When we think about green business practices our business could engage in, we tend to think of the obvious things that we hear about everyday such as the use of energy and water and emissions of carbon. However there are other less obvious ways for a business to go green, for example choosing sustainable wood products for your furniture, office fit-out or the construction of a new building. Choosing wood from sustainably managed forests or using reclaimed wood or fast growing wood can reduce the environmental impacts of your business.

Approximately 13 million hectares of forest is lost each year. This is an alarming rate considering the important role forests play in sustaining life on earth and providing habitat for many species. The clearing of forests for agriculture and the use of wood either as fuel or as a product itself, affects the amount of carbon dioxide in the air as well as the biodiversity of the planet. As a result there are strong reasons for ensuring that forests are managed sustainably so the resources they provide will be available for future generations. Demand by consumers for sustainable wood products is one of the drivers for sustainable forest management.

Sustainably Managed Forests

One way to reduce your environmental impact is to choose wood products from sustainably managed forests. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is a not for profit organisation that provides a voluntary international certification for forests to show they are managed sustainably. A certified forest must adhere to the FSC principles and criteria. The FSC also has a ‘chain of custody’ certification for product manufacturers to show they use responsibly produced timber.

Reclaimed Wood

Another way to reduce the impact of wood products is choosing to use reclaimed wood. Most reclaimed wood comes from abandoned structures such as old barns, decking or factories but wood has also been reclaimed from old wine barrels and box cars. Using reclaimed wood avoids the environmental impacts that occur from cutting and treating new wood and some projects prefer the unique look that reclaimed timber has.

Choosing Fast Growing Wood

For some lightweight options it may be possible to choose a different material such as bamboo. Since it is fast growing, bamboo plantations replenish quickly and the root structure is not destroyed when bamboo is harvested. However there is still concern that bamboo is environmentally damaging as in some places existing forests have been cleared for bamboo plantations.

The US Green Building Council recognises the use of FSC certified wood, reclaimed timber and rapidly renewable materials for awarding points under its LEED green building certification. So as well as being a green business practice, choosing more sustainable wood and wood products could also help with environmental certification.

Next time you are purchasing wood or a wood product, think about where it comes from and and the environmental impact of its creation. Asking your suppliers about the environmental impacts of their products and more sustainable alternatives is one of the steps in implementing green business practices.

Want a quick green business practice to reduce the energy used in your office?

A standard part of both Windows and Mac operating systems are power management features that put the computer to sleep after a period of inactivity. These power options can be changed by the user and in some computers are not activated at all so it is worth checking to make sure these options are turned on. By having the computer power down when it is not needed you will reduce your electricity consumption (and your power bills).

If you want to go even further you can check out software designed to manage your computer power options. For example:

Edison by Verdiem – Free software that works in a similar way to the operating systems power management features but also allows you to create different times for powering off parts of the computer depending on whether it is work or non work time. You can also put your local cost of electricity per kWh and the program will show you your estimated annual savings.

PowerSave – Is software available for both Windows and Mac. The software goes further than the normal operating system standby and monitors usage of the CPU, hard drive, monitor, keyboard and mouse to determine which parts of the computer can be powered down while ensuring critical programs continue to run.

If you have a whole computer network in your business the savings from using power management tools can be substantial. On a Windows Vista network you can use Group Policy for power management. Otherwise for 2000 or XP machines Energy Star offers a free tool for network administrators.

Here are some ways funeral services and cemeteries are going green:

* Using recycled paper products: Funeral services are increasingly using recycled paper for service cards and memorial books.

* Choosing organic flowers: Flowers grown without the use of pesticides or chemical fertiliser have less environmental impacts.

* Supporting green cemeteries: Some cemeteries are being returned to a natural state to provide habit for flora and fauna and reduce the use of herbicides and irrigation which are extensively used in traditional cemeteries.

