I want to make my company green, but am not sure how aside from not printing emails out often e.t.c Are there any associations e.t.c I can join to show I support greenliness?
I don't know anything about associations etc - maybe contact Business Link - they're probably know. It's likely to include things such as: Energy saving lightbulbs Paper-less office Low emission company cars Water saving initiatives
Carbon neutral web hosting may be another angle - <shameless plug> and maybe consider using an eco friendly printer if you outsource any printing for your clients </shameless plug> :wink:
Ray you only fitted 2 shameless plugs into your post ..... I am ashamed of you :whip: :001_tongue: Great to see you are wanting to go green freelancer
I take it you own or are associate with carbon neutral hosting? what is the site url? Thinking of hosting a few sites on a green hosting platform.
All I would say to this is be very careful, there are lots of less than ethical organisations that have created bandwagons so they can get their fill of this Look for a credited scheme or at least a well known one. Many of the schemes are creating forests in parts of india, that are not sustainable, not environmentally friendly and in many cases do not help carbon offsetting but actually go against the very principle. It is the way to go, but dont just pick the first one you find, do some research into it. hth
If anyone is interested in obtaining accredited internationally recognised environmental credentials for their organisation take a look at SAI Global dot com, under the Assurance header you will find environmental, it gives you a little more detail. If that interests you then drop me a message and i can talk through it in more detail. Rob
Contact the CAT center ( Center for a.lternatives) In wales Where I studied. They are world leaders and have a (cheap) members info book delivered to your door. Alternatives. Contact me< I deal with world companies. I can't afford to be a rip-off artist.
Some of the energy saving tips at home, can also be used in the business enviroment. It is worth starting to look at some of the smaller things like lighting and electrical equipment. Every little counts for both saving energy and reducing your utility bill. There are various companies who could come in and give you a report on how you can improve your business. Some of these will also provide a certificate. Ensure you check them out first, I have seen adverts in our local paper offering courses, so that they can offer services like this. Carbon netural I feel can be done but it should be the last thing you look at after putting some of the simple things in place.
Good start would be to change your website hosting to solarhost. We are hosting with them and they've been great so far. I don't know if sites promising to plant a tree on your behalf is really that great. Solarpower is king!:wink:
I think that one of the best ways to demonstrate to all of your clients that you are a truly 'green business' is to operate to the only internationally recognised Environmental management system / standard, which is ISO 14001: 2004. It's simple to implement, and can be third party certified, if you wished to do so. Also it does not have to be expensive, in fact it could save you money as it consentrates on minimising all business waste. All of this 'carbon footprint' stuff is all okay, and certainly does no harm BUT, there is little scientific basis behind the calculations, good for some, I suppose..... Hope that this helps. Billy
Use eco-friendly products Here a few ideas; You can use eco-friendly products in your office! Energy saving light bulbs are a no-brainer, but you can also get special plugs for your walls that reduce your energy consumption, as well as clever gadgets for your PCs... I love bragging about the amount of energy-saving gadgets I use :tongue_smilie:
Can you clarify this a little, are you saying that anything to reduce your environmental footprint has no real value as they have no scientific backing? Andy.
If anyone would like any further information on ISO 14001, or is looking to be certified against this standard and is looking for a certification body, feel free to send me a message. I am more than happy to discuss it in more detail and provide some examples of clients who we have certified, along with some of the results the system has brought them.
Me to, I specialise in developing, implementing and organising certification to ISO 14001 Environmental Management Systems and Quality management systems. As I'm sure that Rob, would agree, many SME's never take the first step because they are under the wrong impression that the ISO's have to be complex and expensive - They don't they are simple, straightforward common sense standards. Billy.