How to go green at work this Christmas
by Urban Sprout on 27/11/08 at 8:00 am
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In the first of a series on how best to green your place of work and the way you do business, urban sprout has tackled greening Christmas in the office.
This is the time of year when one tends to become imbued with the spirit of benevolence, which, when left to its own devices, can err on the side of overkill. Right now there’s the added pressure of decidedly deflated budgets, so going green, agreeably for us, has become something of a fashion tag this Christmas. One inevitably saves on spend; when saving the environment.
We’ve come up with a few simple tips to green small businesses this Christmas:
Buy local hand-made decorations, or if you don’t have the time to make your own – spraying pine cones & berries; stringing coloured popcorn, hanging gingerbread Santa Claus’ is not for all of us – try not to succumb to the plastic rubbish that ends up in landfill. Most craft markets are selling beaded wire decorations or the like at this time of year, as are entrepreneurs on the side of the road. Or have a look at these on africasmiles or these on african home.
Buy a live tree, rather than a ‘traditional’ Christmas tree or the artificial version (plastic), that you can plant in your office park or in your own garden afterwards. We used a hazel nut tree last year that is now growing in the garden and should produce nuts within a few years. [see our green your Christmas guide http://www.urbansprout.co.za/green_your_christmas on urban sprout for more on the live versus fake tree debate]
Send an e-card – you can have these specially designed for your company or use any number of e-cards with a conscience, such as those supplied by Friends of the Earth and the World Land Trust [see our green guide for details]
Corporate gifts with a conscience – You’ll earn brownie points for giving earth friendly or locally handmade gifts. Have a look at urban sprout’s eco gifts or gifts with a conscience.
The office party – yes, the office party has been re-designed in a green paradigm. A dinner party that serves several gourmet meat dishes, disposable plates, and includes a drive to the venue isn’t that green. Have a small gathering (within walking distance of the office, obviously) that serves meals vegetarian style, ideally from locally grown, organic food, green wine, and eco-friendly menus. Round it off with fair-trade or organic coffee, and you’ve just reduced your carbon footprint, and elevated your green status.
And here are a few no-brainers that will make a difference:
- recycle all the empty cans and glass bottles from the party [see urban sprout for a list of companies who will fetch your recycling]
- recycle all your Christmas cards – the ones you receive from those who haven’t yet got the green message
- oh, and switch off all the lights and your computers when you go home for Christmas. It’s not like anyone is going to be there to use them! Canon recently sited statistics on how UK offices waste enough energy to roast 4.4m turkeys due to office equipment left on standby over the 10 day Christmas period! [canon.co.uk]
- switch off your PC completely, don’t just log off
- power down printers and fax machines, don’t leave them in standby mode
- turn off the lights
- Merry Christmas!
www.urbansprout.co.za exposes the impact of consumptive, frenzied lifestyles and outlines simple ways in which we can change for the better. The award-winning green blog highlights sustainable alternatives in a directory full of eco-friendly and organic options. Read about: renewable energy, climate change, organic food, genetic modification, sustainable building, recycling, peak oil, ethical money systems, fairtrade, consumer activism, and permaculture. Embrace a shift in consciousness to a one planet lifestyle! View more articles by Urban Sprout.
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