Green Options » Operations http://greenoptions.com/tag/operations Posts tagged 'Operations' Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:49:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en The Huge Implications of the Eco-Public Health Connection http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/11/02/the-huge-implications-of-the-eco-public-health-connection/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/11/02/the-huge-implications-of-the-eco-public-health-connection/#comments Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:49:48 +0000 Jennifer Kaplan http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/11/02/the-huge-implications-of-the-eco-public-health-connection/ Someone recently asked me if there was a public health angle to greening small businesses.  After thinking it over, it became clear there is.  First, when we talk about green we are also talking about issues of safety and health: Materials should foster healthy environments, current and future. This means avoiding toxic and dangerous chemicals. It means using an appropriate ventilation system. It means projects should be well-built to minimize safety risks to the occupants (fire, collapse, etc.). It also means making larger ties between the products we buy and energy security, homeland and foreign security, and other “issues of the day.”

Please keep in mind that there are 27 million small businesses in the US and consider these facts from the SBA: Small businesses…

  • Employ just over half of U.S. workers. Of 119.9 million non-farm private sector workers in 2006, small firms with fewer than 500 workers employed 60.2 million and large firms employed 59.7 million.
  • Represent 99.7 percent of all employer firms.

I see three distinct public health implications:

Public Health Implication #1: I have a case study in my new book that talks about greening that is recognized by the EPA and OSHA as exemplary and that points out that quality, environmental, health, and safety standards are all intertwined; a company that set and meets the highest health and safety standards is the surest route to profitability and competitiveness. The Ideal Jacobs Corporation, a commercial printing company in NJ, has been recognized by both the EPA and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for environmental and social responsibility. One of a few, small independent manufacturers in the EPA’s Performance Track program—a program for companies with the best environmental management systems in the country.

Says Andrew Jacobs, President: “You can’t get the best profits, you can’t even compete worldwide unless you are the ultimate in making as little garbage as possible, having the least amount of it around so your people won’t get sick, and being one of the safest you can be. So by being the best employer, you’re also being the most profitable.”

Jacobs chose to focus on two high-impact areas of his business: solid waste and hazardous waste.

“After working through the EPA application [twice], I realized the correlation between reducing solid waste and higher profit margins. It suddenly dawned on me: Of course, create less pollution and [you’ll] have more end-product…We invited in OSHA, which was unheard of at the time. Then, I realized that the healthier and safer our place was, the more money I was making. Every click we made in terms of quality, environmentalism, and safety, every time we notched up, we made more money.”

Since 2002, the company has reduced its solid waste per dollar of sales by more than 50%. By substituting less toxic materials in its sheet-fed printing operations, the company achieved an 18% reduction in pounds of solid waste per $1 in sales and a 23% reduction in pounds of hazardous materials used per $1 in sales. Ideal Jacobs is proof that good sustainability practices are good for business.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/11/02/the-huge-implications-of-the-eco-public-health-connection/feed/ 5 Ways To Green Your Supply Chain http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/10/13/5-ways-to-green-your-supply-chain/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/10/13/5-ways-to-green-your-supply-chain/#comments Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:10:13 +0000 Jennifer Kaplan http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/10/13/5-ways-to-green-your-supply-chain/ If you are thinking about ways to green your supply chain, you’re not alone. A Supply Chain Consortium survey showed that organizations of all sizes are implementing sustainability initiatives throughout the supply chain not only to achieve regulatory compliance, but also to improve brand image and customer satisfaction.

What does that mean? The most effective greening of purchasing involves thinking about your entire inbound supply chain with an overriding purpose in mind: to select and purchase goods and services that are affordable, and have the least possible environmental impact throughout the course of every phase of their lifecycle including manufacturing, shipping/transportation, use, and recycling or disposal. And, contrary to popular belief, green purchasing does not always have to mean higher costs—although sometimes it will. In fact, by greening your supply chain you can often streamline your purchasing process, reduce overall costs, and improve your environmental footprint.

