The record heat this summer (and for many summers to come) mean higher energy costs for most businesses. Here is what you can do to control and lower your energy costs, while still beating the heat. Shield the sun: Shield your office from direct sunlight by closing blinds/shades in windows facing the sun. This can … Continue reading How To Lower Energy Costs In Record Summer Heat
Category : How To Guides
How Businesses Can Say No To Plastic Straws, And Get Ahead of Bans Coming Their Way
“Businesses that respond appropriately can lead the way before they are forced to comply with bans and regulations. This is not only good for the environment, it is also good for business.” As reported in the New York Times, the U.S. uses millions of plastic straws every day! After a few minutes of use, most end … Continue reading How Businesses Can Say No To Plastic Straws, And Get Ahead of Bans Coming Their Way
This entry was posted in All, How To Guides and tagged plastic pollution, plastic straws. Bookmark the permalink.
Q&A: Can I Recycle Plastic Bags?
Q: Can I recycle plastic bags? A: This is a question we get asked very often. From the bags you get with your shopping to the plastic bags, wrap and film that encase many of the items you buy. It is a huge problem that many cities are trying to address with regulations. The good news … Continue reading Q&A: Can I Recycle Plastic Bags?
Zero Waste Business in 3 Steps: A Strategy To Reduce Waste and Costs
Having a Zero Waste business mindset is becomingly increasingly crucial. This is because effective waste management has one of the most direct impacts on business operations, the environment, and your bottom line. It is why some of the world’s largest corporations, such as GE and Walmart, are taking the lead and going Zero Waste. You … Continue reading Zero Waste Business in 3 Steps: A Strategy To Reduce Waste and Costs
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Zero Waste Benefits: Why It Is Crucial For Businesses
Waste costs are rising. Going Zero Waste is one key long term strategy to controlling rising waste costs. There are other Zero Waste benefits too. Here is why more and more businesses are moving towards zero waste: 1) Waste = Loss Value Going Zero Waste will help businesses rescue the value in what they are … Continue reading Zero Waste Benefits: Why It Is Crucial For Businesses
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“Further With Food” – Online Hub For Food Waste Solutions Features Resources From Great Forest and Others
With regulations targeting organics on the rise nationwide, a new online resource backed by the USDA, EPA, and other partners, aims to gather relevant material together in one place to make it easier for businesses and organizations looking for information and help addressing food waste issues. Great Forest’s guide to new and emerging food waste technologies is … Continue reading “Further With Food” – Online Hub For Food Waste Solutions Features Resources From Great Forest and Others
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Compliance Checklist – Your 5-Step Guide To Avoiding Fines
No matter where your business is located across the country, staying on top of new and updated regulations is key to avoiding fines, which can add up. Take note of the date a law goes into effect, and the date at which enforcement starts. Give yourself enough time to get ready to be in compliance. Here’s … Continue reading Compliance Checklist – Your 5-Step Guide To Avoiding Fines
This entry was posted in All, How To Guides, Regulations/News and tagged hotels, NYC, regulations. Bookmark the permalink.
Here’s Your 5-Step Sustainability Checklist. How Many Have You Completed?
The beginning of a whole new year is a great time to review your sustainability strategy, and set the tone for the months ahead. What should you do? 1) Check on new and upcoming regulations Ensure you are in compliance to avoid fines. Make sure your staff and tenants are aware of the changes. Take note … Continue reading Here’s Your 5-Step Sustainability Checklist. How Many Have You Completed?
Transforming Waste – A Guide To Donating For Reuse, Avoiding Landfills
Each year, over 100 million tons of material end up in landfills. This includes many reusable items–such as furniture, equipment and electronics–from businesses that are renovating or clearing out their storage spaces. Hotels, in particular, regularly find themselves having to deal with hundreds of coffee makers, lamps, curtains, bed linens, and even bulky items like beds when … Continue reading Transforming Waste – A Guide To Donating For Reuse, Avoiding Landfills
Trends: The Food Waste Epidemic – What Can You Do?
Sept. 2015 …we know that approximately a third of all food produced is discarded, and “whenever food is thrown out it is as if it were stolen from the table of the poor.” (50) — Pope Francis, Laudato Si. The topic of food waste has been in the news recently as New York and other … Continue reading Trends: The Food Waste Epidemic – What Can You Do?
This entry was posted in Great Forest Insights, How To Guides and tagged composting, food waste. Bookmark the permalink.
Overview: A Guide To New And Emerging Food Waste Technologies
According to the US EPA, organic materials make up the single largest component of U.S. municipal solid waste, and accounts for a significant portion of U.S. methane emissions. In the largest global study of commercial building waste, Great Forest found that organics consistently make up the largest portion of a building’s trash stream (36%). With … Continue reading Overview: A Guide To New And Emerging Food Waste Technologies
This entry was posted in Great Forest Insights, How To Guides and tagged composting, Fact sheet, food waste. Bookmark the permalink.
