It is hard to ignore, we are all producing too much CO2. It could be from inefficient electrical usage, car usage or simply quantity of waste sent to landfill. Being a business we have a larger CO2 footprint than most – and so we have implemented as many procedures as possible to reduce the impact EvolvIT has on our environment.

Our main office is based in Bristol, however as we began looking into our carbon footprint a very simple question was asked “Why do we come to the office everyday, when 95% of our work is done remotely?”. Much head scratching ensued and no one could really see why a majority of work could not be done from our home offices, of which all staff and directors have. A quick calculation showed that EvolvIT travelled a staggering 40,000 miles a year just to get to the office and back – that is almost 14 tonnes of CO2 emissions. A policy with immediate effect was put into place to cut this by 80%, and has proved so successful that we now do over 90% fewer miles!

We then turned to our suppliers, we must be responsible about who we purchase from as that has just a big an affect as we do. One supplier stood out as being particularly energy hungry. That is ourhosting supplier, Rackspace. Over the years the number of servers we have hosted with Rackspace has grown to the point that we cannot ignore the CO2 footprint those servers emit. We spoke with our business management consultant at Rackspace regarding our thoughts and explained what we are trying to achieve here at EvolvIT. We are glad to report Rackspace take this just as seriously, see this green link for more info!

The last major point that became obvious was our responsibility for our customers equipment power usage. We could simply set policies in place that would make every machine use less power – but we have to be mindful of our customers existing policies and how they use their systems, internally and remotely. It was decided that the best way forward was education, and so an email shot was sent to all our customers explaining simple – yet effective changes to usage and computer settings to make every machine use less power and thus have a smaller CO2 footprint.

See the points below for other areas we have changed,

Bulbs replaced with energy efficient variations Scrap cardboard must be recycled, included customer boxes when asked to remove Paper to be shredded and recycled Company equipment to be configured for maximum power savings when not in use Replace battery wireless devices with re-chargeable alternatives Supply only top rated low power screens and devices We hope that with our tips above and push to be greener, other businesses can follow suit in lowering their carbon footprint.

Choosing the right patio set is not an easy decision. Wood and metal are classic choices, but aside the risk or rot and rust, they can be overwhelmingly expensive, hard to maintain, and too heavy to move. Nylon and thin plastics are cheaper, but flimsy. The best way to go is to choose resin furniture, a strong plastic that can be made to look like real wood, is easy to clean, lift, and store, and comes with far less sticker shock. One of the best things about resin is that much of it is nowadays made from recycled materials, so you can go green in style.

A lot of outdoor resin furniture is made using 100% post consumer recycled HDPE. This is a high density polyethylene found in packaging, most recognizably in milk jugs, but also in detergent bottle, margarine tubs, and garbage cans. HDPE is melted down into a sort of plastic lumber that’s then repurposed for furniture. Every pound of recycled HDPE roughly equates to eight milk jugs worth. That’s eight less milk jugs in a landfill somewhere.

Some furniture is also made using Richlite OCC. It’s 50% old corrugated cardboard (OCC) blended with 50% Pacific Northwest softwood pulp. It boasts a natural fibrous appearance because of its paper-composition and does well outdoors with little maintenance required. It can also commonly be found in kitchen countertops because of its resistance to heat and moisture. Richlite OCC possesses a naturally rich warm color that does not require dying or paint.

Some companies even go so far as to green their production methods as well. To offset carbon emissions generated by shipping of resin furniture and products, businesses can engage in renewable and energy efficient methods, reforestation projects, or by supporting national organizations like Carbon Fund. If enough is done to offset one’s carbon emissions, a business (or individual) can claim to be carbon neutral.

Also along the lines of shipping, the packaging of products can produce just as much waste as the products themselves, waste that ends up building up in landfills. A way to counter this is the use recycled cardboard boxes and padding. By pairing recycled cardboard with recycled resin furniture, no new materials are being employed. In addition, the smaller the boxes used, the less expensive the shipping costs and the more that can fit on one trip via truck, plane, or boat. Some shipping companies themselves, including UPS, have begun to engage in eco-initiatives.

Even if you can’t find recycled resin furniture where you live, new resin furniture is still a great buy. Opting for plastic over wood cuts down on deforestation and the destruction of natural habitats. Plus, resin lasts for life, so you won’t have to throw away and purchase a new set every few years. Greening one’s life doesn’t have to mean giving up little luxuries. Using energy efficient light bulbs and energy saving appliances not only helps the environment, it also reduces your monthly bills. If everyone does their part, life will be a little greener for the generations upon generations to come.

The moving industry has been around for a few hundred years, however, only now is it changing its ways and focusing on moving green. You will find that there are plenty of ways to make a green change in your moving strategy. A great way to begin help is to offset the carbon footprint of your move.

Carbon Footprint?

Almost all aspects of moving, be it packing your items or driving across country, can leave a carbon footprint or just have some type of environmental impact in general. Carbon footprint is measured in units of carbon dioxide, and calculates the impact that human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced.

One of the first carbon footprints that moving creates is from the materials used for packing such as boxes, tape, bubble wrap, and foam peanuts. The production and lifecycle of such materials will devour precious resources such as fossil fuels and trees. At the end of their lifecycle, or perhaps even before, these materials will end up in a landfill. During your long distance move, be sure to reuse and recycle packing materials when possible.

