Zimride: Socializing Your Way to Work and Other Destinations

EcoGreenOffice recently reported in a Green Education Section article, that if the 40 percent of the U.S. workforce that could work from home telecommuted just half of the time, greenhouse gases would be reduced by 84 million tons, the equivalent of taking 15 million cars off the road each year, according to the Telework Research Network.⁷

However, since telecommuting may not be an option, Zimride may be the next best thing.

The upstart company uses social media as a platform to connect drivers with people who need rides — saving people money and helping the environment, according to GreenBiz.

By signing up for free through Facebook, Zimride customers can check out information on their ride-sharing partners.  Those offering a ride get paid via PayPal.

However, Zimride was founded not only as a way to help people save money and the environment, but also because “life is better when you share a ride.”

Here’s more on the “Zimride Ethos:”

“Communities aren't born. They're made. Built on the shoulders of shared
experiences. Created by people with a common cause,
a common history, or in our case,
a common destination.”

 

Zimride currently has partnerships with more than 100 universities and companies, including Facebook.  The company formed more than 26,000 carpools by last summer and saved drivers more than $50 million in expenses, according to GreenBiz.  By last September, Zimride raised $6 million in venture capital from investors

The company got its name after one of the cofounders Logan Green traveled to Zimbabwe and saw lots of people sharing rides.

The other cofounder John Zimmer told GreenBiz, "When you look at our highway system, 80% of seats are empty. That's a 20% occupancy rate. That's an opportunity."

Driving to work everyday with extra seats in the car?  Zimride provides an opportunity to help the environment and make money, as well as friends in the community by connecting you with others who need a ride and who are heading the same way.

Uncommonly Thought of Office Supplies That Incorporate Ecodesign

Ecodesign is product design that considers the environmental impact of a product during its whole lifespan.  This includes the raw materials used to make the product, how it’s manufactured, transported, sold, used and disposed of.

Almost everything found around the office can incorporate ecodesign.  Carts for hauling books and other office supplies, wall clocks and even a time card rack can be made from 30 percent or more post-consumer content.

Search EcoGreenOffice’s product catalog for other unusual office supplies that incorporate ecodesign, including EXIT signs that use an energy-saving LED light source and last up to 25 years.

The Industrial Designers Society of America — the world’s oldest and largest member-driven society for product design, industrial design and more — devotes an educational section for enabling and enriching ecodesign. 

From leading to business communication, innovation, and greater use of raw materials, ecodesign can make a direct difference to the bottom line. 

Supplied through EcoGreenOffice, by incorporating energy-saving LED lights even an EXIT sign can incorporate ecodesign.

Terra Bella Vineyards: Setting the Sustainable Standard for Winemaking

That first sip of wine after a long week (or day) of work is frequently an enjoyable moment.  Pouring a glass that satisfies the pallet, and has a low impact on the environment can make that moment even more gratifying.    

 Founded by Napa Valley natives Jack and Dotty Hopkins, Terra Bella Vineyards produces an environmentally responsible and delicious wine.  The vineyard’s Syrah and Grenache grapes mature in Pacific Ocean breezes, and morning fogs that give way to long afternoons of sun most days of the year. 

Terra Bella Grapes 2011.  Courtesy: Dotty Hopkins

 

 

Moreover, Jack farms Terra Bella Vineyards sustainably and without harmful toxins and Dotty ensures that the wine is bottled environmentally responsibly.      

“That’s just part of who we are. The Napa Valley is such a gorgeous place we wanted to keep it as pure as possible,” Dotty says.         

Terra Bella wine is shipped to customers in Northern and Southern California in reused bottles with a zero carbon footprint label.  The corks can be recycled and the foil seals are made from recycled materials.  The companies providing the materials to label, seal and bottle the wine are local, helping to cut back on energy used to transport.     

  

“You have to keep all those things in mind when you’re making choices,” she says. Terra Bella was the first vineyard to order reused bottles from the local company when they became available in January 2011.          

“We just thought it was the most incredible thing in the world.  And it’s cheaper: half the cost of a new bottle,” Dotty explains.      

As an EcoGreenOffice partner, Terra Bella ordered ink toner cartridges for the operation's printer and fax machine.      

EcoGreenOffice provides free toner cartridge recycling with prepaid return boxes, helping customers to save money and reduce their carbon footprint.  

  

When she has to print Terra Bella marketing materials, Dotty uses 100 percent recycled paper from EcoGreenOffice.    

“Office Depot doesn’t offer that — 30 percent recycled, but not 100 percent recycled,” she says.      

