Happy Earth Day!
Can a small business succeed while going green?  Good question. In particular I want to know: How do you keep your business “going green” for life?  Like diets and other good intentions, it is easy to start making your business environmentally friendly, but it is much more difficult to continue.
You have read all the lists of things to do to “go green,” like:

Using long-lasting products like compact florescent light bulbs that don’t have to be replaced as often
Recycling rather than disposing of printer cartridges and other office consumables.
Using products made from recycled and/or recyclable materials, such as recycled …read more

Paying attention to environmental issues doesn’t have to be a casualty of these uncertain economic times. More and more Americans are finding ways to be green without spending a lot of green.

Nearly three-quarters (72%) of Americans say they know a lot or a fair amount about environmental issues and problems (up 7 points from 2007) and 28% often seek out environmental information (up 5 points). The most common green actions are those that are helping Americans save money in their day-to-day lives. Seventy-six percent have bought energy efficient light bulbs and 58% have purchased energy saving appliances. Consumers are also …read more

If you have a product-based business, how much waste are you creating when that product is no longer usable? I’m not talking about waste from the manufacturing process – I’m talking about the waste from the packaging, obsolete product, etc.
This will vary from business to business. For example, someone who sells heads of lettuce with have very little waste, while someone who sells computers will have tons of waste. You likely fall somewhere in the middle.
This week, Staples announced incentives to their ink and toner cartridge recycling program. Can your waste be recycled?
Sometime people just need a …read more

Over the next week, we’re counting down the ten New Years resolutions you business NEEDS to make. To read them all, check out the full green resolutions list here.

Resolution #3: Set realistic recycling goals with your employees – and meet them.
No matter what your industry, you can recycle. Own a beauty salon? Recycle empty shampoo bottles. Manage a grocery store? Recycle the cardboard packaging your food comes in. Boss of a traditional kind of office? Set up bins to recycle printer paper.
The key here is to talk to your employees. Start by looking in the trash together. What is …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

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

This past week, Pepsi-Cola North America launched two new websites, both focused on going green. Pepsi Eco Challenge is a website that explains what Pepsi is doing in the areas of energy, water, and sustainable packaging. There’s also a news section for press releases to keep consumers up to date with Pepsi’s efforts to go green.
The second eco-friendly website Pepsi launched is Pepsi Recycling. This site offers information about recycling old Pepsi bottles and encourages a more pro-active approach to trash. Website visitors can even enter sweepstakes and sign recycling pledges. You can read more here.
How can you launch …read more

September is officially Support Small Green Businesses Month here at Greener Assets. This interview is part of that series. You can find more information about his series here.
Today’s featured business is Resource Revival. Check out their website and this interview with National Sales Manager Jim Hassert:
Greener Assets: How did your business first get started?
Jim: The idea for Resource Revival sprung from founder Graham Bergh’s imagination in 1991 when he got a flat tire while biking to his recycling job. That inner tube became a cradle for his stereo speakers and after three years of tinkering with other ideas Resource …read more

September is officially Support Small Green Businesses Month here at Greener Assets. This interview is part of that series. You can find more information about his series here.
Today’s featured business is Close the Loop, LLC. Check out their website and this interview with owner Rita Lacey:
Greener Assets: How did your business first get started?
Rita: I worked in the corporate world for 15 years, left to have my daughter & started the business when she entered school 8 years ago. I wanted to “buy recycled”, but couldn’t find a place to go that had much more than recycled paper available…so I …read more

September is officially Support Small Green Businesses Month here at Greener Assets. This interview is part of that series. You can find more information about his series here.
Today’s featured business is Eco-Artware.com. Check out their website and this interview with owner Reena Kazmann:
Greener Assets: How did your business first get started?
Reena: I’ve had several crafts-related businesses in the past. This one started when I went to the Gift Show in 1999 and saw too few products made from recycled materials–there wasn’t much available then. They stood out from everything else by their strong design and efficiency of reusing discarded …read more