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March 26, 2013
Hosting a meeting used to involve a group of people coming together, face-to-face, in one physical location. Depending on the type of meeting, people could be driving or flying some distance to attend. And while there are still times when in-person meetings are called for, most meetings today can be accomplished with a much smaller carbon footprint, thanks to advances in technology.
Consider implementing some of these energy-saving tips for your next meeting.
• Skip the commute and host a teleconference or webinar instead.Check out this link
here. There are several software packages available that allow you to set up online meetings, complete with interactive whiteboards and streaming video.
• Time is money, especially when it comes to energy use. Send out agendas and online documents ahead of time. This will shorten your meeting and cut down on your use of electronic meeting equipment.
• Request that participants do not print out meeting documents unless absolutely necessary. Instead, make the documents editable by the group. Likewise, encourage taking notes on laptops or tablets.
• And while our electronic gadgets can save us on fuel costs, they also use energy. Turn off lights after a meeting is over and unplug TVs, DVD players and other equipment that can “trickle†electricity even when not in use.
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June 13, 2012
Alt. Title (Beginners Guide to an Eco-Friendly Business)
Recycle
This should be number one in the checklist of goals for a business trying to go green! The average business uses roughly ten thousand sheets of paper in one year. That might not seem like much but think about it. Ten thousand sheets of paper equal four thousand pounds; that is heavier than the average compact car!
Green Energy
Not all regions offer alternatives to coal powered electricity, but if yours does take advantage of it. Some power plants offer wind, water and solar generated power. Of course, the power company shouldn’t stop you. You can still install some solar panels and/or wind turbines. They most likely won’t cover your electricity use but they will certainly help cut back on coal burning.
Compost
If your business has a little extra space out back, consider starting a compost pile. All companies have organic waste going into the trash every day. Turn that trash into nature’s favorite dirt! There are even countertop composters if you are lacking the space; and no, it doesn’t smell.
Green Cleaning Products
There is no need to go out and buy fancy cleaning products labeled “environmentally friendlyâ€! You can quickly, easily and cheaply make plenty for the whole office. For example, half vinegar, half water and an essential oil of choice creates a window cleaner, duster, counter cleaner and even insect repellent/pesticide. There are plenty of other cleaners like this for all of your business’ cleaning needs!
Power Down
Encourage employees to turn off their computers and power strips when not in use; same goes for unplugging cell phone charges and other miscellaneous electronics. Do this for lunch, breaks and when it’s time to go home. Standby is a second best.
Go Paperless
Sign up to have your bills sent and received electronically. This will help you cut down on the car-sized amount of paper businesses use each year. Enough said!
Reuse Paper
I know, paper, paper, paper. It is important though, our trees are important. Print double sided when possible. Use that paper sitting in the recycling bin as scrap paper for notes and brainstorming, it’s just going to go back into the bin.
“Community†Garden
If there is room to compost, chances are there is room for a small garden to use that compost in. It doesn’t have to be large and there are a variety of gardens available. Hold a poll with employees and see if they are most interested in an herb, vegetable/fruit, flower, variety, or community style garden. You can even grow some plants indoors, plus, they double as air filters!
Alternative Transportation
This is pretty simple. If there are some employees who live near to each other they can rotate carpooling. Encourage carpools, biking, walking and riding the bus as alternatives for getting to work. Even if it is not every day, it still makes a difference.
Buy Responsibly
Look into what your company is buying. Have those reams of paper already been recycled? Go post-consumer as frequently as possible and pay attention to what foods you are stocking in the lounge. Also check and see if your suppliers are also green; it might be time to make a switch.
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August 4, 2011
Business travel used to be one of the pricier perks of executives. Business class sections of the jetliner, car rentals, first class hotels etc. were the marks of success. Times have changed and businesses are seeking ways to get the same job done at less expense and risk to the environment. Clean technology has replaced the energy consuming travel and consumption of the recent past. Staff today can e-mail and use online seminar technology to meet with coworkers on other continents and even at the Space Station. Web cams have made face to face meetings with associates a reality even the most remote parts of the world.Additional information can be found at
http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/2011/07/0719twa-inflight-movies/. Cell phones and tablet computers can load a 1980's roomful of technology into multiple applications that custom fit the customer. Less air travel means less fuel consumed. Fewer cars on the road means less pollution, until more hybrids and electrics are produced. The ability to communicate on the internet on a 24/ 7 basis means that more opportunities for economic growth are available and in more places. More people are now capable of being innovators, inventors and entrepreneurs due to the technology that lets them research, produce and market products. A cleaner environment is possible with high technology meetings
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May 24, 2011
Employers are wholeheartedly embracing the concept of virtual meetings. They are a cost-effective means to achieve hundreds of goals, like conferences, training sessions, and seminars. These meetings come with little to no overhead but it is important to ensure that companies continue to communicate effectively.
