10 things you can do to make your business more sustainable
by Bob Huffman
April 30th, 2008 in Business, Environment, Tips
1. Printing Less Stuff = Using Less Paper. Paper makes up about 35% of our waste stream - even though it’s one of the easiest materials to re-use and recycle! First of all, organize your inbox to make e-mails easier to find and reference. You can encourage others not to print your e-mails as well. Make back-up copies of important files and e-mails and keep them on an external drive. When you do need to print important documents, make sure you use a sustainable paper, and set your printer or copier to print on both sides of the page.
Someone get the lights
by C. Commisso
March 28th, 2008 in Business, Campbell-Ewald, Conservation, Ecology, Energy
Turning out the lights may sound like a simple thing to do, but on March 29, it’s going to have a big impact here in the U.S. and around the world.Earth Hour 2008 is a movement that began with the simple action of turning off the lights for one hour to deliver a powerful message about energy conservation. Millions of people, business and cities across the globe will be “unplugging” for one hour on Saturday, from 8 - 9 p.m…and Campbell-Ewald is going to be one of them.
You should be, too. It’s one hour. Surely we can all live without the TV, the computer, and the microwave for that long.
Light candles.
Go to bed early.
Or, if it’s snowing (which is entirely likely here in Michigan), sit by a fire, and just…well, sit.
Or you can take some of Earth Hour’s suggestions, like taking the time to replace those old energy-wasting bulbs with CFLs. More suggestions on their site (but be warned: they’ve had so much web traffic over the past few days, the site has been really slow and sometimes unavailable)
Got other ideas for Earth Hour activities? Let’s hear ‘em.
Nissan goes green with more than its cars
by C. Commisso
March 18th, 2008 in Automotive, Business, Environment
The Japanese automaker is showcasing its environmental commitment with a new $100 million Headquarters in Franklin, Tennessee.
The 10-story building will eventually be home to about 1,500 employees. According to this article in the Los Angeles Times, Nissan’s green engineering includes a sci-fi sounding “light harvesting system,” air conditioning and heat that are controlled at each individual workstation, restoration of a nearby wetland, and expansion of green space by constructing a parking garage instead of paving a vast parking lot.
Is Nissan going for the seal of approval from the U.S. Green Building Council? No, says Rob Traynham, director of corporate services. He says the company would rather spend the money to restore the wetland than to “have a plaque on the wall.”
Kudos to Nissan for putting their money where their mouth is.
Green matters to consumers…and so does honesty
by C. Commisso
March 6th, 2008 in Business, Environmental, Greenwashing, Marketing
According to the Natural Marketing Institute’s 2007 LOHAS Consumer Trends Database, nearly 80% of America agrees:
“It is important for companies not just to be profitable, but to be mindful of their impact on the environment and society.”
And consumers are willing to put their money where their mouth is. This article from Environmental Leader indicates that 85% are willing to switch brands if it means tomorrow’s world will be a better place.
Of course, there’s a caveat: 7 in 10 consumers also seem to think most companies label a product “green” as marketing tactic…and there’s something to be said about that. Environmental Leader claims that a recent “random” study of over a thousand common consumer products, ranging from toothpaste to caulking to shampoo, found that 99% of them were guilty of this kind of greenwashing.
What do you think? How can a brand win consumer trust in its environmental initiatives and products?
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