By Jennifer Kaplan •
June 12, 2009
Another post inspired by a HARO request. This time it was an ask for low or no-cost tools used by small businesses. I did a quick search for the word “free” in my book and realized there are dozens. Here are my 19 favorites:
- Free energy-efficiency information, resources, and technical advice—ENERGY STAR for Small Business provides free information, resources, and technical advice on hundreds of cost-savings practices. Includes a downloadable copy of the free ENERGY STAR for Small Business Guide, “Putting Energy into Profits” and information about ENERGY STAR–labeled products.
- Free recycling and conservation signs—You can customize, download, and print free recycling and conservation signs at recyclereminders.com.
- Free control of your IT—If you run a network, software from companies like LocalCooling.com allows the settings on computers to be controlled centrally so you can automatically turn those babies off when no one is using them.
- Free Green IT for Dummies—HP sponsors a free, downloadable, condensed, limited edition of the Green IT for Dummies guide.
- Free recycling bins—The Coca-Cola/NRC Recycling Bin Grant Program provides recycling bins to selected grant recipients for the collection of beverage container recyclables in public settings.
- Free rideshare widget for websites— at GooseNetworks.com.
By Reenita Malhotra •
April 27, 2009
This Earth Day, it was my mission to take serious steps towards greening my home office. While saving paper was the no-brainer approach, there is no escaping those documents that absolutely need to be printed in any office large or small. So, the next obvious choice is to look at greening your print habits.
Given that I have been using the HP Officejet Pro 8500 for a few weeks now, I am beginning to realize its merits as an ideal printer for small business or home office use. Not just because of its efficiency but also because it is a truly green option as far as printers go.
I have been testing out the HP Officejet Pro 8500, a brand new wireless printer from HP. This is the first time I have actually seen jet printer provide photo quality output. Given that this printer is significantly cheaper than laser printers, this “All-In-One” machine might just be the perfect solution for small businesses.
By Brenda Keener •
March 1, 2009
The question for businesses used to be “Can we afford to go green?” Now it is ” Can we afford NOT to go green?” The upcoming Greener by Design 2009 conference, to be held May 19-20 in San Francisco will focus on helping industries learn to cut costs, create efficiency, and move towards sustainability through a series of focused hands-on innovation sessions, small-group consultative sessions, and demonstrations of new materials and tools.
By Reenita Malhotra •
January 13, 2009
Climate change entrepreneurs, your time is now! The world believes that entrepreneurs are key to climate change solutions, so get set to present your business plan.
Forum for the Future, a not-for-profit sustainable development organization has collaborated with the Financial Times, newspaper and technology giant HP to announce the FT Climate Change Challenge, a competition offers a $75,000 prize for the best innovation to tackle climate change.
By Ariel Schwartz •
December 10, 2008
HP fans looking to make their laptops more environmentally-friendly will soon get the chance to upgrade to Boston Power’s next-generation Sonata Lithium-ion batteries. The Sonata battery lasts for 1,000 charging cycles (3 years), compared to the 300 cycle limit of a conventional Li-ion battery.
By Ariel Schwartz •
September 24, 2008
Dell has announced that it plans have LED (light-emitting diode) backlit displays in 80 percent of its computers by 2008 and in all of them by 2010. LED displays consume 43 percent less energy for a 15 inch screen than standard CCFL (cold cathode fluorescent lamp) displays. According to the company, its LED displays will save $20 million and 220 million KWh in 2010 and 2011 combined.
By Kelli Best-Oliver •
September 3, 2008
HP has announced that their EnergyStar Pavilion dv6929 laptop will be packaged in recycled-content messenger bags instead of the traditional cardboard boxes. As a result, they’ve won Wal-Mart’s Home Entertainment Design Challenge, a contest open to all suppliers of consumer electronics products that focused on good design and innovative packaging design that facilitates reducing, reusing, and recycling.
By Kyle Weatherholtz •
February 2, 2008
I volunteered this year, on behalf of the O2 NYC, Green Options and my firm J. Ottman Consulting, at the inaugural Greener Gadgets conference on Friday, February 1st. On this raining day in midtown Manhattan I was happy to be inside the McGraw-Hill Conference Center on 49th Street. The conference was presented by research firm Marc Alt & Partners and design blog Inhabitat and brought out quite the group of designers, engineers, students, press and environmentalists. The speakers included the Head of Environment for North America at Nokia, Director of Product Take Back and Recycling at HP, and the Director of Corporate Environment, Safety, and Health at Sony, just to name a few.
I arrived at the conference about 9:30 am and was happy to notice as I walked in the doors, three disposal cans labeled “Waste, Recycling and Compost” and someone monitoring them. After I grabbed a stiff cup of coffee, in a mug as opposed to a paper cup, and checked my coat, I picked up my volunteer badge and headed in to hear the opening keynote speech. This speech, by artist and digital photographer Chris Jordan, was my absolute favorite of the day and I feel served to kick start the conference with the correct perspective of American mass consumption (something we all need in large daily doses).
Another post inspired by a HARO request. This time it was an ask for low or no-cost tools used by small businesses. I did a quick search for the word “free” in my book and realized there are dozens. Here are my 19 favorites:
