Green Business Awareness

When considering the basics of a Green business, some issues are fairly simple.  Paper use is a ubiquitous issue in any business, but to a Green business, it is a key component at every level of operation.  Although a simple issue, the life cycle analysis of paper is a classic example of what a Green business must address.  One of the foremost issues is the amount of paper that business throws out each year.  Paper and paper products compose 36% of municipal solid waste (MSW).  By volume, paper is the single largest category of what ends up in the land fills.  This is also one of the fungible elements of a Green business, because there are better solutions that are easily installed.

The upstream concerns of paper manufacture often start with the harvesting of trees that are eventually turning into wood pulp.  The process is something that is easily investigated, but the chemicals used are not mild.  One of the most problematic is the chlorine that is used to bleach the paper to a bright white color.  Waste water from pulp and paper factories is a relatively unreported issue, but the waste water includes various toxic chemicals like Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) which includes terpenes, alcohols, phenols, methanol, acetone, chloroform, methyl ethyl ketone; detergents and surfactants; dyes and pigments; acids; and alkaline solutions.

Some of the air pollutants released by the paper industry include carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, sulfur dioxides, carbon monoxide, ammonia, VOCs and particulate matter like ash and dust. All in all, the making of paper could not be considered a Green process. When we consider the downstream impact of the waste created through paper products, the unmistakable conclusion is that paper use is a major environmental issue and one that can be easily improved.

Paper reduction strategies include printing both sides of paper, copying less, stopping junk mail and magazines as well as increasing email use.  We should not forget the importance of using recycled paper for the office.  There are dozens of simple ideas, but one very powerful solution seems to have escaped the environmentally-astute sources like the well respected NRDC.  The paperless office is not one of the Green solutions, but it should be.

Paperless solutions include: 1) Document storage and retrieval software, 2) Replacing fax machines with online services that turn faxes into email, 3) Software solutions for accounting, payroll, and billing, 4) Virtual meeting software that can eliminate travel and save time.

The problem with these Green solutions is that they are trouble to install and require a change to the office as well as training of the employees.  The early transition is a hurdle, but results are immense.  Installing these paperless solutions will reduce paper use, decrease paper waste, and will literally speed up the office.  The savings are not just in paper costs, but the fact that fewer employees can do more work.  The efficiency factor can save a business thousands of dollars in operational costs and will greatly impress your customers.

To be a Green business, it will take more than using recycled paper or double sided printing.  The paperless system is the best and the smart answer.  Software can be installed, but the Internet also provides these same services that allow information to be shared by employees and offices everywhere.  The Green Business League not only promotes these solutions among its member businesses, but uses these systems for their ownoperations.

Companies seeking to become Green Business Certified should locate a Certified Green Consultant in their community.   The installation of Green Practices will take any business from a general Greenwashing role to an authentic Green business.

A recent news release gave a list of the five books that President Obama is reading while on vacation.  One of those books is “Hot, Flat, and Crowded” by Thomas Friedman. This is recommended reading for anyone who wants to understand the geopolitics and the business implications of the world we now inhabit.  For business, this issue will also become a part of the everyday decision-making process.  Developing a Green business will not be an option in the near future.  It will simply be “How business is done!”  President Obama is an avid proponent of environmental causes.

The three factors mentioned by Freidman are spot on. When we understand global warming, world population, and the rise of the middle class on a global scale have combined to create new and staggering dilemmas; the realization should be that the world is in a major transition that can only be ignored at our peril.  Growth has always been viewed as a “Good problem to have.”  In this context, it is one of the biggest challenges of our generation.  The way we handle this challenge will literally define the next several generations.

The unfortunate truth is that most businesses are ill-equipped for the challenge and woefully behind in an authentically Green business operation.  We are presently experiencing a dumbed-down version of Green that is essentially Greenwashing covered over by a minimalistic Green effort.  Part of the reason is that most companies come to this effort without a clearly defined game plan, unskilled advisers, and no clear goal in mind.  This is more than unfortunate because business needs to exert both leadership and ethics instead of modest compliance.

The best way to solve the issue is to have one or more key people in your company attend a Green Officer training program.  The Green Business League offers what could essentially be called a Green Business Boot Camp that educates and empowers those who are Green officers or members of the Green Business League to understand how to do the job properly.  Better yet, these knowledgeable employees are shown not only how to Green the business properly, but how to move it toward Green Business certification.

Learn more about Green Officer Training and consider this two day training either online or in a regional training event.  Why should selecting a Green Officer or setting up a Green committee fall under the came criteria as planning the company picnic?  The impact of this issue on business has negative and positive implications.  If the Green transition is superficial or faulty, charges of Greenwashing will damage the company image.  If it is done correctly. the company will be viewed in a positive light by consumers and will literally cut the cost of operation through the Green efficiencies discovered.

The Greening of a business has multiple benefits.  Some of the benefits accrue your community and the world, but other benefits are definitely for the business.   The business has a powerful marketing opportunity that has no down side, employees will be more productive, and the business will save money.   When done right, there seems to be no downside.  the best advice, however, is doing the job right.  Green Officer Training is the right way to Go Green.

I am sure that there are those still wondering if the Green trend will eventually fade.  To each of you, I can assuredly say, that Green is here to stay, and it is going to be part of our daily lifestyle.  It cannot and will not be ignored.  The reasons go far beyond your opinion on global warming.  We must become better stewards of this world because we are at 6.7 billion people in the world from about 4 billion in the 1950’s.  Experts predict 9 billion people in the world by 2025.  Add to this fact the realization that we are now measuring the end of our energy resources, and our trash will fill many landfills in the next 5 to 7 years.  The unmistakable realization is that everyone must become an environmentally committed person.  Also, every business must Go Green or face a growing indignation and criticism for its boorish behavior.

The timing couldn’t be better for those contemplating a leap into green business.  The $787 billion federal stimulus bill will make funding available for everything from green construction to alternative fuels, and consumer demand for green products continues to rise.  But keeping an eye on the triple bottom-line: people, the planet, and profits, is a necessary step to success.  (Also called 3BL)  It is no longer wise to consider only profits as the challenge facing a business.  Profits cannot be neglected, but they can no longer be the singular consideration as the world struggles to maintain a balance on the edge of disaster.

The triple bottom line considers people and the planet as an asset that must be protected as much as the financial bottom line.  The new business model is one that sees value in what perpetuates business.  A world in crisis is not a business-friendly climate.  Employees who are harmed by their work environment create yet another sinkhole for business opportunity.  A business simply cannot castaway either of these business-critical elements without feeling the eventual threat of crushing defeat.  Whether short term or long term, every business will be helped or hurt by how they treat the triple bottom line.

Business still enjoys a twilight period of voluntary compliance with a yet mostly unregulated market.  The free market is still alive, but not as generous as it once was.  More is expected of businesses that have, for a season, abused the people and planet as it rushed single-mindedly after profits.  In this more adult world, people and businesses are expected to take on a more global mindset that sees the end of the process with somewhat the same vision of short-term gain.  It is a maturity and ethical expectation that may be superfluous to many still.  Yet, like the proverbial grasshopper in summer, there are always those who simply do not believe in the approach of winter and hard times.

The long view is also the more business-astute view that realizes that profits need not rule out concerns for the people in its realm of influence or the part of the world that they affect.  The climate of profitability is not lost when other values are brought into consideration.  We all want a brighter tomorrow that is not damaged by the mistake of the present, and this brings the astute businesses to the conclusion that the triple bottom line offers more to the Greening process than marketing opportunities.

Going Green as a business is a commitment that may require five years of environmental inclusive improvements.  This is not a problem solved by haste or momentary investments.  This is behavior modification that allows the deeds of today to become the habits of a lifetime.  Dumping the water service for a reverse osmosis system inhouse will allow employees to make use of reuseable water bottles.  Cutting CO2 emissions by a total workforce commitment reduces energy costs and improves the air.  Moving to a paperless system will cut back on the municipal solid waste that is now 36% of MSW, plus it will save the office huge amounts of time while speeding up company performance.

These and many more solutions bring the triple bottom line to a compliment of every aspect of business.  A trained Certified Green Consultant can help your business build is own 3BL.  The mission of the Green Business League is to demonstrate that Going Green is smart on many levels, and that it will actually improve the profitability of nearly any company.  The triple bottom line is not a quick fix, but it is the right way to a better world and a much better business model.  Going Green does pay in the most unexpected and marvelous ways.

The concept of international standards may not be an issue for most businesses, but if there is a desire to provide a review and certification that can cross national boundaries, ISO 14000 is the latest of the ISO installments.  We bring this to your attention, not to convince anyone, but to create a better understanding of certification processes.

While ISO 14000 or 14001 are environmentally concerned certifications, they also fall into the category of Quality Assurance where businesses must review, validate, and often improve their systems so that there is a kind of transparency and openness for other firms to observe.

ISO 14000 is a series of international standards on environmental management. This program was developed by the International Organization for Standardization.  ISO defines a voluntary environmental management system. When used in conjunction with the appropriate goals and management commitment, the developed standards help improve corporate performance.

ISO 14001, the cornerstone of ISO 14000, specifies a framework of control for an Environmental Management System (EMS) against which an organization can be certified by a third party.  This standard monitors the environmental management system’s continual improvement towards goals such as resource efficiency, waste reduction, and effective management of environmental risks. To qualify, a business must streamline and improve its environmental programs, such as its green buildings, green fleets, and renewable energy programs.

According to Green Consumer Guide, there are five main elements of ISO 14000:

An environmental policy. This should commit businesses to legislative/regulatory compliance, continual improvement, the prevention of pollution and appropriate objectives and targets.

Planning. This covers a review of environmental aspects: legal and other requirements; objectives and targets; and the setting up of a management program to achieve them.

Implementation and operation. This includes management structure, training, communications, documentation, operational control and emergency preparedness. It means providing resources for staff, defining who does what, identifying training needs, communicating effectively and exerting effective control over the activities relevant to your significant environmental impacts.

Checking and corrective actions. These are monitoring and corrective actions, records and audits. This means using accurate measurement methods, regularly checking the progress towards objectives, taking action to rectify any non-conformance with environmental policy or legal requirements, recording the operation of your EMS, and conducting audits to identify problems and to prove conformity with the business requirements.

Management Review. This is necessary to close the loop. That is, to ensure that the system continues to be suitable, adequate and effective through changes made in light of experience.

It is important to mention that the ISO 14000 standards DO NOT alone specify environmental performance goals.  These must be set by the company itself, taking into account its effect on the environment and how stakeholders perceive it.  This is where such programs as found in the Green Business League come into play.  Quality assurance is not the same as installation of Green Practices that should already be in place as the review of the processes are made.

ISO 14000 motivates businesses to truly commit to environmental management and to track their progress.  Many companies have reported a better bottom-line after pursuing this certification, by streamlining processes and reducing unnecessary waste.  Employees at green businesses are also more motivated, and reports show most consumers would rather do business with an eco-friendly organization than one that doesn’t show any commitment to the environment.

It is strongly suggested that IS 140o0 is the final step, not the first, in Greening your company.  It allows your company to offer a transparent review of the processes used and commitments to the end project.  Starting a Greening process involves a transition to environmental projects that will take months to complete.  The mistake many companies make is that the Greening effort is viewed as a goal attained rather than a progression toward better practices.  Working with a Certified Green Consultant will allow a business to step-stone its way into a better environmental position.  ISO is part of the final review that may be needed for international trading.

It is one thing to put various pieces of the Green puzzle together, but how do you know when it achieves a level of accomplishment?  Not all good ideas are Green, and there are often neglected areas regardless of good intentions.   The truth is that the Greening process can be complex and difficult.   In many cases, environmental improvement takes on a kind of hit and miss development as well-intentioned people do their best to address complicated mega-issues.  This could be no truer than the numerous and varied challenges found at a college campus.

Brevard Community College is the first college in Florida to achieve Green certification as a reputably Green campus.  The Green Business League has certified the first Green campus in Florida as Brevard Community College scored an impressive 311 points to earn a platinum level certification.  This comes as a result of numerous improvements in the campus operation and a commitment that went well beyond a token effort.

Certified Green Consultant, Bob Jones, has worked with the college to install and validate the Green practices of Brevard Community College.  The fact is that these changes did not happen overnight.  They are put in place through planning and commitment to the environmental cause.  The fact that Brevard Community college has scored so high on this evaluation is a testimony to a diligent effort and a willingness to change where necessary.

We are presently in a period where Green is ill-defined, poorly-implemented, and by self-appointment.  Under this criteria, anyone installing a few CFL bulbs can claim to be as environmentally committed as another firm that has make extensive efforts to become a leader in the cause.  Eventually, the market will be filled with self-proclaimed Green organizations making all claims valueless.  Certification means that there is a standard of comparison, a third party review, and a criteria for certification.  Without diminishing any environmental effort, those claiming to be authentically Green should be certified by a reputable independent agency, like the Green Business League.

Brevard Community College aptly deserves the designation as Florida’s first Green campus although it is sure that other campuses are striving to achieve similar environmental goals.  The Greening of the campus does not stop at this notable accomplishment, however.  With the assistance of Green consultant, Bob Jones, we are sure that there is more that will be done from this environmentally-committed institution.

Mr Jones encourages other businesses in the area to step up to an authentically Green standard as well.  A Green Business League certification prevents claims of Greenwashing because there is an honest assessment and audit of the Green merits of any business or organization.

Does it seem that we are suffering from Green overload as more and more environmental balls are being tossed our way?   Going Green can feel like a game of Green bombardment with ideas that are tossed your way from dozens of angles.  The feeling is not rare since there are hundreds of big and thousands of smaller Green ideas that really deserve our attention.  In the face of an emerging and complicated subject, it helps to have some straight-forward advice.  As someone heavily engaged in the overwhelming duties of your work and life, most of us are not ready for yet another wave of responsibility and pressing deadlines

Knowing where to start allows us to get into the game and gradually make progress.  While environmentalism is a substantial subject, knowing where to start and how to make basic progress is immensely helpful.   So, let’s start with a definition about the meaning of Green.   As a little research will show, the best definition of Green is “Health Impact.”  No matter what else we do to make the world better, it seems like a false start to neglect the health issues of those that are within the reach of our influence.

