Happy 2010! This is the first day back for most of us and we are all focused on the goals we want to achieve this year. As you list those tasks, I hope you will think about what you can do in your work and home life to be more sustainable. Perhaps you’ll make an effort to print less frequently, print on recycled paper, print on reused paper OR maybe you’ll lead the effort to become a paperless work environment. If the building you work in doesn’t have a recycling program, begin a petition to start one. If your office still engages in practices that are not Earth friendly, start a green committee where you can brainstorm with your co-workers about policies you can initiate like replacing bottled water with filtered and providing all staff with an aluminum water bottle.
At home, perhaps you can begin to compost your leftover food scraps and unplug major appliances when they are not in use. Swap your incandescent lights with compact florescent light bulbs and turn off lights when you leave a room. Switch to wind power.
There are so many things we can all do and most take little or no effort. Here are some things you can do in your HOME that don’t cost a penny.
Turn off the lights in any room when it is not in use.
Unplug your TV, DVD and phone charger when not in use.
Take a 3-minute shower.
Wash clothes in warm or cold water and always rinse in cold.
Wash dishes by hand or run the dishwasher only when it is full. Don’t rinse plates in advance.
Say NO to bottled water. Drink filtered or tap water from a glass or reusable water bottle.
Set your thermostat to 65 degrees in the winter and your water heater
to 120 degrees.
Don’t let your vehicle idle for more than 20 seconds.
Say NO to paper AND plastic bags wherever you shop. Bring your own canvas bag leftover from a conference or trip.
Recycle every scrap of paper, newspaper, cardboard and junk mail as well as every plastic, glass or aluminum container.
Pledge to NEVER throw anything in a trash can – at home or outside the home -- that can be recycled, and then recycle!
Showing posts with label green office. Show all posts
Showing posts with label green office. Show all posts
Monday, January 4, 2010
Green Up in 2010
Monday, December 29, 2008
Takeout Food for the Office and Facts on Holiday Waste
As a vegetarian and a locovore (someone who tries to buy local), I try to make as many meals at home as possible. However, last Monday when I was out shopping, I stopped by the local PF Chang's for some takeout before I journeyed back to the office because I was low on food in the office fridge.
Normally, when I do any kind of shopping, I BMOB bring my own bag. The one exception has been when I get takeout. I keep making a mental note to BMOB, but have continued to fail on this front. Also, I just read an article about a green office that leaves those little tiny sacs which are the size of a small ball at the front desk for employees to use when they get takeout. Well, I couldn't be outdone, so I've made it my mission to begin this practice and I began on Monday!
When the take out guy waited on me, I sweetly asked, "Do you mind putting my order in this bag?" He didn't blink an eye. Whew! Let's hope behind that pleasant smile, he wasn't thinking I was a crazy environmentalist. I also asked him to not worry about the plasticware and some of the condiments. When he brought my order in my own bag - in my own bag - I was ecstatic and handed him a tip. I didn't look in the bag until I got in the car. Big mistake. It contained not only chopsticks, but plasticware and TWO sets of condiments. Argh! Did he do this to irritate me or was he on automatic pilot when he was loading my food into the bag? I'll never know. I emailed PF Chang's headquarters to tell them about my experience (I was nice about the quick service and the ability to use my own bag), but chastised them for all the waste with the condiments. Think of all the energy that goes into making those chopsticks, the plastic ware, the condiments and the containers they come in. Think of how many get thrown away without being used. Think of all those products in the landfill. Think of all that money wasted. I hope they change their ways...
Green Tip:
Facts on Holiday Waste
Below are some facts on holiday waste that I received from Eva at Earth Alley, a Baltimore gift shop that provides Earth friendly, fair-trade, locally-sourced gifts.
From Thanksgiving to New Years Day, household waste increases at least 25%, an additional 1 million tons a week. U.S.'s annual trash from gift-wrap and shopping bags totals 4 million tons.
Christmas Trees
50 million Christmas trees are purchased in the U.S., about 30 million go to the landfill.
Food
28 billion pounds of edible food are wasted each year - over 100 pounds per person. One less cookie on Santa's plate will reduce his snacking by about 2 million pounds.
Transportation
If each family reduced holiday gasoline consumption by one gallon (about twenty miles), we'd reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one million tons.
Cards
1.9 billion Christmas cards at this time, the amount of cards sold during the holiday season would fill a football field 10 stories high, and requires the harvesting of nearly 300,000 trees.
Ribbons
38,000 miles of ribbon is thrown out each year, enough to circle the Earth which is 25,000 miles.
Paper
Half of the paper America consumes is used to wrap and decorate consumer products.
(Sources: EPA; Use Less Stuff, 1998; www.recycleworks.org; Cygnus Group; Recycler's Handbook, 1990; Environmental News Network)
Normally, when I do any kind of shopping, I BMOB bring my own bag. The one exception has been when I get takeout. I keep making a mental note to BMOB, but have continued to fail on this front. Also, I just read an article about a green office that leaves those little tiny sacs which are the size of a small ball at the front desk for employees to use when they get takeout. Well, I couldn't be outdone, so I've made it my mission to begin this practice and I began on Monday!
When the take out guy waited on me, I sweetly asked, "Do you mind putting my order in this bag?" He didn't blink an eye. Whew! Let's hope behind that pleasant smile, he wasn't thinking I was a crazy environmentalist. I also asked him to not worry about the plasticware and some of the condiments. When he brought my order in my own bag - in my own bag - I was ecstatic and handed him a tip. I didn't look in the bag until I got in the car. Big mistake. It contained not only chopsticks, but plasticware and TWO sets of condiments. Argh! Did he do this to irritate me or was he on automatic pilot when he was loading my food into the bag? I'll never know. I emailed PF Chang's headquarters to tell them about my experience (I was nice about the quick service and the ability to use my own bag), but chastised them for all the waste with the condiments. Think of all the energy that goes into making those chopsticks, the plastic ware, the condiments and the containers they come in. Think of how many get thrown away without being used. Think of all those products in the landfill. Think of all that money wasted. I hope they change their ways...
Green Tip:
Facts on Holiday Waste
Below are some facts on holiday waste that I received from Eva at Earth Alley, a Baltimore gift shop that provides Earth friendly, fair-trade, locally-sourced gifts.
From Thanksgiving to New Years Day, household waste increases at least 25%, an additional 1 million tons a week. U.S.'s annual trash from gift-wrap and shopping bags totals 4 million tons.
Christmas Trees
50 million Christmas trees are purchased in the U.S., about 30 million go to the landfill.
Food
28 billion pounds of edible food are wasted each year - over 100 pounds per person. One less cookie on Santa's plate will reduce his snacking by about 2 million pounds.
Transportation
If each family reduced holiday gasoline consumption by one gallon (about twenty miles), we'd reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one million tons.
Cards
1.9 billion Christmas cards at this time, the amount of cards sold during the holiday season would fill a football field 10 stories high, and requires the harvesting of nearly 300,000 trees.
Ribbons
38,000 miles of ribbon is thrown out each year, enough to circle the Earth which is 25,000 miles.
Paper
Half of the paper America consumes is used to wrap and decorate consumer products.
(Sources: EPA; Use Less Stuff, 1998; www.recycleworks.org; Cygnus Group; Recycler's Handbook, 1990; Environmental News Network)
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