Paper supplied through EcoGreenOffice is also made from 100 percent post-consumer content, helping to ensure that the paper is actually made from materials created by consumers that would otherwise end up in the landfill.     

     

Visit Terra Bella Vineyards' website for more information on their wine and the history of the vineyard.

Terra Bella Vineyards 2011.  Courtesy: Dotty Hopkins

 

Welcome Guests With A Green Reception

They say you only have one chance to make a first impression.

Let guests know as soon as they walk into the office building that your company is committed to the environment. 

More than 60 percent of U.S. adults are either as likely or more likely to visit a business that focuses on being green — regardless of distance or effort required, according to a 2010 Harris Interactive study.

EcoGreenOffice supplies reception lounge furniture, including soft-touch black leather loveseats made from 70 percent post-consumer content.

Find reception and end tables made from at least 53 percent post-consumer content in mahogany, harvest, or henna cherry.

Or, consider adding 18^th century elegance to the office, with a classic Queen Anne style table, built with 21^st century engineering and 53 percent post-consumer content.

Consider room accessories, such as picture frames and clocks made from recycled content and a LED Exit sign.

Let your guests know the furniture is environmentally responsible by framing and hanging information on the furniture in the reception area.

Made from 70 percent post-consumer content, this three-cushion, soft-leather reception sofa is an ideal way to greet guests.  Let visitors to your office know the furniture is environmentally responsible with a plaque on the wall of the reception room.  You can also find plaques made from recycled content from EcoGreenOffice.

Golden Green Ideas To Leave Around the Office (Or With) for St. Patty's Day Weekend

Before you leave work for St. Patricks Day weekend, do something really green for the office, so you have another reason to give a cheers on Saturday.

Here are a few ideas to increase green in the office in one day:

1. Find an article on ways to green the office, or your life in general, and email it to your coworkers.  They’ll likely enjoy the Friday distraction.  (We might be biased, but EcoGreenOffice’s Green Education page could be a great place to start.) 

2. During your lunch break, pick up a plant for the office.  Not only do plants add aesthetic value, but they can also help to clean the air your breathing, reports TreeHugger.

3. Go to a local green eatery for lunch. The Green Restaurant Association makes searching for ecoconscious dining easy.  If you don’t have time today, consider going to a green restaurant over St. Patty’s Day weekend.

 4. Have you been needing a new office product for a while?  Order a green one from EcoGreenOffice before leaving work.  Or, at least have fun perusing our catalog that allows you to search all product categories by “conventional,” or “green only.”

5. If you’re a beer drinker, and want to have brew this Friday, or over the weekend that’s environmentally-conscious green, and not just dyed green, check out this article on green beer from PlanetGreen. 

Happy St. Patrick Day's Weekend from EcoGreenOffice and cheers to green, sustainable living!

Checking Into Boulder Outlook Hotel's Sustainable and Money Saving Initiatives

The Boulder Outlook Hotel, based in Boulder, Colo., is committed to sustainable and environmental initiatives in every aspect of its operations, from tremendous waste, water and energy reduction efforts, to using green office supplies, cleaning methods and landscaping practices.

For example, Boulder Outlook Hotel has a goal of diverting 90 percent or more of its waste from the landfill.  To achieve this goal, the hotel partnered with another local business Eco-Cycle, one of the largest non-profit recyclers in the U.S. 

Through resourceful initiatives, including ditching Styrofoam and plastic cutlery and purchasing to-go containers made from paper or compostable materials, as well as making recycling, composting and trash containers accessible to guests, the hotel has achieved an 85 percent diversion rate. 

The paybacks of Boulder Outlook Hotel’s sustainable enterprises are extensive —including a $10,000 per month return, says Dan King, owner of Boulder Outlook.

“The world has turned, and the wind is at our back and really there’s momentum toward business and consumers demanding responsible behavior on the part of people they do business with,” King says. 

Recently, by taking advantage of environmental city initiatives, such as EnergySmart and Xcel Energy rebates, Boulder Outlook has nearly completed an extensive lighting retrofit.  The hotel is likely to see financial returns on the lighting project in less than a year, King says. 

“There’s been some great rebate programs.  We’ve made some changes that are no brainers.  It makes no sense to not take advantage of them,” King says.

In addition to City of Boulder, Eco-Cycle and Xcel Energy partnerships, Boulder Outlook Hotel has ventures with environmental students groups at the University of Colorado at Boulder, including CU Biodiesel, and other businesses in the area that are helping the hotel to achieve its environmental goals.