If Green is primarily about health, then what part seems universal to all of us?  No one controls what you eat, what you drink, or how often you exercise; but can we not control what we breathe?   This universal connection does provide a common area for universal participation.  Even the EPA has stated that Americans spend 90% of their time indoors, and the indoor air is 500-600% worse than the outside air.  That is why I propose that the obvious starting point for Going Green is the indoor air quality.

While many will think that Greening their business requires a major overhaul of the building, the fact is that Going Green may require a series of improved Green practices and changes in everyday options.  Cleaning products often emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs).  Furniture made from plywood or particleboard may give off formaldehyde gas.  The addition of live green plants will remove some bad elements from the air while adding much needed oxygen that will improve employee productivity.  These are examples of low cost ways to improve any facility that will help improve the company’s environmental program.

Sustainable issues create yet another level of issues that are not primarily health related, but deals with how a company manages its use of resources or adds to the waste disposal system.  However, this is the next level of environmentalism rather than the entry point for a Green business program.

The EPA also points out that businesses in America are losing $60 billion a year in lost productivity due to bad indoor air quality.  These are invisible and passive costs that should be considered for any company.  You will not find them on the ledger of accounts or in the annual report.  They are as much a part of the cost of operation as the aging of the equipment.   Therefore, making Green improvements will always improve company operation and will also show up as a more profitable company at year’s end.

Like other complex subjects, taking a company Green is not an amatuer-level commitment.  The task requires a trained and professional approach that comes only from a Certified Green Consultant.  Not only do these Green consultants know what Green is and how it is done, they also are capable of an independent assessment and certification of any kind of business.  Certified Green Consultants work with the Green Business League to provide the best Green business certification in the country.

Doesn’t it seem obvious that the world of paper is about to go through an incredible change?  Most national magazines and newspapers are already seeing a huge migration of advertisers and readers switch to the Internet.  This has taken place in less than a decade, and it seems that all but the most unusual will not be around in a few more years.  We are observing yet another facet of the next generation of environmentally-attuned Green businesses, and it is time to make the transition before the reality becomes too painful to bear.

Even books are under assault as downloadable books are using paperless players like Amazon’s Kindle or Apples’ iPad are a few of the eBook devices other than the normal computer.  I wonder if it won’t be long before cell phones work out yet another way to display larger images.

Paper is also a disposal problem.  When calculating the Municipal Solid Waste (MSW), paper is about 36% of the trash going to landfills.  That is the largest trash component in MSW, and it is not because there aren’t better ways to run a business!  It helps to use recycled paper in the office to remove it from the waste that is thrown out each day.  However, it is even better to create less paper and less paper waste.

If you are somewhat of a tree-a-phile, you can celebrate a strange right of passage as paper becomes the eight-track tape player of this decade.  Computers continue their omnivore-like technological advance, and paper forms and records are simply one of the next challenges in the way.  The fact that we can reduce the need for paper and save trees is only one, though very substantial, benefit of pending technology.

If you are not familiar with paper-making, it is not a pristine process.  Wood pulp is the first phase of paper making.  Paper primarily comes from the softwood type of tree, like spruce, pine, fir, and larch. Wood chips can be pretreated with sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfate and other chemicals prior to refining with equipment similar to a mechanical mill.  The pulp produced up to this point in the process can be bleached to produce a white paper product. The chemicals used to bleach pulp have been a source of environmental concern, and recently the pulp industry has been using alternatives to chlorine, such as chlorine dioxide, oxygen, ozone and hydrogen peroxide.  After paper production, these chemicals become the effluents that impact the environment.

Even faxes are on their way out as companies like efax.com and fax.com take a larger and larger share of this market.  Fax machines are costly to buy and operate, and add to the volume of machines we toss out after to few years.  They add to the landfill crisis, when in fact, a simple-to-install email conversion system literally works a hundred times better.

Need sticky notes?  Did you know that most computers and basic software packages offer sticky notes that are conveniently stored on your computer.  Your cell phone probably has a ToDo list that will keep track of critical items.  Better yet, why not dump the loathsome file cabinets for an online document storage and retrieval system?

It is doubtful that paper will go away 100%.  However, it is in decline because it is wasteful, adds to the cost of operation, is time-intensive, and not environmentally friendly.  By the way, have you canceled your phonebooks yet?  This is another way you can help unclutter your life and reduce the drain on our resources.

The Green Business League works with businesses of all type to assist in the Green Transition.  When done correctly, any business willing to Go Green can earn its Green business certification or work with a Certified Green Consultant as a helpful resource.