When talking about pollution, we typically think about greenhouse gases and our carbon footprint. Did you know, however, that small businesses, as well as individuals and, of course, larger corporations, could be pollution in another way – with noise?
Early this month, experts reported that low frequency underwater noise has doubled over the past ten years, and blue whales alone have 90% less communication range and ability. The noise is also damaging tissue in some animals and scaring others, causing them to dive erratically.
Ships and oil drill sites are the main contributor to noise in the ocean, but studies …read more

Earlier this month, the Aluminum Association set clear goals for the future. By 2015, they hope to be recovering 75% of all aluminum containers made in the United States. That number currently stands at just 54%, though has been as high as 69% in the past.
To help meet this goal, the Aluminum Association is increasing public education, expanding the recycling infrastructure, and focusing on new legislation that will mandate recycling in areas where it is currently voluntary or legislation that will focus on recyclable deposits. Studies should that states with deposits have a 74% or higher recycling rate, while …read more

Last week, Renewable Choice Energy launched a new program called “Green Your Phone.” Aimed at both individuals and businesses, this company sells very inexpensive renewable energy credits to help offset the energy it takes to manufacture and use cell phones.
You can purchase credits in two-packs (one for you, one for a friend) for just $20. That’s enough to offset 250 kilo-watt-hours of energy, which is what the average America cell phone user needs for about two years. You get a sticker to put on your phone with your purchase of the credits. You can read more about this story …read more

According to a survey by the Global Facility Management Association, most companies around the world are taking steps to go green. In fact, 92% of all companies have mater plans for going green or at least planning to go green over the next few years, starting small.
That number is super high but not surprising. What is surprising is why companies are going green. 67% of the companies responding say that their customers are “forcing them” to make the changes. You can read more about this story from Environmental Leader.
Keeping Your Customers Happy
Are your customers forcing you to go …read more

We often think of the online world as a greener option than print media since there isn’t anything to recycle or throw away, but at the end of the day, keep in mind that all of those websites you visit run on servers. You aren’t just using electricity to run your own computer – websites us electricity just to be online.
One of the biggest (perhaps THE biggest) companies online is Google, and while a single website like this one actually shares a server with may other websites, it takes Google over 450,000 servers in 20 data centers around the …read more

Earlier this week, Clorox published their company’s first quarter sales, and many were surprised to see a boost in net income by 15%. With an economy that seems to be tanking and costs continuing to rise, how did they do it? Simple: Green products.
Clorox recently launched its Green Works line, products that are better for the environment. They also have seen growth in their newly-owned Burt’s Bees products, Brita lines, as well as in some non-green products like their Glad ForceFlex trash bags and Kingsford charcoal (not surprising, as the quarter fell partially over the summer).
Since its launch …read more

Earlier this month, Amazon.com announced that they were going to be significantly reducing waste. That’s a good thing, considering my past experiences with Amazon. I mean, just look at all of the unnecessary packaging:
 
Yep, that little guitar was all I ordered. Talk about waste.
With their new plan, will the too-large boxes be a thing of the past? I’m not sure. Their first priority is to stop using the “clamshell” packaging – you know, that hard plastic that is impossible to open and always way to big for the item. Along with that, they’ll be working to eliminate those plastic-coated …read more

Almost all businesses (and individuals for that matter) have old electronics lying around. E-waste is a HUGE (and growing) problem in America, since television, computers, cameras, and so forth are outdated really quickly. Many times, these electronics contain toxic parts, like batteries, and they certainly fill up space in our country’s landfills.
Panasonic is making recycling their old products a lot easier. According to a press release sent to me today, the company will allow consumers to drop off old Panasonic items free of charge.
The Panasonic program will begin on November 1, 2008, with more than 160 recycling drop-off locations …read more

Today, new reports show that greenhouse gas levels are actually four times higher than previously reported. New technical processes and equipment are much more accurate, leading researchers to conclude that there are about 5,400 metric tons of nitrogen trifluoride in the atmosphere, with levels increasing by around 11% every year. Previously, it was thought that there were only about 1,200 metric tons in the atmosphere. You can read more about this report from Reuters.
Accurate Reporting for your Business
While the reports are a bit discouraging, the silver lining is that people will continue to question green-related reporting, finding better and more …read more

This week, eBay announced that they’d be banning ivory starting in 2009. Partnering with World of Good, eBay has recently made a number of green and ethical changes, and this is only of the most significant.
Now, I wanted to make an important note that not all ivory items in this world were acquired illegally or inhumanely. Hunting elephants wasn’t also illegal and many of these giant mammal die of natural causes every year. However, there is really no way to know whether the ivory came from a legitimate source or was a result of poaching, so eBay is banning …read more