Green image: sxc.hu

With so much emphasis on being “green” and environmentally conscious, you might want to consider how you can comply for 2010 without being excessively neurotic.  Some people get carried to the extreme with being “green,” that they’re not practical at all.

However, there are some things you can do.  Such as:

• Separate trash in office and home, especially if your city or town has separated collection containers or bins.
• Take separated materials to recycling areas.  Some of these even give you money for what you’ve collected, particularly in states where you must pay deposits on cans and containers.
• Reuse paper…for instance, we use the blank side of paper for making copies when we can.
• Purchase recycled materials, if it’s practical.  Sometimes recycled material isn’t as good for some projects.
• See if you can find ways to use items so they won’t go to waste.
• Take this as your slogan – Condense, conserve, and recirculate.

(Ask grandma or great grandma about reusing  and conserving materials.  They were good at this because there often wasn’t money for buying new.  The older generations didn’t grow up in the “throw-away” society.)

What are your “green” plans for 2010?

Post from: My Organized Biz

To be honest, even though I shop at some of them, just thinking about these companies is enough to get my blood boiling.

Before I break into a full-fledged rant, I have to say that I learned some interesting information about Office Depot that warrants recognition.

In the last four years Office Depot has developed:

• An environmental stewardship page on their website
• A free guide called “20 Ways fo Go Green at Work (and Save Money!)”
• The Green Book(tm) Catalog of Environmentally Preferrable Products – available in printed form or online (to save paper)
• Office Depot Environmental Paper Procurement Policy
• An environmental stewardship Auditing and Verification Policy

You might say that’s all well and good for their image – and the bottom line. But get this: Office Depot has been active in the Forest & Biodiversity Conservation Alliance – a partnership with some of the biggest names in environmental conservation, including the Nature Conservancy.

According to the site, this alliance is “a cooperative working framework that coordinates the complementary strengths and resources of each organization to address forest and biodiversity conservation issues within the paper products supply chain.”

In addition, according to the company’s site, “Office Depot committed $2.2 million in funding over a five-year period to develop new information, standards and tools to advance our forest and biodiversity conservation policies.”

Not bad for a big box. In fact, it makes them next on my list of places I shop for office supplies – after my locally owned office store.

Post from: My Organized Biz