* Making people aware that they have the choice whether to be embalmed: In most cases there is no legal requirement for embalming which avoids toxic chemicals including formaldehyde, methanol and ethanol being leached into nearby soils.

* Having people buried in biodegradable caskets or burial shrouds.

Through reducing both the environmental impacts of the business operations and the impact of burial options, the industry not only reduces its environmental impact but also extends the range of choices available in the market. In 2010 the Green Burial Council will put in place voluntary standards for burial grounds, funeral service providers, products and crematoriums which will make it easier for people to choose green end of life options. People can support the industry’s move to go green by being aware of their options and choosing to support businesses that implement environmentally friendly practices.

Factors that Affect your Personal Level of Emissions

Radiative Forcing: As well as CO₂ from buring aeroplane fuel, aeroplanes also release water vapour, nitrogen oxides and methane into the atmosphere. The environmental impacts of these is greater when released at high altitude than what it would be at ground level. While these impacts are not entirely understood, it is generally agreed that a radiative forcing factor should be used when calculating the impacts of air travel (although there are differing opinions on what the radiative forcing factor should be set to). Radiative forcing is the rate at which a given atmospheric gas alters radiation that is entering the atmosphere. Treehugger has a great article on radiative forcing here.

Short or Long Distance: Short distance flights are less fuel efficient overall due to the fuel consumed during takeoff and landing but they also generate less condensation trails (water vapour) due to the shorter time spent at high altitude which also have an environmental impact.

Type of Plane: Newer planes tend to be more fuel efficient than older models.

Occupancy of the Flight: Calculators work by determining the overall level of emissions for the flight and dividing this by the number of passengers. If the flight is not full each person is responsible for a greater percentage of emissions. Some calculators use historical trends to determine this.

Business or Economy: Business class seats take up more space so each person in business class is responsible for a greater level of emissions.

Air Travel Emissions Calculator Examples

I thought I would put the calculators to the test by considering the emissions of a flight I took a few months ago. The flight was a one way direct flight from Singapore to Brisbane flying economy class. Although there are a huge number of calculators available, I selected these four from doing what a lot of people do when wanting to offset emissions – a google search on “air travel emission calculators”

International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) – Carbon Emissions Calculator

The ICAO calculator has you enter your origin and destination, whether you are flying economy or premium class and whether the trip is one way or return.

The result was a distance travelled of 6,143 km generating 479.41 kg of CO₂.

To understand the calculator a link is provided to a 15 page document which explains the methodology and data sources. The calculator is not linked to carbon offsets scheme.

Choose Climate

The Choose Climate calculator uses a map where you choose your origin and destination. There are no place names on the map so accurately picking these is a challenge. The calculator also lets you choose between economy or business class, one way or return and lets you change the occupancy figure for the aircraft.

The result was a distance travelled of 7,466 km generating 273 kg of CO₂.

The site gives some details of their calculations but not a full methodolgoy and it is not linked to a carbon offset scheme.

Terrapass

The Terrapass calculator has you enter your origin and destination, whether the flight is direct, one way or return and what class you are travelling. The calculator also asks for the airline.

The result was a distance travelled of 3,814 miles (6,138 km) generating 1,1001 lbs (454 kg) of CO₂. To offset this through Terrapass costs $11.90.

CO2 Balance

The CO2 balance calculator has you enter your origin, destination and whether the flight is one way or return.

The result was a carbon total of 1.44 tons (1,440 kg) which can be offset through the website (the price depends onthe project you choose to invest in). The website has some notes explaining its methodology.

Choosing a Calculator

In the end end choosing an emissions calculator will be a matter of personal choice. However the more robust calculators include radiative forcing and provide details on their methodolgy. Out of four calculators tested, ICAO and Terrapass provided the most detail on their calculations and also came up with similar results.