By partnering and purchasing products from EcoGreenOffice, such as 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper and recycled ink toner cartridges, Boulder Outlook has been able to reduce the environmental impact of its office supplies.  Post-consumer paper means that paper is made from materials created by consumers and diverted from the landfill, as opposed to scraps of virgin paper.

“They make it easy: they have great products, great prices and we know who they are,” King says referring to EcoGreenOffice.

Back in 2006, three years after the hotel opened, it was difficult to source products.  But, it’s become easier, King adds. 

“I think that’s how you move the market, you got to make it easy for them and EGO really does that,” he says. 

The Boulder Outlook Hotel’s environmental initiatives not only help the business save money, and achieve its sustainable goals, but they also add value to the local community and provide a healthier and safer environment for guests. 

For example, the hotel collects all packaging peanuts and bubble warp materials that come with deliveries and deliver them to a local candle company Lumia Organics, to use for shipping candles around the country.  Items left in the Lost-and-Found box for over 90 days are donated to a local homeless shelter.  By offering live music, the hotel supports local musicians.

The hotel uses cleaning products free of toxic chemicals, has never sprayed the landscape with chemical of any kind, and uses bromine and ozone instead of chlorine to sanitize the pool.

Boulder Outlook encourages other hotels and business to incorporate similar sustainable and environmental plans. 

“We’ve been a real advocate in that.  We’ve shared what’s happened to us.  We’ve shared our successes and our failures,” King says.

For more creative ideas for increasing your business's environmental responsibility and saving money, peruse The Boulder Outlook Hotel 2010 Sustainability Report.  

Beyond exemplary support and programs for the environment, here’s another reason to check in with the Boulder Outlook:

“We’re a fun, funky hotel.  We try to let people know they’ve landed in Boulder when they get here,” King says.  

Boulder Outlook Hotel, based in Boulder, Colo., opens the door to a multitude of green ideas for helping the planet, the local community and ways for your business to  save money.

Will the JOBS Act help your small business?

Passing 390 to 23 in the House, the JOBS Act would make it easier for small firms and startups to access capital and boost hiring by relaxing some Securities and Exchange Commission requirements, according to an article in The Huffington Post.

Officially called the “Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act,” the Act includes six bills.

Business strategist and author Carol Roth does a nice job breaking down each of the six bills and explaining the pros and cons of each in her blog.

The first three bills described in Roth's blog are the bills that would be best for small business, she says.

Title II removes advertising restriction — used to solicit investors — for small businesses offering securities under Regulation D.

Title III allows startups to raise equity from non-accredited investors, but there are limits on how much money can be invested by individual donors and how much money can be raised before a startup has to register with the SEC.

Title VI increases the number of shareholders that can invest in a community bank, which, according to Roth, should result in some trickle down into the small business economy. 

The package of bills may reach a Senate vote in a week, according to an article from The Associated Press.

With unemployment remaining at 8.3 percent and Congress’s poor approval ratings, passage of the bill may be Congress’s way of winning approval from voters. 

An article from EcoGreenOffice highlights the numerous positive impacts of small, locally owned business on sustainability and the economy, showing that if the JOBS Act is passed in the Senate, and truly helps entrepreneurs, Congress may have finally made a good move. 

For further reading on the JOBS Act:

The New York Times

The Hill

The Huffington Post

USA Today (article from The Associated Press)

The JOBS Act passed by an overwhelming majority in the House on Thursday, March 9.  If approved by the Senate, the bill could be a boost for upstart businesses, helping local economies and sustainable initiatives across the country.

Green Your Desk Space

Encouraging your coworkers to be more environmentally friendly is never a bad idea, but why not start by greening the space around your desk?

It may not be realistic to make all of the changes listed below at once, but keep them in mind and over time you may have the greenest workspace in the office.

1) Light footprint furnishings.  White office paper isn’t the only thing that can be made from post-consumer content.  A variety of desks and chairs, supplied through EcoGreenOffice, are made mostly from post-consumer material.  You can even find chair mats and floor mats made from 100  percent post-consumer content.

2) Ecofriendly writing implements.  If you’re pens are running out, why not purchase new pens made from at least 89 percent recycled content?  Permanent markers with refills made entirely from post-consumer content are also an option, as well as retractable pencils made from 77 percent post-consumer content.  Store your writing utensils in a pencil cups made from recycled material available in multiple colors, including black, pink and red. 

3) Create a green desktop.  From monthly calendars, featuring sea life, mountains, and coastlines, to literature organizers, stocked in many colors, to book organizers, all made from recycled content, you can get the desktop look you want and be environmentally responsible. 