There are five good supply chain strategies that can be used to reduce waste. You can start by considering strategies that reduce the physical distance between where materials are sourced and where they are used. These strategies not only help reduce travel-related emissions, but also often result in shorter times to market and lower inventory holding costs:

Buying local is an excellent greening strategy. There significant social, environmental, and economic benefits to creating local economies. At this writing, some thirty-six cities and towns—from Albuquerque to Tampa—have adopted programs to label and promote locally owned businesses. It is always worthwhile to check with your vendors about the availability of local products and materials. Buying local also provides business owners with more control over their materials and end products. As an example, one wholesale distributor of locally grown food products in Michigan tells the story of being able to deliver poultry products that are cut to customer specifications quickly and on a regular basis, something that would be impossible if he were using larger, more distant vendors. The Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) is a good resource for finding a local business network in your area.

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]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/10/13/5-ways-to-green-your-supply-chain/feed/ 17 Ways To Green Your Holidays http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/09/21/17-ways-to-green-your-holidays/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/09/21/17-ways-to-green-your-holidays/#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 18:22:15 +0000 Jennifer Kaplan http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/09/21/17-ways-to-green-your-holidays/ Walking the green walk, isn’t always easy, and the holidays present special challenges. Its not always easy to mess with traditions. Last Thanksgiving I hosted a 100-mile Thanksgiving (I chronicled it in two blog posts on the OrganicMania blog). My attempt to convince my mother-in-law in Tampa that buying condensed milk at my local supermarket for her traditional key lime pie wasn’t really in the spirit of the plan, did not go over so well. That said, I can see a 100-mile Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanza or even a 100-mile gift rule.

Tip #1: Source locally. Use local and sustainable produce, flowers, beverages, décor and rentals for holiday parties and meals.

Beyond that, there are two primary categories of activities involved in greening holiday parties and events: Finding ways to minimize the impact of the consumption occurring at the event itself, including food, flowers, beverages, décor, gifts, ect… Finding ways to mitigate the carbon footprint resulting from the airplane travel, car travel and lodging consumed for the event.

The good news is that there are a number of greening strategies that can deal with some or all of these factors that that are sexy and require little to no extra costs.

  1. Make sure you have a recycling plan in place. Make recycling easy by having a sufficient number of well-marked recycling bins near where people need them.
  2. If you are exchanging gifts (…think Secret Santa), make them green. There are a host of environmentally friendly gifts items ranging from aluminum water bottles to solar powered messenger bags to fair trade chocolates to locally made crafts that could fit the bill.

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    ]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/09/21/17-ways-to-green-your-holidays/feed/ The “Top 10 Greening Tips” Myth http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/09/02/the-top-10-greening-tips-myth/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/09/02/the-top-10-greening-tips-myth/#comments Wed, 02 Sep 2009 17:54:28 +0000 Jennifer Kaplan http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/09/02/the-top-10-greening-tips-myth/ Yet again, a LinkedIn question (asking for top 10 greening tips) got me thinking.  Is there really a thing such as a generic list of top 10 tips for greening? I don’t think so.

    As a start, the foundation of a green program lies in what a business is already doing. Do you recycle? Do you use CFLs? Do you have a programmable thermostats? Do you leave their PCs on all night? How much water do you use? What are your transportation needs? Depending on the answers to these and other questions, you will be able to identify the areas where the top green opportunities lie.  Even if you business practices are not very green now, you will probably find that you’ve adopted a green business practices already, and that you can implement others with no cost or change in business performance.  As an example, for most small businesses, changing to high efficiency lights or using recycled copy paper will have no direct impact on your core business operations.

    So how do you know what the top 10 things you can be doing to green yourself are? One way to determine which greening practices will yield the most bang for the buck (a.k.a. be a top 10 tip) is to focus on the largest expense areas. There is often a correlation between expenses and volume of use. If you cut back on what you spend, you will likely reduce what you use.

    So, whether reducing paper use or switching to high efficiency lights is a top 10 tip depends, well, on how much paper and electricity you’re using.  A business may want to target all expense areas over a certain threshold amount. You can measure this in dollars or as a percentage of overall expenses, such as any expense on which you spend over $500 a month, or that represent 10% or more of total expenses. A list of business expenses can guide the planning process. Start with the areas of the business that will have the greatest financial impact. You may not be able to change things as dramatically as you’d like, especially at first. Look for actions that are achievable and cost effective to implement. If staff leave lights on in unoccupied rooms (bathrooms, storage sheds), you may want to make turning off the lights in unused areas a priority. That step may be as simple as posting signs on light switches. If, on the other hand the lights are generating significant added costs, they may want to install motion sensors or bi-level light switches.

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    ]]>     http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/09/02/the-top-10-greening-tips-myth/feed/     WalMart’s Sustainability Index: Tips for Suppliers http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/08/25/walmarts-sustainability-index-tips-for-suppliers/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/08/25/walmarts-sustainability-index-tips-for-suppliers/#comments Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:39:26 +0000 Deborah Fleischer http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/08/25/walmarts-sustainability-index-tips-for-suppliers/ WalMart truck

    When WalMart finally unveiled their new Sustainability Index, I found the 15 questions a bit underwhelming. Especially, after all the press and fuss (you can download the questions from the WalMart web site).

    For example, the first question, “Have you measured your corporate greenhouse gas emissions?” is so simplistic, that a yes answer could mean many things. Scope 1? Scope 2? Have they taken on the challenge of addressing the full supply chain?

    GreenBiz.com offers some advice for getting the most out of the questions, if you are a Walmart supplier that is just beginning to think about environmental issues.

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    ]]>     http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/08/25/walmarts-sustainability-index-tips-for-suppliers/feed/     12 Ways To Make The People’s Stimulus Green http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/07/28/12-ways-to-make-the-peoples-stimulus-green/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/07/28/12-ways-to-make-the-peoples-stimulus-green/#comments Tue, 28 Jul 2009 20:12:51 +0000 Jennifer Kaplan http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/07/28/12-ways-to-make-the-peoples-stimulus-green/ I just read about the People’s Stimulus Package and am impressed.  Started by an Alabama pharmacist who thought his little town need its own stimulus, he gave his employees $700 bucks each ($300 to part timers) in $2 bills.  All he asked is that they give 15% to a charity and to spend the rest locally in independent stores.  Now, Turman Commercial Painters has formalized the program and are hoping it spreads across the country.

    I hope it does, but I would add one more requirement: Make the spending green.

    Buying local is itself an excellent greening strategy, in part because of evidence that there are significant social, environmental, and economic benefits to creating local economies. Beyond that, a local green stimulus is a great opportunity to educate staff about what they can do with a few extra bucks.

    Here are twelve easy, low-cost things you can do to stimulate the local economy green-ly:

    1. Join the locavore movement and buy produce, bread, food stuffs and crafts made within your home town .
    2. Buy some high efficiency bulbs.

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      ]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/07/28/12-ways-to-make-the-peoples-stimulus-green/feed/ Six Companies That Help Make Recycling Easier http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/07/17/six-companies-that-help-make-recycling-easier/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/07/17/six-companies-that-help-make-recycling-easier/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:31:22 +0000 Jennifer Kaplan http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/07/17/six-companies-that-help-make-recycling-easier/ In some respects, waste is immeasurable—it touches every aspect of your business, from the scrap paper that fills your waste bins to the fuel you use for business travel.

      And while we know that that aiming for zero waste is a fast, cheap and effective strategy for combating climate change, its not always easy to do. You can’t find the resources, it involves trips here and there, its expensive. There are all sorts of obstacles. However, these six companies (some are actually non-profit organizations and government agencies) make recycling easy.

      1. Earth911.org is an excellent site with good recycling information.  Their recycling search tool makes it easy to locate waste collectors and drop-off sites.  It covers resources for paper, metal, hazardous waste, plastic, glass, electronics, automotive, household, garden, and construction waste. Two of my favorite resources are: 1) a great list of manufacturer and retail take-back e-waste programs and 2) an awesome free widget for your website that can not only give your customers access to the world’s largest database of over 100,000 recycling locations, but can pre-populate recyclable materials search to fit your readers. For example, a blog focused on car care can auto-populate the widget to search for locations that accept used motor oil or car batteries.

