Goal For The Green

Living with the earth in mind doesn’t have to take a lot of money, years or even effort. In order to live a greener lifestyle in just two weeks, try these inexpensive earth-saving tips:

Reusable Shopping Bags

Paper or plastic? Choose neither — when running errands or grocery shopping, pack your own reusable bags. A cotton-mesh tote — which cost about $5-$20 — reduces waste, carries more and can be used over and over.

A Litter-less Lunch

Even if, it’s just once a week, pack your lunch (and not in a brown bag). Use reusable containers and plan on washing plastic utensils or packing your own silverware.

Eco-friendly Cleaning Products

A gallon of off-brand distilled white vinegar costs about $2-$5 and when diluted with water can cut through grease and clean messes just like other household cleaners. It’s non-toxic, anti-bacterial and effective at cleaning your house without chemicals.

No More Paper Towels

Stop buying paper towels and instead use washable rags to clean up messes around the house. Cut old T-shirts or buy a package of 10 heavy-duty wash cloths at the dollar store.

Switch to CFLs

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, fluorescent light bulbs use less energy, reduce light bulb changes and lower greenhouse emissions. In turn, this saves money and of course the environment.

Rethink the Thermostat

Instead of turning down the air conditioner to mediate the temperature in your home. Focus on variables in the room, such as air ventilation and natural lighting. Use roller shades that are energy efficient and made out of eco-friendly materials to block harsh rays that could be making you and the room feel hotter.

Use a Mug

Drink your coffee out of a mug instead of a paper cup. Try a reusable water bottle instead of buying and tossing plastic bottles.

Wash Clothes in Cold Water

Always wash clothes in cold water. According to EnergyStar.gov, 90 percent of the energy used to operate a washing machine goes to heating the water.

Recycle Electronics

Learn what can be recycled and stop tossing items that could be reused. For example, Best Buy recycles computers, print cartridges, radios, washing machines and other electronics and appliances. Some stores will even pick up items, so you don’t have to drop them off.

Buy Bulk

Stop buying individually packaged items at the grocery store and instead buy in bulk to save production and packaging waste.

Shorter Showers

Take a waterproof timer with you in the shower so you aren’t zoning out and taking too long. Invest in a low-flow shower head to save 2,900 gallons of water a year, according to the EPA.gov.

Line Dry When Possible

Rather than throwing your laundry in the dryer, hang them on the line to dry. If you don’t have a backyard, open your shower curtain and use hangers.

Lighten the Load

Remove unnecessary heavy items from your trunk to save gas. According to FuelEconomy.gov, an extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could be reducing your MPG by two percent.

Kill Energy Vampires

Use power strips to turn off unused appliances and stop wasting standby power easily. According to EnergyStar.gov, the average U.S. household spends $100 a year to power devices while they are turned off.

Borrow Instead of Buy

Instead of buying a New York Bestseller or the latest comedy on DVD, borrow it from the local library. After reading or watching your favorite books and videos, donate them to the library or a nearby shelter, thrift shop or school.

We are all responsible enough to recycle and know to install energy-efficient light bulbs in our homes and businesses. But how can you step it up when it comes to lowering your carbon footprint even further? Some businesses are tapping deeper into Earth’s natural resources and creating sensible alternatives to irresponsible living.

Public sentiment, cost savings, supportive government kickbacks and the satisfaction gained from attending to the preservation of our atmosphere are at the forefront of these environmentally conscious business designs. There are the benefits to meeting environmental goals of products and services; improved worker health and safety, a decrease in health and disposal costs, reduced liabilities and a continued increase in the availability of environmentally friendly products in the marketplace, explains the EPA.

Soybeans

Famous for the positive nutritional content, soybeans are most commonly used in soups and to make stock and cooking oil. It can be ground into powder to provide protein to otherwise nutritionless foods. It makes for a fine alternative to dairy and can also be consumed as edamame. But this great bean has a little-known secret it’s a renewable energy source. A superhero in its own right, soy can replace harmful chemicals used as a base for products. For example, Franmar Chemical replaces expensive petrochemicals with soy-based products for cleaning in industries such as screen printing, decorative concrete cleaning, paint removal, asbestos and asphalt removal, to name a few.

Vegetable Oil

Soybean oil is vegetable oil but it’s not the only by-product that does a business right. Other types of vegetable oils are used in industries, such as printing, to cut down on the environmental chemical impact of petroleum-based printing inks. While soy ink is used across the globe, other sustainable raw materials are gaining more recognition. A collective goal in the printing industry is to reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) content as regulated by the Clean Air Act Amendments. Companies like Printing For Less take advantage of primarily soy vegetable-based inks because they are gentle on the environment and produce bright, high-quality images on printing materials that include business cards and other marketing collateral.

Recycled Material

Many companies are dedicated to recycling organic material and debris. Some companies, like Recycled Green divert more than 600,000 cubic yards of organic waste each year. Recycled Green delivers landscaping and composting materials. The materials are used for landscaping, construction and highway projects, specifically for landscaping application, green roofs and smart walls, bio-filters and bio-swales, landscape elements designed to remove silt and pollution from surface runoff water, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, bio-retention, the process of removing contaminants from storm-water runoff, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and baseball diamond infield mix.