One carbon footprint that isn’t necessarily in our hands comes from using non-renewable resources like oil to produce gasoline used in moving trucks. If your move is from coast to coast, this can leave a large footprint. However, vehicle manufacturers are changing their ways and producing more fuel-efficient vehicles.

Greening Your Move

You may be feeling a bit weighed down by all this information, but try not to get discouraged. Some of these things are not in your direct control. However, you can help by greening your move a little.

Start with the items you no longer wish to keep. Try not to rent a dumpster to discard those items; Instead, find other homes for them. You can start with a yard sale or just put them on the side of the road with a “Free” taped on. If there are remaining items, donate the rest to a local shelter, Goodwill, or Salvation Army.

There are a few websites that offer a way to offset your long distance move. For example, Begreennow.com allows you to calculate your CO2 emissions and purchase renewable energy credits (RECs) as well as funding reforestation projects.

The environmental cost of commerce has become an important part of business in America and the world as we all become increasingly aware and concerned about the impact of our actions on climate change and our environment.  Many businesses are creating sustainability plans, training environmental impact officers and implementing company wide recycling and reduction programs.

For many small and medium sized businesses, the option of hiring a college degreed sustainability officer and staff is really not in the budget. There are however new online training programs which cater to small and medium sized businesses such as CarbonProfessionalSchool.com But short of taking a course and becoming an expert, what can your business do to be environmentally responsible and reduce your carbon footprint…all while saving money.

Here are 5 ways to reduce your carbon footprint and save some money.

(1) Recycle Toner and Ink Jet Cartridges. These things, which always run out at the most inopportune time, cost way too much and, contrary to what the big companies than manufacture them proclaim with their “send it in recycling programs” – end up in the landfill, usually in the poorest areas of the world.  The technology and quality of recycled toner and ink jet cartridges in many cases surpasses the original equipment manufacturers…and you get to support a local business like yours when you patronize them.   And don’t forget to set your printers to “draft” mode when you’re not printing for official communications…it’ll save you money and toner/ink.

(2) Use Less and Buy Recycled Paper. Back in the early 90’s when email was gaining popularity we all proclaimed that it was the beginning of the paperless office.  But the paper companies weren’t scared. Paper sales went through the roof because now we had more information to print out, copy and share with each other. Now there are a variety of document sharing services, including free ones like Google Docs, while allow immediate sharing of and collaboration of documents without having to print out 5 copies for the group to mark up.  It saves money, time and is much more efficient.

Furthermore, as the quality of recycled content paper has gone up to photo quality level and the cost has gone down to below the cost of “new” paper, it clearly makes no sense not to include the procurement of recycled printer and copier paper in your corporate sustainability plan.

(3) Go Paperless with your invoices. PayPal and Google Checkout both have electronic invoicing capabilities for those of you who process payments via credit card, and for many companies, their PayPal and Google Checkout accounts are tied directly to their corporate checking accounts for seemless, and transaction fee free payment processing.  They both offer a variety of export formats and integrate with popular accounting packages like QuickBooks and Microsoft Accounting.  

No more 3 copy carbon based invoices, no gas guzzling postmen delivering the mail and no more licking envelopes!

(4) Recycle Everything. Soda cans, newspapers, used equipment, furniture and materials (if you’re manufacturing things) all carry a price.  Aluminum cans trade for around $.80 a pound (32 12 ounce cans = 1 pound) – so figure you can sell them to a local recycler for a bit better than half of that.  Doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you have an office full of Red Bull crazed employees or “Diet Coke Fiends” it can actually add up relatively quickly.   

List your used equipment on Craigslist or Google for a local company that will pick up and “recycle” your used equipment – or better yet, donate it to a local charity and take the tax deduction.  Goodwill and the Salvation Army will send out a truck to pick up larger items and most likely make weekly or monthly trips through your area.

(5) Offset Your Carbon Footprint with Carbon Credits

While Reducing, Reusing and Recycling is key in preventing climate change, offsetting your carbon emissions is the next great step in the preservation of our environment for generations to come. The Carbon Calculator Math is below, or you could use a Carbon Footprint Calculator at ecoaidnow.com/Calculators.aspx

To offset your carbon emissions simply means to neutralize your part in the polluting of our environment. In technical terms, a carbon offset is a certificate representing the reduction of one metric ton (2,205 lbs) of carbon dioxide emissions.

Certified Projects are developed such as a reforestation project that reduces carbon dioxide emissions, every ton of emissions reduced will result in the creation of one certified carbon offset (ecoaidnow.com)

Since carbon dioxide emissions are the principal cause of climate change, purchasing carbon offsets is key to promoting a greener environment.

When you offset your personal carbon emissions, you are doing your much-needed part in helping to put an end to global warming and climate change. In addition to making the world a better place, you just might also score a few popularity points with your friends and family.

Going Green at work doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to build a new building out of used tires, or procure all new energy saving computer and office equipment.  It is possible to work towards carbon neutrality without breaking the bank, and then supplement your efforts with cost-effective carbon credits.