Back to the Table of Contents

Green the Way to a Better Future

NCIV Encourages Environmental Awareness in the Office

by Leah Tomlins, NCIV Staff

Perhaps the most difficult thing about being green is defining what that means and deciding what extent to implement green practices in your personal life and in your office. In a broad sense, being green is the commitment by an individual or organization to make choices that reduce negative impact on the natural environment. While the demands of basic human life necessitate some disturbance of the natural environment, there are things that each person or organization can do to assure that the choices made ease environmental impact. What is important to remember is that our choices may impact other natural resources in ways which are not yet apparent. The following statistics illustrate the correlation between the decisions we make in our daily lives and their consequences. (All statistics courtesy of Seventh Generation, Inc., unless otherwise noted.)

o If every U.S. household replaced their current petroleum solvent based cleaner with just one 32 oz. bottle of non-petroleum solvent based cleaner, we would prevent 11 million tons of volatile organic chemicals from being released into the environment.
o If every U.S. household were to replace just one roll of 500-sheet virgin fiber bathroom tissue with the same amount of 100% recycled (80% post-consumer content), we would save 448,000 trees, over one million cubic feet of landfill space, and 161 million gallons of water.
o If every U.S. household replaced just one standard incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), it would prevent enough pollution equal to taking 800,000 cars off the road. (Commonwealth Edison Company)
o If every household in the United States replaced just one package of 20 count tall kitchen drawstring trash bags made from virgin plastic with ones made from 65% recycled plastic, we could save 39,000 barrels of oil.

Becoming an organization that employs sustainable practices as a matter of everyday routine does not have to be a complex and burdensome task. So what can you do to make a difference? Here are just few simple ideas.

o If available in your area, recycle paper products, plastics, glass and metal. This service is often available in residential areas of most states.
o Purchase as much recycled office paper – with as high a post-consumer content - as your budget will allow. The percentage of post-consumer content in recycled paper generally ranges from 30% to 100%. o Make double-sided copies when possible.
o Use CFLs or use only as much lighting as you actually need.
o Turn off all lights and electronic appliances/equipment when they are not in use, or purchase appliances that have a power saving mode. Your organization could potentially conserve thousands of kilowatt hours each year.
o Use facial tissues, napkins, and bathroom tissue made from the highest percentage of post-consumer content you can afford.
o Use organic and biodegradable cleaning products that do not contain phosphates or petroleum based solvents.
o Use the backs of already-used paper from the copier and fax machines as scrap paper.
o Purchase recycled toner or inkjet cartridges.

NCIV has made a genuine effort to implement greener practices. We embrace the concept of conserving and maximizing natural resources, and hope that our efforts will encourage you. The following is a list of NCIV’s current green practice initiatives.

* NCIV recycles all paper products and used printer toner cartridges.
* 70% of our office paper consists of 30% post-consumer waste.
* 30% of our office paper consists of 100% post-consumer waste. 
* Our supply of disposable cutlery is 100% biodegradable/compostable "corn plastic," derived from corn cellulose.
* Our supply of paper cups for both hot and cold beverages is 100% biodegradable/compostable. The paper comes from sustainably harvested trees, and the cups have an inner lining derived from corn cellulose rather than from petroleum.
* Our supply of paper napkins and paper towels consist of up to 80% recycled post-consumer waste.
* Sponges purchased for our office kitchen are made of 50% - 100% recycled material, depending on what is available.
* 50% of the coffee purchased for our office is organic and fair-traded.
* 100% of the tea purchased for our office is organic and fair-traded.
* NCIV uses CFLs in all desktop lamps.
* Each NCIV staff member has the ability to digitally fax documents from his/her computer without printing a single page.
* NCIV’s copier is connected to our Local Area Network, so large print/copy jobs can be sent directly to the copier without having to print original documents.
* NCIV’s copier is a combined scanner, copier, printer, and fax machine all in one.  Using a combination copier saves as much as 50% of the carbon emissions as having the four different stand-alone machines.
 
As you've seen in the examples provided, each person's or organization's contribution makes a difference. Collectively, society could achieve remarkable results. All it takes is a commitment to learn how best to promote a healthy environment and to maximize the resources available to us, and to act on that commitment. For more ideas on what you can do, subscribe to an email newsletter from an organization of your choice or do a simple Web search. If you have any questions about being green or about sustainable living, send Leah Tomlins an email at ltomlins@nciv.org.

Back to the Table of Contents