4) Thoughtfully toss your waste. Why walk all the way to your office’s recycling bin every time you have material that can be recycled?  Begin by checking your municipality’s recycling guidelines and start a waste sorting system right below your desk.  A wastebasket that attaches inside or outside your desk, supplied through EcoGreenOffice, is one way to start desk-side recycling.

Take some time to browse our entire list of green office products, furniture and technology for more ideas! 

Creating an ecofriendly desk space can also be a creative process, with items like the ProFormance Crocodile Embossed Literature Organizer supplied through EcoGreenOffice, available in a variety of colors.

Green Electronic Purchases Are Making A Difference

If you’ve purchased environmentally friendly electronics for the office, you’ve made a wise choice. 

About 78.6 million megawatt-hours of energy use have been avoided since EPEAT® registered electronics were put on the market in 2005, according to an Earth911.com article assessing an infographic from EPEAT®.  This is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 6.5 million average U.S. households. 

EPEAT® is a global green electronics registry that has been assessing a gadget’s impacts on the environment — throughout the gadget’s entire lifecycle — since 2005.  Green electronics are more energy efficient, easier to recycle and less toxic.  Products ranging from Apple Inc., to Hewlett-Packard, to Sony, have attained EPEAT® certification for their gadgets.

Additionally, the 441 million registered EPEAT® electronics sold since 2005 have removed the annual greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to emissions from 9 million cars per year and have reduced waste equivalent to one year’s worth of waste from 55,000 U.S. homes, according to the EPEAT® infographic.

Read the full article on Earth911.com for more information and to check out the infographic from EPEAT®.

  

EPEAT® products currently include: desktops, laptops, integrated systems, displays, workstations and thin client devices.  However, EPEAT® 's findings are likely representative of the positive environmental impact all energy efficient electronics have on the environment. 

EcoGreenOffice has a variety of energy efficient electronics and technology products for the office, ranging from, printers & copiers, to fax machines.   

Supplied through EcoGreenOffice, The LaserJet Pro P1102W Wireless Laser Printer shown above has energy-efficient features, such as "Instant-on Technology and Auto-On/Auto-Off Technology," helping you to save money as well as energy.

WhiteWave Foods Company: Making Ecoconscious Food Products and Choices for the Enviornment

Conventional milk contains an average of 2.5 pesticides, according to a USDA study from 2005.  And, conventional milk often comes from cows that have been injected with the recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone.  This genetically engineered hormone causes the cow to produce more milk, but has been reported to cause health problems for the cows and for humans who drink the milk. 

That’s why it’s a good thing that the Colorado-based company WhiteWave Foods — makers of Silk soymilk and Horizon Organic milk — ensures that all of the ingredients put into their soy and dairy products are ingredients that support organic standards.  The food company prohibits the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers and genetically-modified (GM) products.  The products and ingredients are also purchased domestically from American farms. This is all the more important knowing that Silk makes up nearly 80 percent of the soymilk sold in North America.    

“I think WhiteWave has long been focused on minding our environmental footprint,” says Sara Loveday, spokesperson for WhiteWave Foods. 

In addition to minding how food is produced and where it comes from, WhiteWave Foods is committed to sustainability, from reducing waste to supporting renewable energy.  By choosing a bottle cap supplier closer to the WhiteWave Foods’ plant, the company is cutting back on 157,652 transportation miles, or saving about 31,530 gallons of fuel each year. 

WhiteWave Foods also participates in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Leaders program to conduct on-site energy audits and develop long-term climate change strategies.  The company currently has a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 25 percent by 2013, Loveday says.   

In the meantime, WhiteWave Foods purchases renewable energy credits, and has already purchased 375,499 megawatt-hours of wind energy, equivalent to 276,044 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. 

In office, WhiteWave Foods not only in talks with EcogreenOffice regarding a partnership and using eco-friendly office supplies, but the food company also participates in a Zero Waste Recycling and Composting program.  WhiteWave Foods diverted nearly 115,000 pounds from the landfill in 2010.  The company hopes to divert 30 percent of their waste from the landfill by 2013, Loveday says.

Visit the WhiteWave Foods website for more ideas on how to make your company more environmentally responsible. 

The company also makes International Delight non-dairy coffee creamer and Land O’Lakes half & half.  

  Manufactured by EcoGreenOffice partner WhiteWave Foods, 90 percent of Horizon Organic milk comes from more than 600 certified organic family farmers from 22 states across the country.