Well, it started with visiting a website that offered to place their prestigious logo on any business website for a starter cost of $475. So, I read through the site to discover that a company could be listed on this website, get the use of their seal, and receive an artfully done two page Green tips article for a fee. No requirements, no audits, no problems as long as you pay them the money (a la Jerry Maguire). This is wrong on so many levels that I won’t even bother to mention their site. Using empty credentials should work against the value of a company rather than for it. There is a better way, and that is to literally earn your Green credentials.

First of all, Going Green starts with your cleaning products since these are common hazards everywhere. Hire a Green clean certified janitorial service that uses Green products. Cleaning products are well-known for containing chemicals that throw volatile organic compounds in the air, and that is a long-term health hazard being re-introduced nightly by the cleaning service of most companies. If you hire a janitorial service, don’t take their word for it. Make sure that they are trained and certified as Green cleaners as well as boasting that they use Green products.

Second: Pesticides for rodents and insects have to go! These are poisons that are silently lurking throughout the building. Some companies hire a service to spray down the office in the off hours. When the workers return the next day, they are breathing in some pretty awful fumes whether they smell good or not. The good news is that there are new a Green pest control products available, if you know where to look.

Thirdly, Carbon Dioxide (CO2) accumulates in poorly ventilated areas. An Indoor Air Quality test will locate not only carbon dioxide, but carbon monoxide, VOC buildup, dangerous mold spores, and other problem ingredients. Like fish in a fishbowl, people in bad air facilities will get sick and develop diseases more rapidly than those in healthy buildings. No one seems to disagree. Indoor Air Quality is a major factor in the health and wellbeing of the everyone in the building. The air quality is the barometer of a healthy workplace.

Fourth, go paperless for your filing systems and adopt e-billing with your customers. The technology is here, safe, and saves time for any office. The paper use of American businesses is enormous. It fills cabinets and rooms and generally clutters our lives. Computers are more efficient and powerful than ever. They provide for constant backups in secure storage sites, and even follow HIPPA compliance rules. Users can be given limited access, and many systems even provide offsite access. This concept could save million upon million of trees.

Fifth is the need to reduce energy consumption. The good news is that energy savings will save the company a lot of money. Barack Obama has already warned Americans that they can expect “skyrocketing” energy costs that will force greater conservation. This may seem an arcane fix, but start today by reducing your energy use. Some simple-to-install systems guarantee a 20% reduction in electric without changing your business operation. Add in other ideas, and companies can see 30-40% reduction in energy use. This process will save the company money today, and a lot of money in the future.

Sixth is to cut back on water use. Fresh water is an shrinking commodity, and there is a lot of pressure to reduce wasteful uses of water. Flow Restrictors and aerators are the first and easiest areas to change. Rain barrels are returning in high-tech versions to augment landscape watering, which is another water waster.

Seventh is garbage recycling. Most cities recycle only 10-20% of the trash. Experts tell us that we can redirect as much as 40% of the trash from landfills. Other cities, like San Francisco recycle about 60% of their trash. This starts with setting up recycle bins within the business and at the dumpsters.

Eighth is paint and carpet in the office. Look for Low-VOC paint that will not produce the harmful fumes throughout the building. Carpet is often a glue down with aromatics that come out as the glue dries. There are alternatives, but at least be sure to ventilate these areas for several days before putting people back in the remodeled areas.

Ninth is furniture and remodeling. New furniture and remodeling bring in fumes from paint, varnish, and glue. Pressed board used in furniture often contains formaldehyde. Place furniture in ventilates areas for a week before bringing it into the office. Use better products for remodeling projects that avoid caustic and toxic ingredients. Ventilate these areas as well until clear of aromatics.

Tenth change care of hard surface flooring. Stripping and finishing hard floors often require some of the most dangerous chemicals in the cleaning product line. Stripper will literally eat flesh if left on, and the fumes will make even a veteran dizzy. New floor products have greatly removed the VOC, lowered the Ph, and still produce a quality and enduring shine. Your service should definitely change to these Greener floor products.

These are the top ten issues for a Green office that affect the people most immediate to your operation. These are the workers as well as the leaders, and the long-term affects of negligence is an associated increase in health problems and diseases. There are hundreds of similarly important and cost effective steps to make a business Green. None of them are accomplished through buying a membership in a well-designed Green website. Neither are they accomplished by attending a Green seminar or giving money to a Green charity.

I did not mention carbon credits on this list of the ten top Green concerns because this has NOTHING to to with Greening an office. Carbon credits are simply a fund raising program to gather money from corporations and wealthy people to fund alternative energy projects. So, a cow farm harvesting animal flatulent or methane from cow poo will use this gas to produce electricity. Windmill and solar power facilities are also part of the program. Your sin is called a “carbon footprint” because your are using fossil fuels that produce Co2 which in turn produces global warming. To atone for your ungainly carbon footprint, you must buy carbon credits that provide money to these otherwise unknown alternative energy projects.

While I support alternative energy projects, buying carbon credits (like website memberships) do not make your company Greener! It means that you are philanthropic and concerned for the sustainable issues of energy. Therefore, this is NOT in my list of the top ten ways to Green an office.

Author: Michael Richmond
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Netbook, Tablets and Mobile Computing