      2. LampRecycling.com is a new online resource for facilities that need a simple and cost-effective way to recycle their fluorescent bulbs, CFLs, batteries, ballasts, and electronic waste. These guys make it super easy to recycle. You can order recycling containers for multiple types of waste and return them via pre-paid FedEx. Once the waste has been received for recycling, a recurring order is triggered and a new EasyPak container is shipped out automatically. You can view recycling reports that give totals of all waste you have recycled and every time waste is recycled with EasyPak, you are issued a certificate of recycling that verifies your recycling efforts and details exactly how much waste was recycled.

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      ]]>       http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/07/17/six-companies-that-help-make-recycling-easier/feed/       Remanufactured Ink And Toner Makes Good, Green $ense http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/07/10/remanufactured-ink-and-toner-makes-good-green-ense/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/07/10/remanufactured-ink-and-toner-makes-good-green-ense/#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:44:08 +0000 Jennifer Kaplan http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/07/10/remanufactured-ink-and-toner-makes-good-green-ense/ Consumer Alert: There are three things you need to know about remanufactured ink and toner cartridges:

      1. They are not inferior in quality to new Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) products. (In fact, in 1997, the US EPA stated that remanufactured products are “as good as new.”)
      2. Using a remanufactured or any cartridge other than that of the OEM will not in fact void the printer equipment warranty. (Not that manufacturers didn’t try.  They did but the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975 specifically states that a warranty may not be voided because of the use of aftermarket products.)
      3. Buying them will typically save you money and selling spent cartridges will typically make you money.

      (This information comes courtesy of Ecogreenoffice.com whose primer about the truth about remanufactered print cartridges contains lots of additional information.)

      There are two sides to greening your ink and toner purchases: The Buy and the Sell.

      The Sell. The act of selling ink and toner cartridges is one of the easiest ways to make money and be green at the same time. On the revenue side, cartridges are valuable (some are worth as much as $22). If cash isn’t what your looking for, retailers such Office Max, Office Depot and Staples have rewards programs that give up to $3 in store credit for each eligible cartridge and have drop boxes in stores. (Office Max also has a postage-paid shipping program for those who recycle high volumes of cartridges—up to 300 a month). In any event, selling spent cartridges is easy and sometimes even lucrative.

      The Buy. Want to know the impact of all those cartridges you’re using? The folks at SB Office Supplies, an online office supply retailer with an extensive green catalog, have a nifty Remanufactured Cartridge Savings Calculator that tells how much oil is saved and how many cartridges stay out of land fills when you buy remanufactured cartridges.

      Convinced? They are basically two routes to go.

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      ]]>       http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/07/10/remanufactured-ink-and-toner-makes-good-green-ense/feed/       10 Great, Cheap, Green Office Supplies http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/07/02/10-great-cheap-green-office-supplies/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/07/02/10-great-cheap-green-office-supplies/#comments Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:37:17 +0000 Jennifer Kaplan http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/07/02/10-great-cheap-green-office-supplies/ In the past I’ve written about how you can save money by reducing the amount of paper you use and the 7 basics of green procurement (which includes defining office supplies standards). Now, let’s talk about basic office supplies that are great, green and cheap.

      It’s easier to buy green office products than ever before. The three largest office supply retailers, Staples, Office Depot and Office Max each carry thousands of reasonably priced products with recycled content and other environmental attributes.

      Some even innovate. Take Office Max, they were one of the first national retailers to carry TerraCycle products and they now sell a range of their products from notebooks made from used potato chip bags to juice pouch pencil cases.

      There are also a number of green office suppliers online such as Green Line Paper.com, TheGreenOffice.com or Green Apple School Supply that offer thousands of eco-friendly products. And green promotional item companies like John Simonetta’s ProformaGreen.com and EcoPromotionsOnline.com are also good places to find green office supplies.

