How Green is your Business?

Hi  Tin Shingle Ladies,

As I sat at my desk at work recently I looked around the very well lit ( by natural light) loft we are in and thought - why are all of these lights on?  Why are there water bottles on everyone's desk?  Why are there PAPER sitting in the trash can?

Things needed to change!  In a world where Going Green is as hot a topic as the election and the economy, I wonder how often many of us addess green issues within our offices?  Bigger companies share their green efforts all the time, which is not only great for all of us sharing this planet, but also a clever marketing strategy.

Why let the "big dogs" 'have all the fun?  I challenge you all to look at your businesses this weekend and do two things:

1. Change your business on the inside, including:

a) Check out how much you are making changes to "go green".  Do you have a recycling bin for the hundreds of sheets of paper that pile up every day or that are too easily discarded in the trash?  At Red Branch PR we often re-print notes or documents that are not going to be shared out of the office on the back of other print outs.  Saves paper and money!  The rest we recycle.  You'd be amazed at the amount of paper you were throwing out when you install a recycling bin in your office.

b) Are you disposing of your old computers and other office equipment properly?  Check with your local recycling center to find out when they pick up or where you can drop off this material that is often hazardous to the environment if you are just throwing it away.  Staples will even take back old and empty ink cartridges and reward you with coupons for more!

c) NO more waste:  Be sure all of your taps, faucets, and light bulbs are working as efficiently as possible. 

d) When possible, turn off the AC and open your windows.

e) Find local websites and agencies that will help you reduce your carbon footprint!

f) Encourage employees to stay healthy, quit smoking, and walk - healthy people are just as important as a healthy planet!

g) Stop using water bottles - the plastic pollutes your body and the planet!  Bring water in via Nalgene or unbreakable glass body (doesn't pollute you at all) or get a company wide water dispenser and fill up ceramic mugs or glasses when you get that water craving.

2.  Change your business from the outside by raising visibility

a) Share your story with the press when you go green

b) Find opportunities to involve the community in your Green Metamorphisis.  Donate old clothes or food to shelters, have a company wide activity that celebrates going green, educate other local small businesses on going green at your office space, hold a forum for people in your line of work to discuss how you can all create some environmentally friendly standards you all agree upon and then invite the media to hear all about it!  The possibilities are endless!

c) Let your customers know how and why you are going green!  More and more consumers are thinking about what they buy and why they buy it these days - make sure they know you care about the home that you share with them as much as you care about their business!