To gain insight, understand trends and discover actionable ideas for your business sustainable practices, visit a GreenBiz conference or event in 2013. New York, San Francisco and Boston offer opportunities to bring thoughtful leaders and professionals together to share the latest innovations in green business as well as offer a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the global impacts of greenhouse gas and air emissions.

Photo “Atlanta Showroom” at Interface

According to Interface, Inc.  There Are Five Questions Businesses Must Answer in order to Advance Toward Sustainability. Latest Sustainability Metrics Beg Questions to Narrow Environmental Impacts Gap

Established in 1973, Interface, Inc. (NASDAQ: IFSIA) is the worldwide leader in design, production and sales of environmentally responsible modular carpet, manufactured for the commercial and institutional markets under the Interface(R) brand, and for consumer markets as FLOR(TM).

In a recent PRESS RELEASE in Atlanta, Georgia- by Marketwire, on August2,2012:

Interface, Inc. (NASDAQ: IFSIA), the worldwide leader in design, production and sales of environmentally responsible modular carpet, has linked sustainability progress to inquiry since 1994.  At that time, a customer asked a question about the company’s position on the environment and Interface was not satisfied with its own answer.  Now, with the release of the company’s latest 2011 EcoMetrics(R) and SocioMetrics(TM) report, tracking annual global environmental and social effects, Interface today offers five questions in need of answers for sustainability progress.

“Disciplined measurement is one way Interface accounts for what it takes from the earth, and helps us to ultimately take less from the earth,” said Erin Meezan, vice president of sustainability for Interface, Inc. “And some of the questions that we’re asking as a result are not unique to Interface. Without a doubt, finding answers has universal meaning that can ultimately lead to a better future for the environment and for business.”

Since the initial environmental question was posed more than 18 years ago, Interface continues to move away from a take-make-waste industrial model, toward a sustainable business inspired by nature. The company considers indicators such as its physical waste, energy usage, greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption crucial to understanding its progress toward sustainability and the challenges ahead.

Interface’s journey is guided by research and development in manufacturing processes and product innovation. Sustainability is linked to local, regional and global communities, including the companies, organizations, people, governments, schools, media and others that coexist. Interface also considers the significance of social capital and investment in people, including the company’s employees and local community members, as critical components for advancement.

Interface believes that answers to the following five questions can test any business’ approach to becoming a sustainable organization:

1. How can we increase use of recycled and bio-based materials? Evaluating material alternatives through compatibility and footprint analysis is one of the best ways to help answer this question. Interface is pioneering commercial carpet applications for bio-based yarn that is created from corn and soy. Last year, 44 percent of raw materials used were from recycled or bio-based sources. In the past eight years, the percentage of recycled and bio-based raw material use has grown from four percent to 44 percent.

2. How can we prevent our products from ending up in landfill? Understanding the full lifecycle of products from raw materials to production, distribution, use and end of useful life shows a well-worn path. Consider the best way to take back products from customers and extract further value from them. For instance, Interface’s ReEntry(R) 2.0 process reclaims old carpet and converts it into recycled raw materials. Interface is expanding an infrastructure for end-of-life carpet reclamation to recapture used face fiber to be reconstituted into nylon and convert used vinyl backing into new backing. Last year, ReEntry diverted 25 million pounds of carpet and carpet scraps from landfill. Since 1995, ReEntry has diverted a cumulative total of 253 million pounds from landfill.

3. How can we reduce greenhouse gas emissions and at the same time increase our use of renewable energies? Greenhouse gases in the atmosphere that cannot be absorbed by vegetation are causes of increased global temperatures, acidification in oceans, and dangerous climate change, according to WWF’s 2012 “Living Planet Report.” For Interface, actual greenhouse gas emissions at manufacturing facilities have been reduced by 32 percent from a 1996 baseline. Interface’s energy efficiency and direct purchases of renewable energy have resulted in a cumulative reduction of more than 22,000 metric tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from baseline. This amount is the equivalent to the carbon sequestered by approximately 565,000 tree seedlings grown for 10 years, according to the U.S. EPA’s “Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.” Energy from renewable sources accounts for 31 percent of energy used at Interface manufacturing facilities.

4. How can we reduce water consumption? Excessive water consumption by businesses and households threatens freshwater ecosystems and biodiversity globally. Finding ways to conserve water use in manufacturing processes is essential for lessening environmental impacts. Since 1996, Interface water intake per unit of production has decreased by 84 percent. Water intake includes all water used at manufacturing facilities, including administration buildings, customer support sites and warehouses.

5. How can customers make decisions about our products based upon trustworthy environmental facts? Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) are a leading-edge methodology for consumers and businesses, like nutrition labels only much more detailed, to make comparisons when purchasing products. EPDs offer detailed product “ingredients” and environmental impacts that occur throughout the entire life of a product. EPDs are based on life cycle assessment, which details the resource use and environmental impacts of products. EPDs follow standardized product category guidelines that are verified by third parties to provide full disclosure. In 2011, Interface developed EPDs for more than 90 percent of its products, globally.

Individuals, businesses and organizations can learn more about Interface and how the company is tracking its environmental impacts and progress by visiting interfaceglobal.com