The first and most important tip is organizations must know when to utilize the technology. Conducting business via virtual meetings is not suitable for all circumstances and knowing when and when not to use it can mean the difference between enhanced productivity and loss of client relationships. It is dangerous for managers to assume that they can use the same presentation for both live and virtual audiences. Leaders are limited, to a certain degree, in the ways that they can interact with a virtual audience and they should always take into consideration the presentation environment when designing the data.
Virtual meetings require more upfront presentation because virtual meetings eliminate the casualty of a physical location. Managers will benefit from creating and sending agendas, designing visuals which reinforce the presentation's message, and distribute them to the members of each team involved well in advance to the meeting date. Moreover, sending out the log-in information at least a day before meeting allows participants to test run for connectivity issues.
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May 11, 2011
We all know that our environment is under a lot of stress because of the way our society chooses to live. Although there are many conveniences they do take a toll on the strength and durability of our environment. Even so there are ways to reduce the negative impact we make on the environment while still going about our daily tasks. When a business meeting is in order there are several ways to make it more environmentally-friendly. One of the biggest ways is to actually hold the meeting remotely. There are many ways to do this such as telephone conferencing and online video or chat. Holding the meeting remotely will reduce the amount of travel the attendees will have thus reducing the amount of gasoline used and pollution in the air.
However, if the meeting must be help in person there are still ways that you can make it more environmentally friendly. One way is to hold the meeting outdoors. If weather permits you can hold a meeting outside and reduce electricity use. Also, record notes on a voice recorder and instead of handouts put important points on a powerpoint presentation. Of course, provide water in refillable containers instead of offering bottled water. It couldn't be any easier than that. Just by taking these simple steps you will be on your way to holding more environmentally-friendly business meetings. These simple changes are all it takes to make a difference for our wounded environment.
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April 28, 2011
Times are changing and business is changing with them. The typical business meeting is no longer held in the office conference room, planned weeks in advance and utilizing lots of resources. Now teleconference calls connect people across great distances. No need to pay employees extra for the costs of traveling. No need to hire a commercial jet to fly to another city. No need to print out enough reports for everyone. Less effort and travel makes life easier for employees too.
Businesses can make use of webcams, email and .pdf documents to share vital information with one another during a teleconference. These tools sometimes have a high initial cost, but save money in the long run. They also allow businesses to communicate with each other and with their own employees more frequently, reducing the risk of miscommunication and cutting back on the time involved on projects. Offices can even use alternative energy to provide electricity therefore saving time and money.
TexasElectricityProviders illustrates the many different kinds of renewable resource and plans. In Texas, solar power farms and wind farms take advantage of the state's vast natural resources. Sign up for renewable energy or even set up your own solar panels on the roof to supply the building's extra energy needs.
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December 9, 2010
Walk into nearly any office building across the country. Next to the coffee maker, what do you see? A skyskraping stack of Styrofoam coffee cups that make the Leaning Tower of Piza look like a structurally sound edifice. From an architectural perspective, this is perhaps the most pervasive trend across the American business landscape. How do theoretically bulldoze this eyesore in your otherwise pristine office space?
Giving each new employee a coffee cup as part of a welcome package will not only boost morale as a souvenir but discourage the use of disposal cups that will one day wind up in a landfill somewhere. Or, offer cups as part of a goodie bag for an all-company event or retreat. Putting their name on it will not only seem thoughtful, but make each recipient more likely to use his or her own cup.