      I found ten awesome green office supply products under $10 because no matter how small every single purchase has an impact on the environment. Whether you’re buying copy paper or forklifts, that purchasing decision is an environmental decision. So, if you want to start with some small stuff, basic office supplies are a great place to start.  Here are my favorite cheap, green office supplies:

      #1. on my list is reasonably priced private-label recycled content copy paper from office supply retailers. A scan of websites today (July 2, 2009) revealed the following prices for a 10 ream case (5,000 sheets) of 30% PCW 20 lb. 8.5″ x 11′ copy paper:

      Office Depot: $3.30/ream (for a limited time until stock lasts; regularly $4.00/ream)

      Office Max: $4.00/ream

      Staples: $4.10/ream

      2. & 3. The TerraCycle E-Waste Recycling Can is made from 100% e-waste (such as crushed computers and fax machines) that would otherwise have ended up in landfills. It comes in both blue and green, holds 28 quarts and costs $9.99 (www.officemax.com).  For a more funky and slightly smaller version, the TerraCycle 12″ Urban Art Recycled Trash Bin (its that groovy one above) also costs $9.99 (ShopOnlyGreen.com).

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      ]]>       http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/07/02/10-great-cheap-green-office-supplies/feed/       One Great Way to Support Green Startups: Think Inside the Box http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/06/19/one-great-way-to-support-green-startups-think-inside-the-box/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/06/19/one-great-way-to-support-green-startups-think-inside-the-box/#comments Fri, 19 Jun 2009 11:00:17 +0000 Paul Smith http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/06/19/one-great-way-to-support-green-startups-think-inside-the-box/ london creative business spaceHere’s an idea that comes from outside the green business world, but has much to offer us and I think should be repeated all over.

      In London, KiosKiosk is a simple, powerful, powerfully fun idea: Create an attractive temporary space for upcoming (but ready to sell) businesses to be at, in a high traffic area. At no cost.

      Backed by the London Sustainable Development Commission, businesses just need to submit a brief form describing what they’d like to use the kiosk for, when, and why they are a good idea for the KiosKiosk and vice versa.

      While the KiosKiosk is focused on creative/design/arts/music businesses, such an idea could, and should be replicated for green startups, many of which, like any small company, may not have the funds or credit history to get a full fledged, full time space. Since there is no rent to pay, this could also be used by companies to create, say, memorable experiences and activities out of the space, of lasting promotional value and social media worthy mentions, growing their online business, for example.

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      ]]>       http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/06/19/one-great-way-to-support-green-startups-think-inside-the-box/feed/       19 Free (Green) Tools for Small Businesses http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/06/12/19-free-green-tools-for-small-buinesses/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/06/12/19-free-green-tools-for-small-buinesses/#comments Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:05:46 +0000 Jennifer Kaplan http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/06/12/19-free-green-tools-for-small-buinesses/ 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:

      1. 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.
      2. Free recycling and conservation signs—You can customize, download, and print free recycling and conservation signs at recyclereminders.com.
      3. 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.
      4. Free Green IT for Dummies—HP sponsors a free, downloadable, condensed, limited edition of the Green IT for Dummies guide.
      5. 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.
      6. Free rideshare widget for websites— at GooseNetworks.com.

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        ]]> http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/06/12/19-free-green-tools-for-small-buinesses/feed/ Energy Efficiency Is Good For Business http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/05/20/energy-efficiency-is-good-for-business/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/05/20/energy-efficiency-is-good-for-business/#comments Wed, 20 May 2009 19:13:15 +0000 Jennifer Kaplan http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/05/20/energy-efficiency-is-good-for-business/ Why bother improving energy efficiency? We know we should, but how do you articulate why? Of course, if there is an ROI case to be made then the analysis is easy. But really, it seems to beg a larger issue. Is there a reason beyond ROI?

        Whatever the industry, managing costs is good for business, and increasing energy efficiency and reducing energy costs does just that. Given rising energy prices and a growing awareness of the importance of energy conservation, a carefully conceived energy management strategy may well be one of the most important steps a business can take to sustain and grow business.

