Eco Math

There’s math, new math, and now eco math.  What is eco math?  Super easy! 

Eco math = the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.
 
Each day we are presented with opportunities to expand eco awareness and make informed choices.    By making changes that are inspiring and manageable relative our current lives, the process of incorporating sustainability becomes much easier. 
 
The question is, how good are you at eco math?  It’s all about taking as many eco actions you can in a day, every day, of every week, of every month multiplied by the number of people you inspire with eco awareness.   Cumulatively, all the actions add up and contribute positively to addressing the complex issues our world faces today. 
 
Not sure what an eco action is? Start by familiarizing yourself with the different areas of life that you can embrace sustainability concepts.  Next, take action on the ideas that are most appealing to you.  Keep at it; take on more as you learn.  Inspire others. Click here to continue reading.
 
Home to one third of the earth’s trees, the Taiga is the largest land-based biosphere and encircles the globe. Its immense oxygen production literally changes the atmosphere and refreshes the planet. It is this continuous renewal that has shaped Taiga Company’s vision to drive similar change in the business world. Taiga Company seeks to be the “oxygen for your business”.

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Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

Kindness, Generosity, Willingness: 3 Essential Qualities of Sustainable Living

Imagine someone doing something nice for you right now.  A sincere compliment or holding the elevator for you.  It’s a good feeling, isn’t it?  Kindness has the ability to change us, and our emotions, immediately. 

 The pursuit of a sustainable lifestyle goes beyond just ‘greening’ your life.  Personal sustainability is a mindset change that shifts the personal value drivers in daily activities.  As a professional and sustainability consultant, I see how kindness, generosity and willingness are intrinsically linked to a sustainable lifestyle or green living.  While we are here on this planet, at this precise time in history, many of us want to make a difference in the way we treat our environment.  Many of us want to make a significant contribution to the role business takes in shaping our economy, society, and environment.
 

• Kindness in living green is not only being kind to our planet, but kind to each other.  Compassion for where each of us is in relation to the green path.

 

• Generosity in green living is not only sharing eco awareness and eco resources, but also going above and beyond to inspire, promote, and encourage others on the green path.

 

• Willingness in green living is demonstrating your values through eco action and generating results. 

 
Throughout our lifetime, there comes a time when we as individuals sit down and lay out a path for personal development.  We day dream about all the things that we want in our life and the things we want to achieve.  Living values of kindness, generosity, and willingness paves the way for a brighter future for us all

Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

Empty Spaces make for Sustainable Places

Is a roof just a roof, or a space to “grow?” Sometimes you may not consider an empty space as a place that bears fruit, but maybe you just need a little imagination and creativity. Wolfson Children’s Hospital, in Jacksonville Florida joined up with my group at Sodexo to plant gardens in spaces around the hospital including its third floor patio and the medical center’s roof. 

The garden idea first sprouted during a pediatric food conference, Working with my team at Sodexo, we decided a garden on the patio above the hospital’s main lobby would serve a lot of purposes, especially for long-term pediatric patients.

It gives the kids the opportunity to get outside, out of the rooms and get their hands a little dirty. After all, they are kids – and being in a hospital room sometimes doesn’t allow for that.

The fun part is that we plan on using what we are able to grow in the garden, right here at the hospital. In the weather and sunshine cooperate, fresh herbs will be ready for kitchen use in 45 days, and the vegetables soon after. The best part is that the children who help cultivate and grow the produce will also be able to watch it prepared in the kitchen, and eventually eat it!

Our garden’s idea and it’s creation may be a small addition, but it fits in with Sodexo’s Better Tomorrow Plan, which is a commitment to a brighter, sustainable future. The program pushes three main pillars including protecting and restoring our environment, supporting local community development, and promoting health and wellness. It may be small, but I believe my team in Jacksonville has hit the “Better Tomorrow” trifecta with our roof garden!

