the RePaper Project , which includes on its steering committee the As You Sow Foundation, Conservatree, Green America, Green Press Initiative and the National Wildlife Federation, are to:
• Increase office paper recovery rate from 50% to 75% by 2015.
• Increase post-consumer recycled content in printing and writing papers from 6% to 15% by 2015, and 30% by 2020.
• Increase awareness of recycled content printing and writing papers.

Key to the effort will be educating businesses on how they can get involved, both in using more post-consumer recycled paper and in recycling much more of the paper they do use. And certainly part of this effort can be about teaching people to think before they print, so printing isn’t the norm but rather an occasional necessity.

And don’t forget the financial component (always appealing to your CFO).
• Print on both sides of the paper. There, you just cut your paper purchasing costs in half.
• Only print when necessary – make use of pdfs, e-mail, file share sites and e-faxing. There, you just cut the paper purchasing in half again.
• Reuse paper that looks bound for the trash. You can easily turn half sheets of paper into scratch pads to jotting down notes and phone numbers. There, you just saved more money because you didn’t by notepads or those “while you were out” message pads.

Additional resources:
• The RePaper Project Web site has a number of resources, including the “Office Paper Recovery Guide” targeting office managers.
• The California Integrated Waste Management Board also has a Web site filled with posters and stickers that promote reductions in paper use. (one of the posters is pictured)
• The Environmental Defense Fund’s “Action Guide to Greener Paper” is a few years old but still has many relevant tips and ideas for cutting paper use.
]]> Holly Fisher https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry100121-144203 Admin Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:42:03 GMT https://greenofficeprojects.org/comments.php?y=10&m=01&entry=entry100121-144203 https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry091221-082941
As we look ahead to the coming year – and coming decade – it’s clear the environment will continue to play a large role in business decisions. Businesses are finding green pays. While certainly a responsible choice, environmentally friendly decisions often save businesses thousands – and sometimes millions – of dollars. Adding those kinds of numbers to the bottom line is tough for an owner or executive to ignore.

Even small changes like printing less or using both sides of the paper can help a company cut down on office supply costs. Giving employees the opportunity to telecommute can increase productivity and may even be a boost toward retaining employees – another cost savings by not having to hire and train new employees.

Beyond those kinds of internal savings, companies also find going green meets consumer demand. Customers expect companies to at least make some effort toward protecting the environment and often a company’s level of green can determine where consumers are shopping.

Green technology will continue to thrive in 2010. Just this year on this blog, I wrote about Sprint and Samsung’s eco-friendly cell phone as well as green computing and server options.

Just take a look at the Consumer Electronics Show coming up next month in Las Vegas. The major tech event of the year, it features a Sustainable Planet and Greener Gadget space for exhibitors to showcase sustainable products.

Finally, expect to see employees getting more involved in creating green workplaces. A majority of the green office initiatives start from the bottom up. Employees can have tremendous influence in creating a green office environment. Again, those small steps can add up, giving senior management proof that going green works for the environment – and the bottom line.

Let us know what you anticipate in 2010 – whether it’s green efforts in your own office or tech trends that you expect to make a surge this year.
]]> Holly Fisher https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry091221-082941 Admin Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:29:41 GMT https://greenofficeprojects.org/comments.php?y=09&m=12&entry=entry091221-082941 https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry091215-084901
But one businessman has found a way for consumers and businesses to keep their cars clean without the waste. In September, Pierrick Bouquet (pictured) opened Ecolo Green Car Wash using environmentally friendly products and only enough water to fill a single glass to wash vehicles.

Here’s how it works: Ecolo-Car is a water-based product that blends coconut soap and an organic polymer. Ecolo-Car is sprayed on a vehicle and the organic polymers dissolve, lifting the dirt from the surface. The residue is wiped off with a microfiber cloth, the surface is buffed and the car is clean. (Check out the company’s YouTube channel for video demonstrations.)

Based in Newport Beach, Calif., Bouquet primarily works with large businesses, going on site to those companies to wash employee or business vehicles. Bouquet says he plans to expand franchising opportunities next spring and also is trying to take his Ecolo products nationwide (currently you can purchase the products from the Web site). He’s also is looking into commercial car wash locations near supermarkets and shopping centers so people can leave their cars to be cleaned while shopping or running errands.

Originally from France, Bouquet got the idea for Ecolo Green Car Wash while vacationing there and hearing about the popularity of green car washes in Europe. He researched the market in California – which is in a drought condition – and decided the state was ready for his water-saving business.