        Furthermore, research by Innovest Strategic Value Advisors suggests that companies with a clear energy management strategy have a competitive advantage. Companies that lead in energy management achieved superior stock and financial performance over “laggards.” They even achieved significant financial premiums in stock prices over competitors. This from the National Environmental Education Foundation:

        Companies have been engaging in energy-efficiency strategies for years as a means to control costs. Increasingly, a body of evidence suggests that companies that take a systematic and strategic approach to energy management can enjoy a broad array of tangible and intangible benefits of interest to investors. As financial analysts and institutional investors come to understand this energy-value connection, energy management is becoming another measure by which they assess companies.

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        ]]>         http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/05/20/energy-efficiency-is-good-for-business/feed/         3 Steps To Recycling Buy-In http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/05/18/3-steps-to-recycling-buy-in/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/05/18/3-steps-to-recycling-buy-in/#comments Mon, 18 May 2009 16:01:15 +0000 Jennifer Kaplan http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/05/18/3-steps-to-recycling-buy-in/ A question on a LinkedIn hotel group was asked the other day: How does your housekeeping team encourage guests to recycle? Do you place separate bins in the guest rooms for paper, glass etc.? How can you do this while maintaining a 4 and 5 diamond look? And it made me think about what advice to give about getting buy-in for recycling programs. In this case, from both staff and consumers.

        It seems to me that the topic of how to effectively implement recycling programs is essentially the same regardless of business size. At its most basic, there are three components to implementing a successful recycling program:  

        1. Make it easy.
        2. Communicate the expectation of recycling.
        3. Communicate the how and why of the program to employees.

        Starting with making it easy, it may seem self-evident, making recycling easy for patrons and staff is the number one action you can take to facilitate a recycling program.You can do this by providing clearly marked containers throughout the room and locating them in places where people need them, such as near sinks, kitchens and minibars. As to the issue of matching the aesthetics of the facility, as long as the recycling bins are just as aesthetically pleasing as your existing trash cans (or hidden in cabinets) I do not see how they detract from the ambiance. That brings me to the second point.

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        ]]>         http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/05/18/3-steps-to-recycling-buy-in/feed/         How Green Is Your Grocery Store? http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/30/how-green-in-your-grocery-store/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/30/how-green-in-your-grocery-store/#comments Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:00:21 +0000 Jennifer Kaplan http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/30/how-green-in-your-grocery-store/ Last night Keilly Witman from EPA’s GreenChill Advanced Refrigeration Partnership, the program that attempts to get grocery stores to reduce ozone-killing refrigerant leaks, talked at EcoTuesday in DC. What I thought might not be our most exciting topic turned out to be one of the most interesting I’ve heard in the 8 months of co-hosting these events.

        Ozone-depleting refrigerants are also potent greenhouse gases. One pound of the most commonly used HFC refrigerants has the same impact as about 4000 lbs of CO2. This is why Witman calls the reduction of refrigerant leaks the low-hanging-fruit of emissions control. There are 35,000 supermarkets in the US and each typically carries about 4000 lbs of refrigerant and leaks about 25% of that.  So, you do the math: 1000 lbs of high global warming gas from each of 35,000 supermarkets = 35,000,000 lbs leaked each year.  And its pretty simple and cheap to cut that number in half, which is where most GreenChill partner markets come in.

        According to a 2008 GreenChill press release:

        Compared to the rest of the supermarket industry, GreenChill partners are already emitting fewer ozone-depleting refrigerants and greenhouse gases than their competitors, and saving money at the same time. The partners’ savings in operating costs equal almost $13 million.

        If every supermarket in the nation joined GreenChill and reduced their emissions to the current GreenChill average, the industry could prevent the release of 13 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent and 157 ozone-depleting potential tons annually.

        GreenChill has about 30 supermarket partners.  Let’s start applying the Big Green Purse principle and ask: Is your market a Greenchill partner or should you shop elsewhere?