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Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

10 Ways to Green your Cubicle

Most U.S. employees want to work for businesses that are environmentally-friendly, though many admit they are not doing enough to help create a greener workplace.  In our sustainability consulting we work with both businesses and individuals to integrate sustainability concepts into the workplace and daily lives.  For workers frustrated with your employer not bringing eco awareness to your workplace, here are 10 ways to green your work space:  

1. Bring an indoor plant to work. They give your office a little green flair and give oxygen as well as help filter indoor pollutants. Best office plants include: spider plant, jade plant, and the peace lily. 
2. Recycle at your Desk. 
3. Get your daily dose of green and Subscribe to Blogs: BestGreenBlogs, Idealbite, and Taiga Company.
4. Engage your co-workers with a custom designed Sustainability Plan.
5. Showcase messages on your cubicle that promote environmental-friendliness and decorate your desk with earthy and recycled materials and objects. Consider transporting your laptop in a solar powered backpack.
6. Put your computer in sleep mode. Do so whenever you are away from the computer for any period of time, including short breaks.
7. Go paperless. This is one of the simplest actions you can take, yet it has one of the biggest impacts. Only print those documents you must print.  Save paper and print double sided or re-use printer paper. 
8. Invest in reusable containers and utensils for lunch.  Have a reusable coffee mug and glass for drinking. To clean, have available eco aware cleaning products to use.
9. Turn off your computer and its power strip whenever you leave for the night.
10. Make sure your office switches off its lights at night.
11. Eco commute: ride your bicycle, take mass transit, or carpool to work.

Posted via web from 3BL Media, CSR News, and Emily

Inside the Footprint

The “Footprint” has long been a metaphor for authors and poets as a journey worth following.  In more recent history is has been a symbol that has in a moment unified humanity: A point of study in the origins of man.  An image that captivated the world with the first man on the moon.

Today’s Footprint has a made a new impression in the sand but has the same lasting affect.  This globally recognized residual mark provides a basis of common understanding.

The “Carbon Footprint” emerged out of the UK in the early 2000s and has received a lot of attention.  Probably the most well known of the footprint terminology, the Carbon Footprint primarily focuses on CO2 waste streams from energy production.  An energy consultant might use the term in discussions about Global Warming or Climate Change. 

The “Environmental Footprint” measures individual and business impact on the environment.  Environmental businesses and consultants speak of it relation to resource consumption, business process impacts, and company waste streams that effect the environment.

The “Ecological Footprint” or “Global Footprint” is the most comprehensive term and is defined as the human demands on our world’s ecosystems.  It is used to examine the continuous balance between our consumption of resources and the regenerative forces that create them.

The newest to the group is the “Personal Footprint”.  It estimates individual impacts in terms of how much land area it takes to support an individual’s lifestyle.

Like the examples from history, this new footprint is a continuous topic of study and a source for individual inspiration and creativity.  Companies and individuals are pouring into this impression on the planet faster than ever before. 

As a sustainability consultant, Taiga Company works with clients in all areas of the footprint.  From consumption to waste reduction, our professional and personal consulting works to implement solutions that meet specific needs.  Understand your impacts and build a sustainability plan.

3 Business Strategies to Reduce Carbon Footprint

Leading companies around the globe have committed to reducing their carbon footprint as part of internal environmental policies.  An effective strategy needs to consider both direct emissions and indirect sources.

Today, Greenhouse Gas (GHG)  emissions are being consider across a company’s entire value chain and can be viewed from two distinct view points.  A company must actively work the emissions that are within their direct control.  These emissions come from the company’s internal operations.  Corporate strategies must also consider indirect emissions controlled by third parties.   These may include products and services that are acquired with a large footprint.

Strategy 1: Reduce Energy Consumption – the reduction of energy and fuel consumption is a key component of a sustainable business strategy to reduce emissions.  It is a long-term commitment to reduction at the source across a product’s entire life cycle.

•    Reduce energy consumption within your supply chain.
•    Reduce consumption within the company’s operations.
•    Design products for minimal direct energy consumption.
•    Consider the consumer and end-life of a product.