The term “ecolo” is shorthand for "écologiste,” which in French means someone who lives a sustainable, eco-friendly lifestyle that has a minimum environmental impact.

A typical Ecolo car wash costs $17 to $20 for the two most popular services, but it’s done on site so it saves customers time. Plus, consumers know they aren’t wasting water. And some of those profits benefit the larger mission of water conservation. Ecolo Green Car Wash has partnered with Water Education Foundation, a nonprofit with the mission of helping resolve California’s water crisis by raising awareness.

We give a big Green Thumbs Up to Bouquet and Ecolo Green Car Wash for saving millions of gallons of water. We hope to see green car washes like this springing up around the country.

For the latest updates, follow Ecolo Green Car Wash on Twitter.

]]> Holly Fisher https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry091215-084901 Admin Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:49:01 GMT https://greenofficeprojects.org/comments.php?y=09&m=12&entry=entry091215-084901 https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry091124-091447 This week we kick off the holiday season with food, family and friends – and shopping. Well, from a retail standpoint, shopping started just before Halloween, but you get the point.

You may find yourself drawing a name for the office gift exchange or spearheading a toy drive or canned food collection to benefit local charities. All those are terrific endeavors, but there are also some ways to green your office celebrations and add a spirit of environmentalism.

• Thanks in part to this year’s recession we’ve been reminded that less is more. Forego the gift exchange and give employees an opportunity to volunteer at the local homeless shelter or food bank – preferably somewhere within walking distance or encourage carpooling. You can’t possibly need one more bobblehead for your desk or word-a-day calendar, so skip the gifts. You save on gas from shopping trips and generate less trash (gift wrap, packaging, etc.).

• Employees will inevitably do some shopping, but there's no reason it can't be green. Give employees a list of local vendors and those who support fair trade. Buying local not only supports your neighbors but reduces the amount of energy, gas and resources used to ship products.

• Instead of giving gifts, ask each employee to contribute $5 or $10. Donate the money to a local environmental organization or use the funds to green the office – replace light bulbs, purchase recycled paper or buy reusable coffee mugs so you can eliminate the use of paper or Styrofoam ones.

• With company budgets already spread thin, it may be tough for employers to give holiday bonuses or gifts. Instead consider giving employees a set number of free telecommuting days so they can work from home, which helps the environment and gives the employee a chance to work in their PJs.

• If your company is having a holiday party, give it a green theme. Send invitations via e-mail or with an evite. Work with eco-friendly vendors, such as caterers and rental space. Ask employees to carpool to the party.

Let’s hear your suggestions for greening your office during the holiday season. Post a comment and share!
]]> Holly Fisher https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry091124-091447 Admin Tue, 24 Nov 2009 14:14:47 GMT https://greenofficeprojects.org/comments.php?y=09&m=11&entry=entry091124-091447 https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry091117-102110
In May, a team from large commercial real estate firm CB Richard Ellis and the University of San Diego’s Burnham-Moores Center for Real Estate embarked on a study as to whether green buildings would actually increase worker productivity. The results were published earlier this month and show environment can actually play a role in worker productivity.

While management is still the largest factor in employee productivity, more than half the tenants surveyed agreed employees were more productive after they moved to a green building. About 45 percent agreed workers took fewer sick days (on average, 2.88 days less sick time).

These results have financial implications for businesses. For tenants who reported greater productivity, the impact would be $20.82 per square foot, per year (based on salary and average productivity increase). For tenants who claimed fewer sick days, the net impact per worker is $4.91 per square foot, per year. Overall, that means the average impact per worker when it comes to increased productivity is $5,204 and $1,228 in terms of fewer sick days. (Read the full study online.)

Those numbers can add up and is just one more reason for companies to embrace environmentally conscious business practices – from recycling to the kind of materials used in the building’s physical structure, the paint on the walls and the furniture in the cubicles.

This also provides another argument for business owners and managers who argue going green is too costly and not financially feasible. Yes, going for LEED certification or leasing a green or energy-efficient building may add to the expenses column in the budget – but with savings from higher productivity and fewer sick days, plus savings on energy costs, businesses may find themselves saving money in the long run.

Let’s hear your thoughts. Do you work in a green office building and find it ups your overall health and productivity? Is your business considering a move to a green building?
]]> Holly Fisher https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry091117-102110 Admin Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:21:10 GMT https://greenofficeprojects.org/comments.php?y=09&m=11&entry=entry091117-102110 https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry091028-205432 In our last post, we looked at some ways to green your computer, particularly on the software and server sides. But there are other ways to make your electronic and computing life a little greener.

