Tools

Implementing sustainable practices at work doesn’t require a complete overhaul of operations. “It’s just a matter of doing the research and determining how you’re doing things now versus how you could do them,” said Kelly Ross, a financial advisor in Little Rock. Operating her business from a leased building, her options were more limited than those of Shelly Bixler, director of operations at North Little Rock’s National Wallcovering Inc. While the vinyl manufacturer decided to pursue LEED certification for existing buildings, the two businesses do many of the same simple things to benefit the environment. Here’s how you can do the same, no matter how high your eco-aspirations.

1 - Refill Ink Cartridges. On this continent, more than 350 million cartridges end up in landfills annually, and that number’s increasing, according to Cartridge World. Recycling just one laser cartridge, which would take 450 years to decompose, saves 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic waste and about a gallon of oil (used in manufacturing). Ross said her office used to mail empty cartridges back to the maker, but “the transportation basically just killed the environmental good you were doing,” she said. Now Easter Seals Arkansas picks up their cartridges for free. “Plus, it gives some folks a job that otherwise wouldn’t have one.”

2 - Use Recycled Paper. There’s a broad selection on the market these days, allowing you to choose the percentage of recycled material you’d like to use. The appearance and flexibility of the paper varies depending upon the make-up, but there are versions that have undetectable differences compared to freshly-made paper. Ross uses 100 percent recycled paper in her office. “You can get the same weight paper you normally use, and you can’t notice any difference,” she said.

3 - Recycle. Remembering to recycle material related to daily operations – like batteries, light bulbs, paper and even computer accessories – and even items unrelated to business, like plastic bottles and cardboard meal boxes from the break room – is easy. But don’t forget that there’s an outlet for other items: Ross recycled old cubicle walls. “We put them on FreeCycle.org, and they were gone that day,” she said. The Little Rock group on the website, which is like CraigsList.com for recycling, stays active, with 222 new messages toward the end of 2010.

4 - Switch to Energy-Efficient Lighting. Compact fluorescent light bulbs use less energy, last longer and cost less, which have made them increasingly popular for residential use. Offices with applicable fixtures can use CFLs, but even if you have fluorescent tubes, there are energy-efficient options, like the T5 lamp, said Fred Wisdom of Little Rock’s Lighting & Power Solutions Inc. “They have a longer lamp life, use less wattage and get very good light levels. They’re more expensive, but they last up to 40,000 hours and you see the payoff typically within two or three years.”

5 - Install Dual-Flush Toilets. Conventional toilets use up to 5 gallons per flush. With multiple employees in the building for 40 hours a week, water usage just from flushing can add up quickly. Dual-flush toilets use about 1.6 gallons per flush, resulting in a savings of up to 4 gallons per flush. According to the Federal Energy Management Program, the average household saves $2,000 over the lifetime of just one new dual-flush toilet. So, imagine how much your business could save. “Some dual-flush toilets do even better than 1.6 gallons [per flush],” said Keith Wingfield, owner of River Rock Builders and a LEED Accredited Professional. “The investment in these toilets more than pays for itself,” Wingfield said.

6 - Work with the Weather. Especially in the wintertime when you’re not trying to cool a building, opening the blinds and letting sunlight in could allow you to turn out the lights. “Our windows have a reflective coating on the outside that reflects the sun off the building,” which makes natural daylight usable even in the summer, Bixler said. You can also encourage employees to dress climate appropriate, said April Ambrose, a sustainability consultant at Viridian. “You won’t need so much air-conditioning in the office during the summer if your employees are wearing short sleeves instead of suits.”

7 - Use Rechargeable Batteries. The bad thing about regular batteries, besides having to buy them repeatedly after the ones you have wear out, is that they can wreak havoc on the water supply. In the compacting of landfill waste, batteries bust open and the material inside seeps out. If you’ve got to use them, they can be recycled (Radio Shack accepts them), but rechargeable batteries are also a convenient substitute. “We put battery recycling and recharging centers around the office, and it’s easy for employees to either drop them off or pop them in the chargers,” Bixler said.

8 - Print on Both Sides of the Page. Obviously, by changing the default setting on office printers and copiers to double-sided, you’re going to use half the paper you would have otherwise. Couple that cut with other tricks, like decreasing the default margin width and font size (you can zoom in for on-screen viewing) for all computers, to save even more. Students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock found that the College of Business could save 39 percent or more per year in paper and ink costs by implementing a combination of tactics like this.

9 - Turn Off Equipment. Computers, printers and other equipment left on overnight every night can drain considerable amounts of power unnecessarily. Unfortunately, there’s not an easy way to automate an office-wide power-down. “You just have to teach it to employees, really,” Bixler said.

10 - Monitor Heating & Cooling. One degree can make a considerable difference in energy consumption. But even if you lease a building, depending on the heating and cooling system that’s in place, you may be able to have a programmable system installed, like Ross did. Otherwise, designate someone to adjust the thermostat in the mornings and evenings.

11 - Switch Cleaning Products. National Wallcovering Inc. transitioned to eco-friendly products to get LEED points for air quality with the help of Jan-Pro Janitorial Services. “Most green chemicals are water-based, so there are no ammonias, butyls or ozone in the can for the spray,” said Jan-Pro’s Dana Humphrey. There are other benefits as well. “We buy concentrated products that we then dilute, which means there are fewer plastic containers going into the recycling stream,” Bixler said.

12 - Eliminate Disposable Cups & Utensils. If your workplace has a dishwasher, there’s no reason not to encourage employees to use their own coffee cups and drinking glasses rather than Styrofoam or disposable paper cups. “We keep coffee mugs on hand for general use so that visitors or employees who forget to bring their own can still get coffee without adding to the waste stream,” Bixler said.

13 - Check the Sink Aerators. Pursuit of LEED certification led National Wallcovering Inc. to install low-flow aerators on their sinks to conserve water, “but it’s [also] cheap and easy to do, whether you’re seeking LEED certification or not,” Bixler said. “Plus, you make an immediate impact.” In addition, there are savings to be had on the energy cost of heating the water.

14 - Make Documents Virtual. Employees don’t need a hardcopy of the company policy manual, the management team probably doesn’t need a print-out of the entire budget every month, and there are probably several other corporate documents that can live online and be just as useful. Concerned those sensitive documents could make their way into the wrong hands more easily if they’re electronic? “When employees come on board with our company and most companies any more, they sign a confidentiality agreement where they agree not to release company information,” Bixler said. “A virtual document is the same as a piece of paper, and the consequences are the same.”

15 - Establish a Green Team. Because business environments vary, cookie-cutter eco-practices don’t always apply. By the same token, businesses commonly find that unique opportunities exist in their situation. A green team can identify these possibilities. The team can also educate the rest of the staff – and customers and suppliers, if applicable – on practices that are implemented. Their knowledge of the company’s efforts can also be used for public relations. “We’ve had a green team, and it’s a great tool for getting people excited,” Bixler said.