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We’re Greening our Business
Our mission is to try to keep our environmental impact
to a minimum..
Most
of us are actively recycling with our community programs, whether it is
through the “blue box” programs or delivering recyclable products to various
depots. At Goliger’s TravelPlus, we have initiated a number of exciting
changes that were easy to do and have received overwhelming support from our
staff.
This
is what we have done SO FAR:
Cloth
Hand Towels –
We have removed all paper towels in the washroom. Every staff member
has their own ‘hook’ for their cloth towel. Our paper towel use has
gone from considerable to nothing.
Office
Environment -
The benefits of plants in the office are numerous. Besides being
a natural air filter, they create a pleasing office environment. We
also have a water fountain to maintain moisture in the air. We ‘ve
replaced our light bulbs with full spectrum
fluorescent bulbs to decrease our energy use and provide lighting most
similar to outside daylight. We try to practice Feng Shui theories in
the office.
WinFax – all faxes come through our
computer, and then any important faxes are forwarded to the appropriate
person via email. Hopefully hardly ever needs printing.
Ink
Cartridges
- We have someone pick up our used ink cartridges for re-use.
Paper
reduction – We
are no longer printing duplicate copies of client invoices. It is
stored electronically. We ALWAYS try to print the first page only for
our e-tickets. If a page had been printed with not much on it, we will
put back in printer and use other side, otherwise we re-use the paper for
notepads/scrap paper. We keep a collection box by the copy machine
& printer for bad copies, so the second side can be reused.
Business
Cards - Our business cards are
made from 90% post-consumer and 10% hemp fibre.
Lights– we keep our
lights in the basement/kitchen turned off when no one is down there. We have replaced all our overhead lighting with CFL's - which give us the feeling of daylight plus is energy efficient!
E-Newsletters – we are so intog our
Electronic Leisure Newsletter program: now looking at our Electronic Corporate
Newsletter.
Blue
Box & Compost Program – we have separate labeled boxes for paper, glass and cans. All
cardboard boxes are being broken down and put in the recycle bin for
cardboard. We have a composter that we use for our food scraps and use the
earth for our landscaping.
Phantom
Loads – we are
turning off our computers at night and turning off the power bar as to
decrease our phantom electricity loads.
Green
Police – Every
month someone volunteers to be our “Green Police” to monitor that
everyone is remembering to follow our initiatives.
We have replaced our very Old Microwave which uses lots of electricity. We have replaced it with an Energy Star rating smaller microwave. We encourage little or NO use of the microwave (unknown repercussions).
Our cleaning supplies have totally become GREEN friendly. Very happy to report this.
Mostly - we use white vinegar ... but we will also use whatever GREEN products necessary to keep our place very clean.
Our
next initiatives.
Look
at our Coffee program.
Look
at switching our electrical to Bull Frog Power which supports EcoLogo-certified low-impact water
and wind power instead of nuclear and coal.
Look
at Solar Voltanic panels to assist with our electrical needs.
Consider
a Living Roof on our office building to improve our building performance
(insulate during summer and winter months) as well air quality improvement,
reduction of storm water runoff, habitat and ecological benefits.
Try
to find a supplier for all our office paper including stationary and
brochures to be 100% post consumer waste, processed without the use of
chlorine or bleach. We have already made great strides in this ... we continue to be 100% efficient.
Fuel
Efficient Cars – Look at our company vehicle and determine strategy.
Determine
a method to reduce the level of junk mail / catalogues received.
Continue
to look at ways of reducing our paper/printer use.
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