Dear EarthTalk: I own a small business and would like to do what I can to minimize its impact on the environment. Can you help me? - Jacob Levinson, New York, NY
The average office tosses out about 350 pounds of paper per year per employee. Reducing paper usage and buying paper with post-consumer recycled content can go a long way to reduce any company's carbon footprint.
Credit: FogStock/Thinkstock
There are many ways to green up any business, large or small—and an added benefit might just be saving money. Just like individuals, businesses can measure their carbon footprints to get a sense of where they are starting from and to get some initial ideas of areas to focus on to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) offers a free “Simplified GHG [greenhouse gas] Emissions Calculator” to help small businesses get started. Another option is to enroll in TerraPass’s “Carbon Balanced Business” program, which helps commercial entities measure and then offset the greenhouse gas emissions they are responsible for generating.
Beyond carbon footprints, there are many other things businesses can do to minimize their environmental impacts. The non-profit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reports that, first and foremost, businesses should shift the paper paradigm—the average office tosses out about 350 pounds of paper per year per employee. “Reducing your waste and purchasing paper with post-consumer recycled content can help save trees and nudge the pulp and paper industry, one of the most environmentally destructive industries in the world, toward a less damaging path,” NRDC reports. Some easy ways to do this include: setting printers to use both sides of a page (or designating a “draft tray” filled with paper that’s blank on one side); buying copy paper with a 30 percent or more post-consumer recycled content; collecting used paper separately for recycling; and stocking bathrooms with post-consumer recycled tissue products.
Getting more energy efficient is another way to save the Earth while saving money too. NRDC recommends taking advantage of the fact that most utilities offer free or inexpensive energy audits, whereby an engineer examines operations and provides a report about how to save on energy costs. Turning off lights and electronics at the end of the work day can save bundles of energy. “Plug all your appliances into a power strip and you’ll only have to flip one switch at the end of the day,” suggests NRDC. Also, setting computers to “sleep” or “hibernate” when inactive will further reduce a business’s footprint. And NRDC says to lose the screensavers: “Flying toasters and slideshows can use up about $50 of electricity in a year.” Lastly, when shopping for new office appliances, look for the EnergyStar label which means that the federal government has rated the particular unit highly in terms of energy efficiency.
Cutting water waste will also make a business run greener. The group says to install faucet aerators and low-flow toilets, check for and fix leaks, landscape with water efficiency in mind and recycle gray water where applicable for nonpotable uses such as watering gardens.
Lastly, NRDC suggests creating a greener work environment, given that “employees are on the front lines of any sustainability initiatives” a business chooses to make—perhaps by creating a green team “with members from all divisions of the organization to help implement plans and bring new ideas to the table.” Those looking to take their businesses down a green path should consult any of the free “Greening Your Business” guides on NRDC’s website.
CONTACTS: EPA, www.epa.gov/climateleadership/smallbiz/footprint.html; NRDC Greening Your Business,www.nrdc.org/cities/living/gbusiness.asp.
Beyond carbon footprints, there are many other things businesses can do to minimize their environmental impacts. The non-profit Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) reports that, first and foremost, businesses should shift the paper paradigm—the average office tosses out about 350 pounds of paper per year per employee. “Reducing your waste and purchasing paper with post-consumer recycled content can help save trees and nudge the pulp and paper industry, one of the most environmentally destructive industries in the world, toward a less damaging path,” NRDC reports. Some easy ways to do this include: setting printers to use both sides of a page (or designating a “draft tray” filled with paper that’s blank on one side); buying copy paper with a 30 percent or more post-consumer recycled content; collecting used paper separately for recycling; and stocking bathrooms with post-consumer recycled tissue products.
Getting more energy efficient is another way to save the Earth while saving money too. NRDC recommends taking advantage of the fact that most utilities offer free or inexpensive energy audits, whereby an engineer examines operations and provides a report about how to save on energy costs. Turning off lights and electronics at the end of the work day can save bundles of energy. “Plug all your appliances into a power strip and you’ll only have to flip one switch at the end of the day,” suggests NRDC. Also, setting computers to “sleep” or “hibernate” when inactive will further reduce a business’s footprint. And NRDC says to lose the screensavers: “Flying toasters and slideshows can use up about $50 of electricity in a year.” Lastly, when shopping for new office appliances, look for the EnergyStar label which means that the federal government has rated the particular unit highly in terms of energy efficiency.
Cutting water waste will also make a business run greener. The group says to install faucet aerators and low-flow toilets, check for and fix leaks, landscape with water efficiency in mind and recycle gray water where applicable for nonpotable uses such as watering gardens.