When Hotels Redecorate, What Happens To Hundreds Of Old Items?
When hotels redecorate or upgrade, the question of what to do with old items like bulky furniture is multiplied by the number of rooms they have. What do you do with 200 bedding sets and coffee makers? Or 300 compendium boxes (those trays you find in hotel rooms to hold note pads, pens and keys)? Or … Continue reading When Hotels Redecorate, What Happens To Hundreds Of Old Items?
This entry was posted in Great Forest Insights, How To Guides and tagged donation assistance, hotels, recycling. Bookmark the permalink.
After Earth Day – Five Things To Do
Here are five things you can do to keep the Earth Day momentum going year-round. 1. Who are you going to call? Know who to contact when you have a question about sustainability at work. It could be your sustainability consultant or a member of your office green team. If there is no point person, consider nominating someone … Continue reading After Earth Day – Five Things To Do
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Fact Sheet: E-Waste (Electronic Waste) and Universal Waste
How Big is the Problem? Regulations What You Should Do Additional Solutions How is E-Waste Recycled? How is Universal Waste Recycled? What is Electronic waste or E-Waste? The EPA defines electronic waste, or e-waste, as used electronics that are nearing the end of their useful life. Examples: Computers and peripherals (monitors, keyboards, printers, scanners, fax … Continue reading Fact Sheet: E-Waste (Electronic Waste) and Universal Waste
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5 Things Every Building Manager/Owner Should Do To Maximize Sustainability, Improve Operations
Photo: John Peterson/Life of pix You have a large building to run and too many things to do. Here’s a handy list of 5 actions you should do, at least once a year. 1) Renegotiate your contacts, competitively bid for crucial services especially waste hauling. Things change – market forces, regulations, tenants, etc. Take the time to … Continue reading 5 Things Every Building Manager/Owner Should Do To Maximize Sustainability, Improve Operations
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3 Things Your Business Can Do NOW To Reduce Energy Costs This Summer
For many businesses, summer means higher energy costs. Here are 3 simple things you can do NOW to save money and be more energy efficient this summer… and three more tips to get you ready for next summer. 1) To do NOW Use daylight: Most offices have their lights on even when they are not needed. This is especially wasteful … Continue reading 3 Things Your Business Can Do NOW To Reduce Energy Costs This Summer
What Should You Report, and How?
For many companies, the beginning of a new year is the time to start thinking about non-financial reporting. While reports can take different forms, Ernst & Young has identified the transition to the Global Reporting Initiative’s G4 reporting as one of 2014’s top sustainability trends for businesses. Over the years we have seen many companies grapple … Continue reading What Should You Report, and How?
This entry was posted in All, How To Guides and tagged Carbon footprint, Global Reporting Initiative, GRI, reporting. Bookmark the permalink.
Looking Ahead: 5 Things Business Should Do To Start The Year With Sustainability in Mind
(First published 2014) This time of year lends itself to reflection, re-evaluation, and goal setting. Here are five tips to give your business a jump start on the new year with a green advantage. 1. Take stock of your accomplishments in the previous year. What sustainability strategies did your company implement last year? Were they successful? Are … Continue reading Looking Ahead: 5 Things Business Should Do To Start The Year With Sustainability in Mind
Composting: A Guide To Addressing Organics For Businesses and Organizations
This guide outlines the steps any organization can take to reduce the amount of organics sent to the landfill or incinerator. Composting is just one approach to dealing with food and organic waste. Great Forest’s organics program is customized to work with each client’s individual needs, and may include composting, as well as anaerobic and aerobic … Continue reading Composting: A Guide To Addressing Organics For Businesses and Organizations
This entry was posted in How To Guides and tagged composting, Fact sheet, food waste, organics. Bookmark the permalink.
Time to Recertify Your LEED Building?
Is your LEED status about to expire? For a small but growing number of buildings, the answer is Yes. LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance (LEED: EB O&M) requires recertification every five years. Recertification takes about a year to complete so if your building obtained LEED on or before 2009, it is time to start the process. … Continue reading Time to Recertify Your LEED Building?
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Five Ways to Reduce Your Paper Consumption At The Office
One study estimates that a $5 ream of paper could end up costing you up to $155 with the associated costs (storage, copying, printing, disposal, postage and more) factored in. Today, with the average office employee using about 10,000 sheets of copy paper each year, it makes both good business and environmental sense to reduce paper … Continue reading Five Ways to Reduce Your Paper Consumption At The Office
Keep Cool At Work This Summer
Stay cool this summer and save on energy costs without making your air conditioner work overtime. Reduce heat sources – Switching from incandescent to fluorescent lighting does more than help your bottom line by saving energy. It also reduces excess heat produced by inefficient incandescents, keeping your office cooler. Look for other electronics and appliances … Continue reading Keep Cool At Work This Summer
This entry was posted in How To Guides and tagged checklist, Energy, summer. Bookmark the permalink.
