Buying a Conventional Office Chair vs an Ecofriendly Chair

EcoGreenOffice supplies more than 1,600 different kinds of chairs and stools, some are labeled as conventional and the majority are labeled as “green.”

When it comes to picking out a new chair(s) for the office, what are the benefits of purchasing one that’s green instead of one that’s conventional? 

Chairs that qualify as green among EcoGreenOffice’s product catalog have to be made made from post-consumer content.  

Any product made from post-consumer content -- weather it’s paper or furniture -- is positive for the environment.  Recycling materials to make products is critical, because it helps to lessen the problem of landfills growing at an alarming rate. 

Chairs made anywhere between 46 to 77 percent post-consumer content are available through EcoGreenOffice in a variety of styles, from high-back swivel chairs that reduce strain on the back, to guest chairs and “café- height stools.”

Finding a chair that’s made from post-consumer content — and nontoxic materials — is even greener. Chairs made from harmful chemicals can decrease indoor air quality.  Employee performance, speed and accuracy increases anywhere from 4 to 16 percent when indoor pollutant sources are removed, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 

Avoid furniture made from PVC, such as inflatable furniture, artificial leather and PVC-coated fabric and choose products that do not contain toxic flame retardents (PBDEs). 

  

Although not manufactured using post-consumer content, you can find conventional chairs supplied through EcoGreenOffice that are made from nontoxic materials, such as the 5000 Series Park Avenue Guest Chair made from leather and wood. 

When it comes to the wallet, green chairs supplied through EcoGreenOffice are offered at a competitive prices.  A comparable conventional chair may even be more expensive than a chair made from post-consumer content.  For example, a tall conventional swivel chair costs $560.99, compared to a mid-back swivel chair made from 54 percent post-consumer content, offered at $458.99.   

In summary, finding a chair that’s made from post-consumer content, toxin free materials and matches your price and style is the way-to-go.  If you can’t find a chair that suits your needs made from post-consumer content, find one that’s at least made with toxin-free materials. 

If you’re purchasing a new chair, consider donating your old one.  Every year in the U.S., 8.25 million office chairs are thrown away.  If you’re not ready to purchase a new one and your current chair contains PBDEs, cover and seal any rips in upholstery, and consider replacing old items where foam is exposed, loose, and crumbling.  

Which of these tall, black-leather chairs shown below are made from post-consumer content and offered at a lower price?  Read the caption to find out.  Both are supplied through EcoGreenOffice.  

 

The Ignition Series Executive High-Back Chair featured above is made from 54 percent post-consumer content and is offered for $509.99.  The Serenity Big & Tall High-Back Chair featured on the right is made from 0 percent post-consumer content and is offered for $693.59.

Sources:

1) “Insider’s Guide to Buying Green Office Furniture”

www.ofusa.com/images/booklets/insights_Green_single-pgs.pdf

2) http://pollutioninpeople.org/safer/products/furniture

Best Ways to Green Your Drive to Work

From biking, to taking the bus, using an alternative mode of transportation for getting to work is best for reducing your carbon footprint.  With rising gas prices, avoiding the car is also the most practical for the wallet. 

However, there are likely days when taking the car is the only option.  By following these green tips, you can make your drive to work as environmentally responsible as possible.  

1) Sharing a ride with a coworker is an obvious one, but also consider checking out Zimride, an upstart company that uses social media as a platform to connect drivers with people who need rides.

2) Maintain steady driving speeds and avoid sudden stops and starts.

3) Combine trips and run errands on the way home from work, rather than making a separate trip over the weekend.

4) Don’t weigh your car down and use it as a storage space.  A lighter load equals a better fuel economy. 

5) Because a loose fitting gas cap allows gas to evaporate into the air, make sure the gas cap fits tightly.

6) Check tire pressure and look for the optimal pressure in your car’s manual.  Tires that aren’t properly inflated add rolling resistance, making your engine work harder to more the vehicle.

7) Get regular tune-ups.  This can save you 4 percent on the cost of gas and up to 40 percent by replacing a faulty oxygen sensor.  Changing the car’s air filter can improve efficiency by up to 10 percent.

8) Use ecofriendly recycled motor oil.  Pellman’s Automotive Service in Boulder, Colorado suggests EcoPower Synthetic Motor Oil.  This oil is created using a close-loop system, meaning the oil can be repeatedly recycled, and the manufacturing process used to make the oil takes 85 percent less energy to produce than conventional oil.

Follow these suggestions for greening your car before driving to work, or before your next spring or summer road trip.