Lastly, NRDC suggests creating a greener work environment, given that “employees are on the front lines of any sustainability initiatives” a business chooses to make—perhaps by creating a green team “with members from all divisions of the organization to help implement plans and bring new ideas to the table.” Those looking to take their businesses down a green path should consult any of the free “Greening Your Business” guides on NRDC’s website.
CONTACTS: EPA, www.epa.gov/climateleadership/smallbiz/footprint.html; NRDC Greening Your Business,www.nrdc.org/cities/living/gbusiness.asp.
In Spanish :
Querido DiálogoEcológico: Poseo que un pequeña empresa y querría hacer lo que pueda para minimizar su impacto sobre el ambiente. ¿Me pueden ayudar? -- Jacob Levinson,Nueva York, NY
La oficina media bota cerca de 125 kilos de papel al año por empleado. Reducir el uso de papel y su compra con contenido reciclado puede impactar seriamente en forma positiva la huella de carbón de una firma.
Hay muchas maneras de "verdear" un negocio, grande o pequeño—y ahorrar dinero quizás sea un beneficio adicional. Como cualquier individuo, los negocios pueden medir sus huellas de carbón para darse cuenta cuál es su punto de partida y formular una idea inicial sobre las áreas que necesitan atención para reducir emisiones de gas invernadero. La Agencia de Protección del Medio Ambiente de EEUU (EPA) ofrece una "Calculadora Simplificada de Emisiones GHG [gases invernadero]" para ayudar a pequeñas empresas a empezar el proceso. Otra opción es de matricularse en el programa de TerraPass "Negocios Con Carbón Equilibrado", que ayuda a las entidades comerciales a medir y después compensar por las emisiones de gas invernadero que ellas engendran.
Aparte de las huellas de carbón, hay muchas otras cosas que pueden hacer los negocios para minimizar su impacto ambiental. El Consejo de Defensa de Recursos Naturales (NRDC) indica que,antes que nada, los negocios deben cambiar el paradigma del papel—la oficina promedia bota aproximadamente 125 kilos de papel por año por cada empleado. "Reducir sus desechos y adquirir papel hecho a base de contenido reciclado puede ayudar a salvar árboles y darle un empujonaso a la industria papelera, una de las industrias más ambientalmente destructivas del mundo, hacia un sendero menos dañino," reporta NRDC. Algunas maneras fáciles de hacer esto incluye: hacer que las impresoras utilicen ambos lados de una hoja (o designar una "bandeja de borradores" llena de papel que está en blanco sólo en un lado); comprar papel con un 30 por ciento o más de contenido reciclado; recolectar papel utilizado separadamente para el reciclaje; y proveer los cuartos de baño con productos y papel confort hechos a base de reciclados.
Conseguir más eficiencia en energía es otra manera de salvar el planeta y ahorrar dinero también. NRDC recomienda aprovecharse del hecho que la mayoría de las empresas de servicios ofrecen auditorías de energía gratis o económicas, según lo cual un ingeniero examina las operaciones y proporciona un informe acerca de cómo realizar ahorros en costos de energía. Apagar las luces y los aparatos electrónicos a fines de la jornada de trabajo puede ahorrar montones de energía. "Conecte todos sus aparatos a una enchufe múltiple y usted sólo tendrá que apagar un interruptor al final del día," sugiere NRDC. También, poniendo computadoras a "dormir" o "hibernar" cuando estén inactivas reducirá aún más la huella de un negocio. Y NRDC aconseja desprenderse de las salvapantallas: "Los tostadores volantes y las diapositivas pueden consumir aproximadamente $50 de electricidad en un año". Por último, al ir de compras por nuevos aparatos de oficina, busque la etiqueta de EnergyStar que significa que el gobierno federal ha clasificado esa unidad altamente en función de eficiencia de energía.
Reducir el desecho de agua también hará verdear un negocio. El grupo dice que se debe instalar aireadores de chorro e inodoros de flujo reducido, examinar y reparar las filtraciones, ajardinar con eficiencia de agua en la mente y reciclar agua gris donde sea aplicable para usos no potables, como regar jardines.
Por último, NRDC sugiere crear un ámbito laboral más verde, dado que los "empleados están en las fronteras de cualquier iniciativa de sostenibilidad" que elija un negocio—creando quizás un equipo verde "con miembros de todas las divisiones de la organización para ayudar a implementar los planes y atraer nuevas ideas a la mesa". Los interesados en "ecologizar" sus negocios pueden consultar cualquiera de las guías gratuitas "Verdeando Su Negocio" en el sitio web de NRDC.
CONTACTOS: EPA, www.epa.gov/climateleadership/smallbiz/footprint.html; NRDC Greening Your Business, www.nrdc.org/cities/living/gbusiness.asp
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