Great Forest Green Office Sustainability Checklist
The Great Forest Green Office Sustainability Checklist will help you jumpstart or fine tune your sustainability efforts at work. While there are many more things you can do, beginning with items on this list will give you a solid foundation and push you further along on the sustainability maturation curve. We will update this list … Continue reading Great Forest Green Office Sustainability Checklist
Five Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality
Studies show that indoor air is 2 to 5 more polluted than outdoor air, due in part to the carpeting, paint, and other chemicals standard in our modern lives. What can you do in your office to minimize indoor air pollutants? Here are five ideas. 1. Add Plants – Add some greenery to your office environment … Continue reading Five Ways to Improve Indoor Air Quality
This entry was posted in How To Guides and tagged checklist, green building, indoor air quality. Bookmark the permalink.
How To Make Your Company Greener in 10 Steps?
The Business Journals spoke with Anna Dengler, Great Forest’s director of sustainability, about what companies can do to get started down a greener path. Even with existing office spaces and limited budgets, businesses can incorporate sustainable practices into their daily operations that will deliver a significant return on investment – for the environment and their … Continue reading How To Make Your Company Greener in 10 Steps?
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5 Ways To Conserve Energy At Work
1. Flip The Switch – Lighting consumes about 18 percent of U.S.-generated electricity; another 4 to 5 percent of our electricity bill goes toward counteracting the heat these lights generate. If you find that you and your co-workers have trouble remembering to shut off the lights at the end of the day, motion-detecting lights may be … Continue reading 5 Ways To Conserve Energy At Work
8 Tips to Fast-Track LEED
Existing buildings can receive high scores without dragging out the LEED process if they follow these 8 steps, according to Buildings Magazine, which put together this tip sheet with advice from Great Forest and other industry experts. It may seem like common sense, but some gung-ho teams end up focusing too much on optional credits … Continue reading 8 Tips to Fast-Track LEED
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The Sustainability Check-Up – 10 Tips For Well Rounded Sustainability
If you only have time to do one thing for each of your green programs, you might start with these to help keep your sustainability efforts well rounded and in top shape. Here are 10 tips – one useful to-do idea for each facet of your green efforts, from energy to recycling to education. 1. Education and Outreach Tip … Continue reading The Sustainability Check-Up – 10 Tips For Well Rounded Sustainability
10 Steps to An Effective Office Recycling Challenge
Read the article in Environmental Leader Amy Marpman, Director, Recycling Services, Great Forest, Inc. Published June 26, 2012 There’s nothing like a little friendly competition to get people motivated. Corporations can take a lesson from college campuses, where a growing number of challenges like Recyclemania are successfully getting students to compete to conserve and reduce waste. As my … Continue reading 10 Steps to An Effective Office Recycling Challenge
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20 tips to reduce waste, improve recycling
Following this list of 20 tips will set you on the path to reducing waste and increasing recycling in the most efficient and cost effective way. Have questions? Ask your Great Forest representative or contact your sustainability consultant. 1. Conduct a Waste Audit This should be done at least once a year or when you … Continue reading 20 tips to reduce waste, improve recycling
Tips for a Greener 2011
Have you been sticking to your New Year’s resolutions? Here are eleven eco-friendly ideas to keep you on track for 2011: · Use Less Paper – ALWAYS use recycled paper and reduce waste by printing on both sides. · Learn Recycling Guidelines – Take a moment to review the recycling guidelines for your office building in order … Continue reading Tips for a Greener 2011
Holiday Green Tips For A Less Wasteful, More Sustainable Festive Season
Tips For Every Office This Season And Beyond 1. Season’s “Greenings” Go paperless! It’s not too late to send your eco-friendly holiday greetings via email. 2. Give the Gift that Gives Back Instead of buying gifts, organize an activity for your employees to give back to the community. This can be as simple as holding … Continue reading Holiday Green Tips For A Less Wasteful, More Sustainable Festive Season
Holiday Green Tips For the Season and Beyond
1. Season’s “Greenings” Go paperless! It’s not too late to send your eco-friendly holiday greetings via email. 2. Give the Gift that Gives Back Instead of buying gifts, organize an activity for your employees to give back to the community. This can be as simple as holding a food or toy drive, or as involved … Continue reading Holiday Green Tips For the Season and Beyond
This entry was posted in How To Guides and tagged checklist, holiday, holidays. Bookmark the permalink.
Great Forest Waste Chart
To mark America Recycles Day, Great Forest has created a handy chart that follows the flow of your office waste, with reminders of what to do and what NOT to do.