First and foremost is proper recycling of your computer and other electronic devices. Computers, batteries, cell phones, televisions and other electronics can – and certainly should – be recycled. As more companies and communities work to eliminate e-waste, it’s becoming increasingly easier to recycle electronics. That means you have no excuse.

The Environmental Protection Agency has a partnership with leading electronics manufacturers – called Plug-In To eCycling – that fosters opportunities for consumers to donate or recycle their electronics. In 2008, this program recycled more than 66.5 million pounds of used electronics – a 30 percent jump from the previous year. According to the EPA, those recycled items prevented the release of greenhouse gases equal to the annual emissions from about 15,500 cars.

Information from the EPA indicates consumer electronics – including televisions and video equipment, computers and phones – make up about 2 percent of the municipal solid waste stream. Now, that might not sounds like much in the grand scheme of things, but that number increases with our dependency on electronics and our need for the latest iPhone, laptop and gaming machine.

This eCycling Resources page from the EPA Web site has plenty of information on how and where to recycle your items. Businesses, especially those that upgrade computers every year or two, may be able to donate their items to a local nonprofit or school. They may also be able to receive a tax deduction for a contribution.

Another way take your computing green, as it relates to energy use, is through energy monitoring. Just this week, President Obama announced that projects in most U.S. states, D.C. and Guam would receive federal money for smart-grid projects. According to the New York Times, “The money will go toward deploying more smart meters, which use digital technology to deliver detailed usage data to the customer and the utility, as well as adding displays in homes that tell customers about their electricity use and improving technology in substations, transformers and other parts of the grid.”

If you want to get a taste of the concept of monitoring, check out Google’s PowerMeter in your small business or home office. It’s a free electricity usage monitoring tool so you can see just how much energy you’re consuming. You’ll be able to see whether turning off and unplugging your computer at night is really making a difference (I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised.)

Finally, if you need more convincing on the importance of green computing, take a look at these 48 clean-tech facts compiled by PC Magazine. (Wow! The energy saved by recycling one plastic bottle can power a computer for 25 minutes!)
]]> Holly Fisher https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry091028-205432 Admin Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:54:32 GMT https://greenofficeprojects.org/comments.php?y=09&m=10&entry=entry091028-205432 https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry091021-083920 When it comes to creating a green office, you have to turn your attention to the devices that use a great deal of energy – the computers and servers. Even if you make a conscious effort to turn off your computer – or at least the monitor – after hours, computers are still the company workhorses and demand a lot of power.

Millions of Americans are tethered to their computers daily, so what can a business do to create greener software and computer solutions?

A good first step to look at how your company is using its software programs – on-site versus something calls SaaS or Software as a Service. Taking a green perspective on this topic, your business could be saving a great deal of energy by using SaaS or Web-based applications that run through the vender’s data center and are accessed online. On-site software means you pop in the CD, install the software and run it on your own server or computer hard drive.

Chris Thorman on SoftwareAdvice.com, offers an extensive comparison of the two and which one is more green. In his example, SaaS uses significantly less energy, in part because a vendor can accommodate multiple customers on one server, and off-site software requires less power meaning employees can switch to more energy-efficient personal computers, such as laptops.

Another benefit to using online software or shared downloads is the savings on packaging (no CD, no boxes) as well as the energy savings from not having those items delivered to your office via a delivery truck.

Here are a couple of other green computing options:

• Canadian-based computer Userful has created Userful Multiplier, which uses Linux-based software and allows 10 users to run off the juice of one computer. The company boasts a savings of 90% on electricity use with its product.

• Faronics Power Save analyzes your computer’s activities and powers down the computer when it’s inactive. The computer claims an average savings of $50 per computer per year when using this software solution.

But if you’re still thinking, “OK, what’s all the hype? How much energy can my computer really use?”, check out this article on the power consumption of computers. It gives good evidence for switching to a laptop (15-60 watts) from a desktop (60-500 watts) for energy efficiency and turning off your monitor when it’s not in use (0-15 watts versus up to 150 watts when a monitor is running).

In the end these extra efforts can ultimately save your business money as energy consumption drops and you can afford to upgrade to more energy-efficient computers for your employees. And that kind of green savings is something just about any business can get behind.

Let’s hear your ideas! What green computing solutions are you using?
]]> Holly Fisher https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry091021-083920 Admin Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:39:20 GMT https://greenofficeprojects.org/comments.php?y=09&m=10&entry=entry091021-083920 https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry090928-080003 By its very nature, working from home is a greener option. The commute involves simply walking from the kitchen with coffee mug in hand to your home office space – no vehicle emissions needed.