Strategy 2: Replace Fossil Fuels with Renewable Energy – Many companies are switching to ‘green’ energy sources to reduce there emissions.  There are a number of easy ways to switch to renewable energy.

•    Choose a service provider that offers renewable energy choices.
•    Install solar collectors to aid energy consumption.
•    Switch corporate fleet renewable hybrid or fuels.
•    Work within the supply chain to reduce fossil fuel usage.

Strategy 3: Offset Emissions – For businesses with less flexibility at the source, offsetting is a concept of funding an equivalent emission reduction elsewhere.  This allows any business the ability to support emission reduction.

•    Offset production equipment emissions by supporting renewable energy   usage by similar equipment in another area.
•    Buy emission offsets for corporate travel.
•    Fund renewable energy projects: energy efficiency, sequestration, or biomass.

With new legislation on the horizon, it has become critical for many companies to have a comprehensive carbon reduction strategy.  Businesses must begin to understand both their direct and indirect exposure.  Taiga Company offers professional consulting and small business resources to companies implementing business sustainability strategies to reduce emissions.

The Water/ Energy Link

Major investment is flocking to the world’s water resources, with tycoons referring to water as the new oil.  Originally a clean water discussion, water for energy production is beginning to receive main-stream attention.

While the energy side often receives much of the publicity, individuals and business are becoming aware of the link to water.  Most people understand that it takes energy to produce water and that water can produce energy (hydroelectric power); however, the complexity of the relationship can be seen in just about every aspect of our society.

•    Water and energy are essential to every aspect of life: social equity, ecosystem integrity, economic and business sustainability.

•    Water is used to generate energy; energy is used to provide water.

•    Water and energy are used to produce crops; crops can in turn be used to generate energy through biofuels. 

Recent growth in eco awareness has accelerated research to expand within technical circles towards framing the water and energy related issues and searching for solutions. A report by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development discusses the complexities and interrelationships between water, energy and climate change.

The report comments: “If we truly want to find sustainable solutions, we must ensure that we address all three in a holistic way.  They are pieces of the same puzzle and therefore it is not practical to look at them in isolation.”

Leading businesses are beginning to understand the implications of the water/energy link and are improving business sustainability through the implementation of best practices.

•    Reduce water and energy consumption through improved operations

•    Treat and recycle own water and waste water (with associated energy costs)

•    Recover and reuse water and energy (e.g., using steam or heat, recycle other industrial and municipal waste water)

•    Develop new markets for water and energy-saving technologies and services

•    Engage with local communities to reduce water and energy consumption

As a sustainability consultant, I encourage clients to examine their energy and water consumption.  Through greater eco awareness of the links between water and energy, businesses and individuals can make internal improvements and be advocates for change within their communities and industries.

Sustainability is Enabling Business Stakeholders

Many leading organizations are embracing business sustainability as a means to gain a long-term competitive advantage.  These organizations are adopting a more comprehensive definition and business sustainability that runs consistently through core business processes and aligns the interests of key stakeholders.

While executive support is a critical key component to business success, it is not the only form of leadership present in an organization.  According to a recent study, top performing organizations view sustainability as a “must have” strategy for long term business viability and success.  A defining characteristic of these organizations is a recognition and response to “pressures from stakeholders”. 

Sustainable organizations understand the value in managing their key business relationships.  They realize that a quality workforce, aligned with the goals of the organization, is essential to business sustainability.  Whether led by a sustainability executive or traditional management, the pursuit of long-term business sustainability enables business stakeholders:

•    Employees: Create incentives to lower costs, initiate process improvements, and stimulate innovation.

•    Customers: Establish expectations that are defining products and service attributes.

•    Suppliers: Align supply chain expectations to drive sustainable material requirements and efficiencies.

In both a corporate culture which encourages stakeholder engagement and a traditional setting, there are opportunities to further facilitate eco awareness across any organization. 

In our sustainability consulting practice, we work with clients to build a focused business sustainability plan which incorporates sustainability concepts into core business practices.  We work with business leaders to engage employees and other key stakeholders in business sustainability strategies that add specific value and promote company growth and success.