Sources:

Carcare.org

PellmansAuto.com

Take Action for the Environment Without Leaving the Office

You may have plans for Earth Day this Sunday, but how about a few things you can do for the environment today without leaving the office?

Influence government policy on the environment and write to your Congressmen and women.  Find out more about your elected officials by going to Congress.Org.  Other important steps include using facts and evidence, and being concise and polite.

Use social media to broadcast sustainable living ideas and important environmental issues, or news.  Post the information on Facebook, your blog, or Twitter account. 

Watch videos from Planet Green and get the top environmental news in 100 seconds or less and other sustainable living information.  Planet Green is the first and only 24-hour eco-lifestyle television network with an online presence and community.

Support environmental causes and donate online to environmental and conservation organizations.  EarthShare.Org is a good place to start.  The national non-profit has worked for more than 20 years to connect people with environmental causes around the globe and has a mission of being a trusted and fiscally sound organization.

Plug into local recycling opportunities and disposal options for more than 240 materials by downloading Earth911’s free iPhone app.

Search for and connect with other local and green-minded businesses in your area.  EcoGreenOffice’s online partner search is a good place to start.

Happy Earth Day Weekend from EcoGreenOffice! 

Before you head out for Earth Day weekend, take actions for the environment from the office and share them coworkers.

A Little Knowledge for Making the Most Sustainable Choices at Home and in the Office

How many gallons of waster does the average person use during a shower?  Should you turn the computer monitor off every time you leave the computer?  How long does it take a plastic sandwich bag to decompose?

Below are some useful facts for making simple changes that will go a long way for the environment.  This Earth Day week, start making these actions habits and reduce your environmental footprint for a lifetime.

1) Turn off the monitor if you’re not going to use the PC for more than 20 minutes, and the CPU and the monitor if you’re not going to use your PC for more than two hours.  There is a small surge when your computer starts up, but this surge is generally smaller than the energy used when a computer is running for long periods of time, according to the U.S. Department of Energy’s energy saving tips.  PCs also produce heat, so turning them off reduces a building’s cooling loads.

2) The average U.S. household spends $100 per year to power devices while they are off.  Standby power accounts for more than 100 billion kilowatt hours of annual U.S. electricity consumption and more than $10 billion in annual energy costs, on a national basis.  Consider a color-coded strip surge protector from EcoGreenOffice.

3) Installing a low-flow showerhead that uses 2.5 gallons per minute or less can save you up to 70 percent on your water bill.  The average shower consumes 17.2 gallons, lasting over 8 minutes at a flow rate of 2.2 gallons per minute.  However, older showerheads can use as much as 6.5 gallons of water per minute! 

4) Collect excess shower water in a bucket and use it to water plants.  You’ll also be reducing the water used to keep your flora growing.

5) Before shopping for a completely new spring wardrobe consider this: a T-shirt takes 400 gallons of water to create, from cotton ball to store shelf, and a pair of jeans takes 1,800 gallons of water.   

6) It does make a difference to forgo the one-use and / or non-biodegradable materials.  When exposed to light and air, it can take an aluminum soda can 350 years to decompose and a plastic sandwich bag 400 years.  A Polystyrene foam cup and glass bottle may never decompose. 

If you need to go with disposables, check out compostable options from EcoGreenOffice.

Simple and creative changes in your life can go a long way for the environment, like catching shower water in a bucket for watering plants. 

Earth Day Inspiration for the Office

When Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson started the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, he insisted that individuals and community groups create activities instead of organizers in Washington. 

Nelson’s call for a grassroots environmental movement worked.  About 20 million people, or one in 10 Americans, participated in the first Earth Day to send a message to Washington that public opinion supported a political agenda on environmental problems.

Some in Congress dubbed the following decade “The Environmental Decade.”  Voters booted out several officials with poor environmental records in the fall’s midterm election and in the succeeding years, 28 pieces of legislation were passed — the bulk of today’s environmental regulatory authority, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act, The Safe Drinking Water Act and the Toxic Substances Control Act.

Today, it’s integral to continue the environmental movement of the 1970s.  Carbon emissions rose by 5.9 percent in 2010 — the largest percentage on record — and millions of Americans are still drinking contaminated water, among many environmental issues that degrade human and environmental health.

Being part of the environmental movement doesn’t mean we have to go back to the past, i.e. give up the computer for pen-and-paper, or forgo the modern day way-of-life.  Rather, we can envision a new sustainable and carbon-free future by supporting the right policies, technology and making those sustainable choices where we can make them in our everyday lives.