People who work from home also have more control over how they can green their space, such as opting for natural lighting instead of harsh fluorescent overhead lights or purchasing eco-friendly products, such as recycled paper or refilled ink cartridges.

A downside to working from home is not being around co-workers who (hopefully) would share your desire to make the workplace a little greener. But there are still some ways you can be part of a green community, even if your only office-mates are a cat and a dog.

• Be part of the green online community. Twitter, for example, is a great “water cooler” for people who work from home. If you need a five-minute break, join in the Twitter conversation and connect with other people with a passion for green. (The Green Office Blog is on Twitter too.)

• Join a local environment or conservation organization. A local nonprofit would welcome your interest and involvement and it’s a great way to meet new people who share your eco interest. Plus, you might find it’s good for business networking.

• If you happen to telecommute or work for a company in which a large number of employees work from home, create a virtual green team. Share resources and ideas for making each home office greener.

Here are some more good tips for a green home office from www.BestGreenHomeTips.com, including investing in a programmable thermostat. This means you have control of the office temperature, so no need to have the A/C cranked when it’s only 60 degrees outside.

Finally, think about the equipment you’re using at home. You have the freedom to select energy-efficient products, including your computer. An excellent resource is the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT). A product of the Green Electronic Council, this program evaluates computer desktops, laptops and monitors based on 51 environmental criteria developed through an extensive process supported by the U.S. EPA.

Do you work at home? What are your suggestions for making your home office green?
]]> Holly Fisher https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry090928-080003 Admin Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:00:03 GMT https://greenofficeprojects.org/comments.php?y=09&m=09&entry=entry090928-080003 https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry090915-083102 Green Thumbs Up to Sprint for its efforts to create a more sustainable workplace. So when a company representative contacted me asking if I’d like to test drive the new Samsung Reclaim cell phone, I jumped at the chance to check it out.

It arrived one afternoon in all its green glory, made from 80 percent recyclable materials. The Reclaim comes with a full slide-out keyboard, texting, e-mail and Internet capabilities. It is, as you might expect, available in Earth Green and Ocean Blue. At $50, it’s a robust phone with plenty of features most consumers expect from their cell phones today – camera, Facebook, MySpace and Google.

At first I had a little bit of a tough time figuring out the navigation on the main screen and which button did what. (Granted, like I’m sure most people do, I just started pushing buttons and didn’t first pull out the instructions.) The keyboard worked surprisingly well considering I’m used to my Blackberry, which has a slightly larger keypad and raised keys, whereas the Reclaim has a flat keyboard.

Definitely for the price, the Reclaim is a good deal and has all the standard cell phone bells and whistles. But I really liked the added bonus of a number of green features, including a Green Glossary, Guide Guides and Five Simple Steps all from the Discovery Channel.

One of the neat green side benefits is that $2 from the proceeds of each Samsung Reclaim benefits The Nature Conservancy’s Adopt an Acre program, which supports land conservation across the United States.

A few more green tidbits about the Samsung Reclaim:
• The phone’s bio-plastic material is made from corn and comprises 40 percent of the outer casing.
• The box and packaging are made from 70 percent recycling materials and printed with soy-based ink.
• The charger is Energy Star approved and lets you know when the phone is fully charged.
• Included in the package is a paper filled with green facts about Sprint that can be soaked in water, planted and turned into wildflowers.

Here’s another review of the Reclaim from EngadgetMobile.com.

Other cell phone makers are taking a turn toward the green and creating cell phones that are both functional and eco-friendly. About.com ranked the top three green cell phones. The Reclaim is on the list along with the MOTO W233 Renew from T-Mobile. It’s made from recycled plastic water bottles, and Motorola claims it is the world’s first carbon-neutral phone.

Also, the Samsung Blue Earth (pictured at right) is a green smartphone also made from recycled plastic water bottles. This phone charges not only with an energy-efficient charger but with solar panels (cool!). You can watch a video about this phone here.

Need more ideas for turning your cell phone green? Check out this Web site. And don’t forget to recycle your old cell phone when you upgrade.

Have you tried one of these green cell phones? Post a comment and let us know what you think.
]]> Holly Fisher https://greenofficeprojects.org/index.php?entry=entry090915-083102 Admin Tue, 15 Sep 2009 12:31:02 GMT https://greenofficeprojects.org/comments.php?y=09&m=09&entry=entry090915-083102