How Small Business Wins with the Sustainable Best Practices of Larger Organizations

We’ve all heard about “going green” and the corporate sustainability plans that many larger organizations are undertaking.  However, one of the biggest misconceptions around this topic is that sustainable business strategies are exclusive to larger organizations.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  

 In fact, within our professional consulting with smaller businesses, we guide clients to use the best practices of larger organizations to sustainable business strategies they can use in their business that deliver bottom line and environmental results.

As an example, HP is known as a consumer and vendor of paper.   Internally, HP executed six guiding principles including efficient use of raw materials, sustainable forestry practices, responsible and low-carbon production, and waste minimization.   The results?  HP diverted   91.3 percent of its waste in 2008 and the company’s non-hazardous waste reduction program helped the company avoid sending 83,866 tons of waste to landfill, which was primarily paper waste.   Technology Business Research  says this strategy saved the company nearly $7.7 million from reusing items and avoiding landfill costs, and generated $2 million in revenue by selling material to recyclers.

 How can a small business implement similar sustainability concepts in the business and generate similar results of cost savings, environmental impact reduction, and increased efficiency?

 One approach taken in our business sustainability programs is to identify all the activities in a business that utilizes paper.  The obvious comes to mind like printers, copiers, mail, and collateral.  Areas to explore include:

 •    How much paper do you use for events, trade shows, invoicing, literature, packaging, shipping materials?
•    What about the kitchen areas and bathrooms?  Remember, it’s not just paper but paper products. 
•    Consult with people in other departments and get a clear picture of the paper they are using, where it is coming from, when they are using it, and how they are using it.
•    You might want to talk to your purchasing department and learn more about how much you are spending on your paper products.

 As a next step, take eco action and employ the sustainability concept of the 3 R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle. 
•    Reduce your paper consumption by working with your purchasing department to reduce the amount of paper purchased and switch to buying  recycled paper (100% post consumable is best). 
•    Reuse paper by placing bins next to the copiers and printers for easy reuse of single sided scraped paper. 
•    Recycle paper that has been used.

 Simultaneous with these efforts, we suggest the use of online document management systems for your documents.  Content management systems give you more than the environmental benefits of going paperless.  They offer the ability to manage different types of data: emails, contracts, logos, reports, forms, drawings, web pages, and blogs which contributes to improved efficiency, further cost reductions, and environmental gains.

 Sustainable business strategies used by larger organizations are examples of best practices that can be utilized in small business to generate cost savings, reduced environmental impacts, and brand differentiation by going green.  

Grow your Business through Community Building

Synergy comes from the Greek word synergia, meaning joint work and cooperative action.   Synergy is created when things work in concert together to create an outcome that is in some way of more value than the total of what the individual inputs is.

 Solutions to complex problems can be sparked by unusual pairings.  Consider how you can grow your business by partnering with a nonprofit, NGO, or the like to not only address business sustainability concerns but also solve and improve community issues.

 In a report by Forum for the Future, the authors discuss the hallmarks of business sustainability leaders.  Specifically in the area of community relations, the report discusses some key business distinctions.
 

• Community activities have strong links to the core business, its brands and its products/services.
• The business measures the outcomes, rather than just inputs, of its community activities.
• A clear strategy at group level provides the framework for initiatives carried out at the local level through partnership with community groups, local businesses, regulators etc.
• Measures are in place to ensure initiatives add value both to the community and to the business.
• Initiatives are delivered via mixed investments of time, finance, knowledge and skills.

 
How can you grow your business through community building?  Match your company values with partnering organizations in the community.  Focus on:
 

• Shared interest
• Creating a win/win outcome
• Meeting commitments to the local community
• Delivering on social business targets
• Building local trust
• Improving stakeholder relations
• Developing a skilled local supplier base

 
These kinds of partnerships lead to beneficial back scratching -to affect change and get a better grounding for the corporate social responsibility programs and business sustainability strategies.  Organizations working together allow sustainability plans to synergize in a way neither organization can achieve on its own.