Check our blog over the week.  EcoGreenOffice will be offering tips for increasing sustainability in the office and how you can support larger environmental movements from your office chair.

Get started today by reading articles from the EcoGreenOffice Green Education section that include information on how to revamp your office’s paper recycling efforts, energy use in the office, connecting with other ecofriendly businesses and more. 

From 1971 - 1977, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency hired freelance photographers for the "Docuamerica Project" to photograph images related to environmental problems, EPA activities and everyday life in the 1970s.  The photograph pictured above captures students picking up trash along the roadside in 1972.

Make Your Blog Work for Your Business

If you want your business's blog to boost traffic, leads and sales “think like a consumer” and provide consumers the answers to questions they most want answered, says SocialMedia Examiner, the world’s largest online social media magazine.

Below is a summary of the fantastic tips from Social Media Examiner for creating an effective blog for your business. 

1) Compare the products and services your company sells (as opposed to the products and services of others in the field). 

Consumers love to compare and know they're making a sound buying decision, or choosing the best product or service. 

Comparison-based, or “versus” articles can also capture important keyword phrases that rank high among search engines, including Google. 

Be honest and unbiased in your comparisons.

2) Search for opportunities to use the word “best” in your content.  There’s a high chance that the prospects and customers in your industry are searching "best phrases," for example, "what is the best way to ... ?" and "what is the best type of ... ?"

3) Address problems. When customers are faced with problems, they’ll likely go to the Internet for answers. A Google search may very likely land on your blog if you have blog featuring the problem and possibly a solution(s) as well. 

4) Feature pricing, since pricing questions are the first ones consumers tend to ask, according the Social Media Examiner.  

Be more open than competitors about pricing and set yourself apart.  This doesn't necessarily mean including specifics, but rather ranges, or an explanation of the factors that dictate what a customer ultimately spends on your service.   

A cost-related article for every product you sell could mean a surplus of content opportunities and an increase of visitors to your site.

5) Present breaking news.  In addition to increasing blog hits, consumers and others in your field will look to you as a leader in the industry, growing your chance of increasing business.

For more details on the tips, read the full article from the Social Media Examiner.

Been pondering ideas to create a blog that increases hits and sales?  Take a look at the above tips and get started!

Protect Your Wrists from the Daily Stress of Typing

If you’re typing and clicking on the computer regularly, using an ergonomic wrist rest isn’t a bad idea. 

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is associated with a variety of medical and physical conditions, such as hypothyroidism and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as certain genetic and environmental risk factors, including significant mental stress and smoking.  

When susceptible people are subject to repetitive hand or wrist work, the risk for CTS can become significant, according to a study from the University of Maryland Medical Center.

Moreover, an ergonomic wrist cushion brings comfort to an activity that the majority of us spend a significant amount of time doing .  The pads keep your muscles relaxed, and cushion your wrists and forearms as you type. 

Featuring ergoBeads, which massage and support wrists, and made from 100 percent post-consumer content, the Keyboard Wrist Cushion, Wrist Cushion and Le Petit Cushion Wrist Rest, supplied through EcoGreenOffice, are designed by an orthopedic surgeon to help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.  Also, they are cool, comfortable and washable and available in a range of colors. 

This ergonomic petit-sized wrist cushion is perfect for on the go, or for a laptop.  Supplied through EcoGreenOffice, it's made from 100 percent post-consumer content.

Find Your “Color Personality” and Post it with EcoGreenOffice

As the perfect size to jot down quick notes and place anywhere, those little sticky notes from Post-it® Brand serve us well.

Available in large range of color collections, such as “Pastel,” “Tropic Breeze” (even “Farmers Market”) you can find Post-it® notes to match your personality.

Take the quick “Color Personality Quiz” and find out which color collection best fits your style. 

My result: “the Ultra collection.” 

Here’s the description to match:

“You enjoy living life to the fullest, boldly embracing fun and expressing your true colors.  The exciting hues of the Post-it® Notes Ultra Collection are saturated with brilliance — a true match for anyone whose joy and passion are so easy to share. Like yours!”

I would say that sounds like me! 

Find out your color personality and post the results on our EcoGreenOffice blog and let us know your thoughts. 

A variety of Post-it® Brand products are supplied through EcoGreenOffice, including a Rotary Self-Stick Notes Dispenser made from 15 percent post-consumer content and Super Sticky Notes in bright colors with a “Latin flair” that are sure to “stick securely to more surfaces in practically any part of your home or office.”

Consider the Rotary Self-Stick Notes Dispenser supplied through EcoGreenOffice for displaying and storing your "color personality" Post-it® notes.