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        ]]>         http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/30/how-green-in-your-grocery-store/feed/         Sustainability at Sierra-at-Tahoe Ski Resort http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/03/sustainability-at-sierra-at-tahoe-ski-resort/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/03/sustainability-at-sierra-at-tahoe-ski-resort/#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2009 16:23:28 +0000 Keith Rockmael http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/03/sustainability-at-sierra-at-tahoe-ski-resort/ Clint Eastwood’s iconic Dirty Harry character uttered “A man’s got to know his limitations” but can say the same thing about the Green progress of a company? In the case of the smaller and less capitalized Lake Tahoe ski resort Sierra-at-Tahoe Resort we looked at skied, snowboarded, walked, and peeked around at what Green goings on here at this resort. Like all ski reports they should be concerned about their carbon footprint and global warming because with no snow they have no business.

        Sierra, unlike some of the larger resorts like Heavenly, don’t have as much capital to spend on LEED certified buildings, high output photovoltaic systems or biodiesal powered snow-cats but then again they have a smaller footprint in terms of actual buildings (LEED or otherwise) or the amount of high energy snow making machines.

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        ]]>         http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/03/sustainability-at-sierra-at-tahoe-ski-resort/feed/         Recycled Paper is a Good Start, But This is Even Better http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/02/recycled-paper-is-a-good-start-but-this-is-even-better/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/02/recycled-paper-is-a-good-start-but-this-is-even-better/#comments Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:00:22 +0000 Paul Smith http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/02/recycled-paper-is-a-good-start-but-this-is-even-better/ These days it seems everybody has some sort of recycled/eco friendly paper offering. So what’s the big deal about a Swedish offering making its US debut on Earth Day this year?

        White Lines Carbon Neutral Swedish Paper

        White Lines factory reuses their carbon emissions in a closed loop, making for zero CO2 emissions, for one. Then they offset what they can’t reuse (transportation, etc) via planting trees in Africa, as coordinated by environmental consultancy U&W (interestingly pronounced “You & We” in Swedish) The wood used for the paper comes from locally sourced, sustainably managed forests, and woodchip waste from sawmills. And every package tells you the precise carbon footprint, the materials traced back to the source.

        And then it gets interesting.

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        ]]>         http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/04/02/recycled-paper-is-a-good-start-but-this-is-even-better/feed/         Can Signs Make You Greener? http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/31/can-signs-make-you-greener/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/31/can-signs-make-you-greener/#comments Wed, 01 Apr 2009 03:28:30 +0000 Jennifer Kaplan http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/31/can-signs-make-you-greener/

        Ever wonder why people forget to turn off the lights on their way out of a room? Maybe a simple sign is all they need. 

        Studies have shown that people significantly increase their recycling behavior when signs are present. So, posting signs around your workplace reminding everyone to conserve and recycle is one of the most effective and inexpensive green practices you can implement.

         

        In-workplace signs are a valuable way to reinforce your commitment to your green practices and an excellent way to get people to stick with internal programs. If there’s a green aisle in your retail store, post a sign. If you’re starting a carpooling program, post a sign—and a ride-share sign-up—on your office bulletin board.

        Here are the three keys to posting effective reminders:

        1. Include a specific request (i.e. turn off lights on your way out).
        2. Place signs in close proximity to the area in which people are expected to respond.
        3. Request actions that are convenient for the end user.

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        ]]>         http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/31/can-signs-make-you-greener/feed/         10 Green Ways To Cut Business Costs http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/12/10-green-ways-to-cut-business-costs/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/12/10-green-ways-to-cut-business-costs/#comments Thu, 12 Mar 2009 13:59:31 +0000 Jennifer Kaplan http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/12/10-green-ways-to-cut-business-costs/

        Last week BusinessWeek published an article: 10 Ways To Cut Business Costs and I was pleased to see that four of the 10 were also green.

        It gave me the idea to write about green ways to cut costs in these difficult times. Starting with the four cited in BW, here are some ideas:

        Reduce energy use. Energy is the number one expense for almost one-third of small businesses, and whatever your industry, increasing energy efficiency and reducing energy costs is good for business. ENERGY STAR for Small Business has free information, resources and technical advice on hundreds of energy and cost-savings practices.

