"Green" Begins At Home

We have all heard the old adage “Charity begins at home”. The same notion can be applied to going green and living a “sustainable” life, both at home and at work. Many businesses today seek out buildings that boast a LEED certification, whether the more common Siver or the rarer Gold or Platinum. But regardless of whether the building where you conduct your business is certifiably “green”, there are many things you can do to lighten your business’ carbon footprint and save significant dollars if you are paying for your own utilities. Here are a few (with props to a recent, very informative article in the Wall Street Journal):

Change the Culture

Everybody at work has to get on board. Eliminate space heaters in cubicles. Everyone can’t have their own printer at their desk – start sharing between four or more employees. All incandescent task lighting (lamps) should be retrofitted with compact fluorescent bulbs. (You haven’t done that yet?) Turn off the monitor and speakers when you shut down your computer every day.

Plan for Savings

Speak up in the planning for your workspace whether it’s a store, an office suite, or a warehouse. Look into eliminating light fixtures near windows, where natural light is the brightest. If you are in an office building, consider moving private offices to the interior. If your culture just won’t allow for that, then put generous glass in the door wall so natural light flows through to the rest of the space. Pay a little extra to have motion detectors in private offices, conference rooms, and the copy room (and even in the warehouse) so the lights are off when these spaces are unoccupied. Choose an Energy Star refrigerator for the break room.

Go with Waterless Urinals

Get with the program! The myth that this idea stinks – literally – has been busted. Ask any guy who has used one: they don’t smell…and they don’t splash. Hallelujah! The technology is elegantly simple (like all good ideas are) and the savings are enormous. It is one of the few green decisions that will not cost you extra dollars up front, because you eliminate the plumbing that supplies the water!

Beyond Energy

Opportunities exist beyond your energy bills. Most people do not realize that a large component of what makes a building “green” is what materials are used in the construction and where they come from. Purchasing furniture or millwork (cabinetry) manufactured within 100 miles has a huge environmental advantage over products shipped 2,000 miles in trucks. Think about it. And the opportunity to choose products manufactured from at least partially recycled materials – from carpeting to furniture – is endless today.

The bottom line (which will improve as a result): It’s really pretty easy. Do it!