If you don't have the budget to provide coffee cups for your employees, there are more strict methods by which you can limit the Styrofoam buildup. Simply send out a companywide memo stating as of next week there will be no more disposable cups available for the coffee maker and it will be necessary for all employees who drink coffee to bring their own cup from home. Assuming you offer otherwise fair compensation, certainly your employees can more than afford to spare a coffee cup.
By all means, we recommend giving more so than taking, so if you find the money splurge on a cup by all means do so, but the planet on which live is more important than corporate convenience, so please try to enjoy all refreshments responsibly.
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October 8, 2010
Paper is commonly associated with the working world, just as it is commonly associated with trees in the forest. This gives economic success and environmental prosperity an inverse relationship in terms of paper use. The more successful a company is, the more paper it is likely to use. Here are a few tips to help mitigate the effect of growing your business on the outside world around you.
- Switch to automatic hand dryers You may not like for employees to blow hot air at you, but when it comes to washing your hands, there should be no problem. Paper towels are wasted by the dozen in office bathrooms around the country. Motion sensor hand dryers are not new technology; they are plenty affordable on almost any company budget.
- Axe the memos/newsletter (or any form of non electronic internal communication really) Not the content, just the physical newsletter itself. It is still important to maintain contact lines with those who would read it, however, digital prints of the publication are just as effective and with the number of people who have personal computers or even e-reading devices, there should be no problem with maintaining readership.
- Read the newspaper online It may be important for you to stay up with daily news outlets, maybe trade periodicals, the Wall Street Journal, but be sure to so online as opposed to daily delivery. If you require employees to stay current via the press, encourage them to do so via online editions as well.
- Charge for printing It may seem cruel and unusual, but charging for printer use will discourage employees from printing personal items at the office, not to mention make them think twice about printing items that may not be necessary.
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August 3, 2010
While your main motivation should be saving the earth, you might find there are actually more personal business motivations behind going green. Whether you want to give your business a 'green' reputation or satisfy a client that enforces 'green' ideas, your business is likely to benefit from a few environmentally friendly products. Check out some these eco-friendly products that are not only eco-friendly; they're stylish and functional too.Instead of plugging in a typical plastic flash drive to your computer, try an
Eco Flash in a cherry wood finish. These wooden bits of technology are sure to spark a conversation about the greener aspects of your company and promote a fun product at the same time.Replace your old cups (
especially Styrofoam ones) and writing utensils with biodegradable corn products. There are many stylish and practically priced cups and lids that are made from 100 biodegradable lactic acid that has been extracted from corn. The same can be said about
Corn Pens, and eco click paper pens which are made from recycled paper and corn derived bio-plastic. You can also give your meetings some color with enviro-mood pencils which change color from the heat of your hands.If you have the environmentally friendly writing utensils, you need the environmentally friendly notebooks. We recommend Recycled Terra Notebooks which come in combinations of 4 fun colors and are made from 100 recycled cardboard, 30 recycled journal paper, and have 100 pages complete with the recycle symbol in the corner. Buy enough for the whole company for under 5.00.Another enjoyable green product is
anti-bacterial hand sanitizer that keeps your hands and the environment clean at the same time. Available in 1 oz bottles or individual packets, both the sanitizer itself and the trendy packaging are safe for the environment.
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July 20, 2010
Structuring your next meeting or event as an environmentally friendly can benefit you, your company, your client, AND the environment. Here are a few tips from
BlueGreen meetings to get you started on a road to a greener business.
- Determine the environmental policy you plan to implement then put it into writing. Get funding from the meetings host organization then share the policy with suppliers and speakers who will most likely be eager to help you go green.
- Use the media to cut back on paper use. Create a conference website, advertise on the web, and offer electronic registration.
- Choose a central location. Find a host city that is close to as many attendees as possible and a venue that is close to where they will be staying.
- Make sure the venues you use have recycling policies and facilities available.
- Use bulk dispensers for condiments and salt and pepper instead of individually packaged items.
- Pick a hotel that offers linen reuse programs and bulk dispensers for shampoos and soaps.
- Offer vegetarian meals and serve meals that use local seasonal produce.
- Use environmentally friendly products such as recycled paper, cups made from corn, and vegetable based inks.
- Be sure lights and air conditioning units are turned off when rooms are not in use.
- Calculate the money and energy you save by implementing environmentally friendly policies. Chances are, you'll never return to your old traditional ways.
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