        Telecommute. Telecommuting is often cited as one of the most valuable benefits to both employers and employees. Telecommuting has been credited with improving work/family balance, supervisor-staff relationships, job satisfaction, worker retention, productivity and career prospects, as well as reducing stress, absenteeism, recruiting, office space and parking costs. It may also be one of the most effective greening practices you can embrace: The American Consumer Institute projects that telecommuting alone will cut CO2 emissions by more than a half million tons over the next decade.  Best Work Places has great tools for implementing telecommuting and other commuter benefits program.

        Curb travel expenses. Airplane travel, lodging and rental cars can consume almost one-quarter of a business’ carbon footprint and as much as 3% of its revenue. So, reducing the number of business trips you take is an excellent strategy for greening and reducing expenses. (A friend who is an senior exec at a global liquor company told me it cost them $12,000 every time they sent her overseas.) Taking fewer, longer trips is one solution. Web conferencing is another. Its a win for productivity, expense reduction and the environment because not traveling means not having to postpone regular office work, saving the expenses of travel and eliminating the carbon output from that travel.

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        ]]>         http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/03/12/10-green-ways-to-cut-business-costs/feed/         The Green Economy Connection With ‘Indie-Craftpreneur’ Jill Bliss http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/02/18/the-green-economy-connection-with-indie-craftpreneur-jill-bliss/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/02/18/the-green-economy-connection-with-indie-craftpreneur-jill-bliss/#comments Wed, 18 Feb 2009 17:11:53 +0000 Olga Orda http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/02/18/the-green-economy-connection-with-indie-craftpreneur-jill-bliss/ 1. Jill, you are an artist, designer and crafter. Tell us about what you do and what you create.

        First and foremost I create detailed native nature drawings. With these, I create an eponymous line of paper goods and fabric accessories. I’ve been an “indie-craftpreneur” since 2001, selling my goods on my retail website and in boutiques worldwide. I also create murals, take on custom art commissions, and the occasional graphic design project for like-minded businesses.

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        ]]>         http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/02/18/the-green-economy-connection-with-indie-craftpreneur-jill-bliss/feed/         How Design Can Make Your Green Business Matter Even More http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/02/17/how-design-can-make-your-green-business-matter-even-more/ http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/02/17/how-design-can-make-your-green-business-matter-even-more/#comments Tue, 17 Feb 2009 17:59:00 +0000 Leah Edwards http://ecopreneurist.com/2009/02/17/how-design-can-make-your-green-business-matter-even-more/ I couldn’t help but be curious about a book called “Do You Matter?” It is a great question for an entrepreneur to ask. And the book’s subtitle “How Great Design Will Make People Love Your Company” is compelling. Doesn’t sustainability make our companies matter? Doesn’t our value of the environment make us matter? Is design really THE thing?

        Do You Matter book reviewThe authors, Robert Brunner (once a product designer for Apple and now a principal in the design firm Pentagram) and Stewart Emery (author of “Success Built to Last” and a leader in the Human Potential Movement) did not just rely on their own experience, but also relate numerous case studies about what other companies have done right in developing design-driven (and customer needs focused) organizations.

        As you can see on the authors’ site, they are not just talking about package design and logos. The briefest synopsis of the book is, “We’re talking about design as a total concept—not just about how a product looks, but how the product operates, how it sounds, and how it feels. Also included in this idea of design is the quality of your purchase experience, of what happens when you actually open up the box, how you start to feel, and what all this communicates to you. And of course, there is the chain of events through which you became aware of the product. This is part of the design connection too—what all those touch points mean to you as a customer.”

        One point I particularly liked is, “If you have your own brand-driven approach to design, others can’t really take this from you. People can try to copy it, but they they become merely derivative. If you do a good job at it, you have something that becomes a very strong and defensible strategy… when a customer purchases your product or pays for your service, they feel they have joined something.”

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