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.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of QuadraFire for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Built on a strong legacy QuadraFire Pellet Stoves creates products with proven performance, durability and control in mind. Rugged construction and proven technologies highlight why “Nothing Burns Like a Quad.” With Quadra-Fire® pellet stoves and inserts, performance is standard, along with hig quality and performance. Their stoves and inserts are the quietest, easiest to operate and most durable products on the market, today.  It’s a commitment, a tradition and a guiding principle of this rugged brand.

The Benefits of adding a Quadra-Fire Pellet Stove to your home are stated here
Did you know that using a pellet stove to heat your home costs 44% less than oil, 47% less than electric, and 53% less than propane heat? This is true because biomass fuels are composed of renewable, carbon-neutral products and they are also an extremely eco-friendly and popular heating alternative.

Here also is some additional great news for you! The federal tax credit on 75 percent efficient biomass heating appliances, which expired on Dec. 31, 2011, was recently reinstated on Jan. 2, 2013. The bill includes a “tax extender” for Internal Revenue Service Section 25C, which provides a tax credit for, among many other things, qualifying biomass-burning stoves! The extender provides a 10 percent tax credit of up to $300 on a qualifying biomass heating appliance purchased between Jan. 1, 2012 and De. 31, 2013! Something you may want to consider for your home heating efficiency.

Here is a little background on the Quadra Burn System. After nearly two years of research and development, Alan Trusler and Dan Henry revealed their patented Quadra-Burn system in 1985, as an eco-conscious replacement for traditional wood-burning stoves. By burning and re-burning gases and smoke in four different zones of the stove, Trusler and Henry created the cleanest burning non-catalytic wood stoves on the market and revolutionized alternative-energy for home heating and consumption. More than 25 years later, you can rest assured that each and every Quadra-Fire stove or insert, whether it runs on wood, corn, gas, or pellets, is designed with a mind toward efficiency and an eye toward beauty.

Lastly, I have partnered with IZEA, to offer a contest where I will mail out a Quadra-Fire notebook to one lucky  winner!  The notebook is a journal sized book made from recycled materials that has a pen with it.

For entry check out the Quadra-Fire site, specifically the Quadra-Fire Pellet Stoves. Then  please leave comments here that include why you like Quadra-Fire! Follow Quadra-Fire on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest and refer to http://goalforthegreen.com where you heard about this contest, and retweet this entire post. I will choose a winner by midnight on February 27th, 2013 .  Therefore, you must leave a reachable twitter address, working email address or both where you can be reached.  You will only have 48 hours to respond if you are the winner, so I must be able to contact you promptly. Best of Luck!
 

Seventh Generation Earns Rockstar of the New Economy Lifetime Achievement Award
Recognized for Durability and Resilience

On February 07, 2013, in BURLINGTON, VT- Seventh Generation was recognized as a ‘Rockstar of the New Economy’ earning the Lifetime Achievement Award for its durability, resilience, and ability to not just survive, but thrive in an ever-changing marketplace and economy.

In the Fast Company article credited for announcing the honor, Seventh Generation product sales in 2011 alone helped save 77,000 trees, 28 million gallons of water, and enough energy to heat 1,700 U.S. homes for a year. The company also prevented 35,000 pounds of chlorine and 52,000 pounds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from being released into the environment. Between 2010 and 2011 Seventh Generation decreased normalized greenhouse gas emissions by 8%, a change whose impact is equivalent to the removal of 283 cars from the road for a year. All told, since 1999, the company’s product sales have saved nearly 523,000 trees or 1.8 million barrels of petroleum.

Three businesses nationally were recognized as Rockstars

Three businesses nationally were recognized and honored. Solar company Sun Light & Power and America’s oldest flour company, King Arthur Flour, shared the honor with Seventh Generation. Operating from 25 to nearly 225 years, these companies have maintained their commitment to pioneer their mission through up and down business cycles. They continued to persevere and create high quality jobs and to improve the quality of life in their communities.

“Rockstars inspire us; they make us think, ‘That’s awesome! I want to do that,'” says Jay Coen Gilbert, co-founder of B Lab, the nonprofit that honored these ‘Rockstars of the New Economy.’ “These Rockstars paved the way for a growing community of green, responsible, and sustainable businesses who define their success not just by their financial growth, but also by their social impact.”

“This is a tremendous way to kick-off our twenty-fifth year in business,” said John Replogle, CEO of Seventh Generation. “We only hope that we can continue to inspire a consumer revolution to nurture the health of the next seven generations, so we can see the environmental impacts of our products on an even larger scale.”

Seventh Generation and other Rockstars are highlighted by Fast Company in their “Rockstars” series, a partnership with the nonprofit B Lab which certifies B Corporations as having met rigorous, transparent standards of social and environmental performance. In past months, B Lab has recognized other Rockstars like Revolution Foods, Better World Books, Happy Family, Guayaki, DIRTT, and Sungevity for their high growth and high impact.

B Lab is a nonprofit organization dedicated to using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. They drive systemic change through several interrelated initiatives by building a community of Certified B Corporations that make it easier for all of us to tell the difference between “good companies” and just good marketing. Then by promoting benefit corporation legislation to create a new corporate form that meets higher standards of purpose, accountability and transparency, they drive capital to high impact investments through use of their Ratings and Analytics platform. This in turn helps companies measure what matters most through use of the B Impact Assessment, and B Lab’s free confidential management tool for measuring a company’s impact on its workers, community, and the environment.

More about Seventh Generation

Seventh Generation is committed to being the most trusted brand of household and personal care products for your living home.  Their products offer solutions for the air, surfaces, fabrics, pets and people within your home — and for the community and environment outside of it. Seventh Generation also offers baby products that are safe for your children and the planet. The company derives its name from the Great Law of the Iroquois Confederacy that states, “In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations.” Every time you use a Seventh Generation product you are making a difference by saving natural resources, reducing pollution, and making the world a better place for this and the next seven generations. For information on Seven Generation cleaning, paper, baby and feminine personal care products, or to find store locations, and explore the company’s website visit www.seventhgeneration.com.