1. Not realising the time required to establish and implement a green business program.

Going green takes time and like many things the time and effort put in will determine the results. Having an employee dedicated to the establishment of the green business program ensures they have the time to investigate the issues, communicate with staff and train on the implementation of green business practices. A dedicated environmental officer will be able to provide an in depth assessment of environmental impacts by undertaking analysis and seeking input from others in the company. As a result the company will have a strategic environmental vision and greater capacity to get things done.

2. Not realising the company doesn’t have the right skill set within the business.

Depending on the size and nature of the business, it can be a complex task to analyse the environmental impacts and determine which green practices to implement. When appointing someone to oversee the environmental program, the company needs to examine the person’s skills and ensure they have the required skill set to do the job. Adding environmental responsibilities to an existing employee’s workload because they have capacity is unlikely to result in a successful green business program.

3. Not communicating with staff

Communicating with staff and ensuring they feel involved in the process of going green takes time but is vital if green business practices are to be implemented successfulyl. Often managers come up with bright ideas but do not give staff sufficient detail to make them buy into the changes. Without someone dedicated to communication and training, it can be difficult to guarantee that staff will receive relevant and regular information. Providing regular feedback to staff on progress of the green business program and ensuring there are open lines of communication also takes time.

4. Not realising the importance of records and documentation

Having your business go green will generate additional paperwork. Is there an environmental policy, a plan of action tied to the strategic vision and an assessment of the environmental impacts? Someone within the company needs to be accountable for creating and maintaining records required to support the environmental program.

As you can see there are a number of difficulties a company may experience on its mission to go green that could be avoided by appointing a dedicated person to oversee the green business program.

The top 5 companies are:
1. Hewlett-Packard
2. Dell
3. Johnson & Johnson
4. Intel
5. IBM

Click here to see the full green rankings.

Being dependent on the natural environment to create a good quality product, the wine industry is recognising the importance of implementing sustainable practices.  Combined with consumer demand for environmentally friendly products and recognition that green business practices can result in cost saving and operational efficiency and the argument for wineries to implement green business practices is a strong one.

Of particular importance to wine makers is ensuring the land used for grape growing is managed sustainably.  Reducing the use of chemicals on the land and avoiding over irrigation improves the long term viability of the land in turn increasing its market value.  Often cost savings are realised through the reduced use of pesticides, herbicides and water.   Further cost savings can be realised in the wine making process through capturing, treating and reusing water and using organic waste as fertiliser for vines.

The packaging and transport of wines is an area of considerable cost to the industry and has a significant impact on the environment.  Innovations in wine packaging has led to the use of both thinner glass bottles and plastic bottles for everyday wines designed to be consumed in the short term rather than being cellared for years.   A United States company, Envino, is producing plastic wine bottles which weigh less and take up less space than traditional glass bottles reducing the environmental impacts of transportation.  A number of wineries are trying out these innovations, particularly with commercial clients such as restaurants, to gage the acceptance of these new forms of packaging.

Along with the spread of sustainable viticulture, some wineries are also looking at green construction to reduce their environmental footprint.   From straw bale construction to the use of local recycled materials, many wine makers are to varying degrees making their new construction green with a number of wineries now certified under the US Green Building Council’s LEED program.  These new buildings are designed with energy efficiency in mind and use renewable energy technologies such as solar panels to meet energy needs.  This year it was a winery that took out the New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Awards in the small to medium business category.  Yealands Estate in Marlborough which is also certified as carbon neutral was noted for its installation of solar panels, insulated tanks and wind-powered electricity generators.

There are an extensive range of practices a winery can implement to reduce its environmental footprint.  Aside from potential cost savings, wineries that look to go green now are better placed to meet the increased consumer demand for green products and may avoid future regulatory problems from increasing controls placed on the use of natural resources.

You Can’t Afford Not to be Green is a great digital publication on ways to go green. The book has been published online by YUDU Media, an online library where users can read, publish, buy, sell and share digital content without the environmental impacts of printing.

Click on the image above to read You Can’t Afford Not to be Green online for free.