Deliver a Green Post-Easter to the Office

From purchasing organic, fair trade chocolate, to using natural dye to color eggs, there's a lot of great information available on how to create a green Easter. 

For example, GreenPromise.com suggests forgoing the plastic wispy Easter basket filler.  Those colorful shreds will accumulate “unabated at landfills” as they are not biodegradable.  As an alternative, EcoGreenOffice suggest you use shredded paper from the office instead.

But, how about making the most of what's left over post-Easter and saving a bit of money, and adding flavor and decor to the office?   

Here are a few suggestions:

1) Having a big Easter dinner?  Take the leftovers for work-day-lunches and save a bit on groceries for the week.

2) Don't let those dyed eggs go to waste.  Bring them for lunch as well, or share them with others at work.  Even if hardboiled eggs aren’t your favorite, someone at the office may enjoy them.

3) The same goes for any extra candy.  

4) If you used fresh-cut flowers for Easter decoration, don't let the flowers go unseen in their prime while you're at work -- share the flora with others at the office.

Don't let the freshly dyed eggs and cut flowers go to waste--bring them along to work on Monday.  Your coworkers are likely to enjoy the extra colors in the office.

   

Boulder Valley Credit Union: Financial Instituion Backing Its Members and the Environment

In addition to providing low-cost financial services to more than 18,000 members across the Colorado Front-Range, the Boulder Valley Credit Union is highly involved in sustainable, environmental and community initiatives inside and outside its offices.

The credit union has invested over $90 million in its green efforts, from installing rooftop solar panels, new windows and energy efficient light bulbs, to equipping each employee’s workstation with a bin for recycling and smaller bin for trash.  

To simplify desk-side recycling, Ecogreenoffice supplies a wastebasket that attaches inside or outside your desk.

Boulder Valley Credit Union also sponsors local tree plantings through the Boulder Valley School District and partners with many organizations and charities, from Eco-Cycle, to Alfalfa’s Market, to EcoGreenOffice. 

The credit union’s marketing materials are printed on 30 percent post-consumer recycled paper with soy or corn-based inks.  Every office uses 100 percent recycled-content copy paper, as well as other environmentally friendly office supplies and equipment. 

Aspen 100 percent post-consumer paper supplied through EcoGreenOffice performs the same as "virgin paper."   An 800,000 sheet test proved to be highly reliable.  No double sheeting and no problems related to image quality, or dusting occurred, according to a performance test conducted by the Buyers Laboratory Inc.  

The credit union has its own ecoconscious website that not only highlights what the Boulder Valley Credit Union is doing for the environment, but also offers tips for what you can do for the environment, such as signing up for e-statements and online bill pay, how to apply for fuel-efficient auto loans and ways to receive discounts for “going solar.”

Because of their environmental initiatives, the Boulder Valley Credit Union is the FIRST financial institution in all of Boulder County to receive ecoconscious certification from Partners For A Clean Environment. PACE is the official environmental division of Boulder County.

EcoGreenOffice partner Boulder Valley Credit Union is dedicated to providing low-cost financial services, as well as growing green practices.

Huddle Multipurpose Table: Increasing Green and Space in the Office

From employee training, to presentations, to creative collaboration meetings, in today’s office the same space is often used for a variety of purposes.

Easy to setup, rearrange and store, Huddle Multipurpose Tables are compatible for use in a diversity of office situations. 

EcoGreenOffice supplies a variety of Huddle Multipurpose tops and bases, as well as colors and sizes, allowing you to customize the table for specific purposes and aesthetic preferences.

Designed by The HON Company headquartered in Muscatine, Iowa — a company that values using less to be green — the table legs are made from 28 percent post-consumer content and the tops are made from 96 percent recycled content.  

“Less waste equals less cost. That makes our lean, green approach a good business decision as well as a smart environmental strategy,” say HON. 

HON is involved in numerous environmental initiatives, including recycling more than 300 bales of fabric scrap annually to produce the lining of your car’s trunk, diverting 2,300 tons of sawdust from landfills to use as an alternative fuel source and using a compression molding system to divert 10,000 tons of postconsumer wood from the landfill.  

The Huddle Table T-base legs pictured above, offering unobstructed leg room and made from 36 percent recycled content, are just one of a few leg styles available for the Huddle Multipurpose Table.

The Huddle Multipurpose Rectangular Top pictured above in Harvest/Charcoal is one of a few tabletop options made of 96 percent recycled content and that accommodates all Huddle Series bases.