Greening Tip

February 2009 - March 2009 - April 2009 - May 2009 - June 2009 - July 2009 - August 2009 - September 2009 - January 2010

There must be millions of ways to conserve energy for everyone at work .

• Turn off meeting room lights when not in use. In the summer, unnecessary lighting can increase air conditioning load.
• Dim, turn off or remove lights near windows in the daytime. Use efficient task lighting where needed.
• Use the stairs instead of taking the elevator, if I am able. It not only saves energy, it's good exercise.
• Unplug coffee makers, toasters and microwaves. Make sure they're unplugged on weekends and before shutting the office down for the holidays.
• Keep entrance doors closed.
• Use the revolving doors into office buildings. Revolving doors keep heat and cool air inside.
• Use standby mode for computers and copiers. These tend to be in use only a fraction of the time they are turned on.
• Turn all equipment off at the end of the day. This includes lights, copiers, computers and computer monitors.
• Use paper-reducing strategies. Consider double-sided printing, re-using paper, and using e-mail instead of mailing or faxing documents.

September 2009

There must be millions of ways to conserve energy for everyone at Home.

• Install motion sensors to turn off lights automatically.
• Keep all air registers/radiators free of obstructions that impede air flow.
• Have your ducts cleaned annually.
• Use LED (light emitting diode) seasonal / celebration lights.
• Traditional incandescent lights use more energy.
• Use solar-powered outdoor lights.
  While Traveling:
• Put my indoor and outdoor lights on timers.
• Don't leave your lights on 24/7 while you're away.
• Put my water heater on the vacation setting, if it has one.
• Pull the plug on my battery chargers. Laptops, cell phones and digital cameras always draw power if they're plugged in.

At work:

• Turn off meeting room lights when not in use.
• Dim, turn off or remove lights near windows in the daytime.
• Use efficient task lighting where needed.
• Use the stairs instead of taking the elevator, if I am able. It not only saves energy, it's good exercise.
• Unplug coffee makers, toasters and microwaves. Make sure they're unplugged on
• weekends and before shutting the office down for the holidays.
• Keep entrance doors closed.
• Use the revolving doors into office buildings. Revolving doors keep heat and cool air inside.
• Use standby mode for computers and copiers. These tend to be in use only a fraction of the time they are turned on.
• Turn all equipment off at the end of the day.
• Use paper-reducing strategies. Consider double-sided printing, re-using paper, and using e-mail instead of mailing or faxing documents.

August 2009

There must be millions of ways to conserve energy for Everyone at Home.

• Use EnerGuide (Natural Resources Canada) ratings. These ratings can help you make purchasing decisions about energy-efficient appliances, heating and cooling equipment, and even vehicles.
• Fight phantom load – unplug electronics that draw power even when they’re turned off. This includes TVs, cable TV boxes, clocks, microwave ovens and any items using "power cubes" (such as handheld vacuums and baby monitors).
• Upgrade to ENERGY STAR®-qualified appliances. Look for ENERGY STAR® entertainment products too.
• Adjust the water level on the washing machine. Match the water level to the size of your load.
• Wash only full loads of laundry. And, better yet, use only cold water
• Do my laundry on evenings and weekends. Electricity demand is lower at these times.
• Hang my clothes outside to dry. Your neighbours might be inspired to follow your great example!
• Clean the lint out of my dryer after each load of laundry.
• Use a toaster oven or microwave instead of the oven, whenever possible.
• Opt for an electric frying pan instead of a range top.
• Try slow cooking. It actually reduces energy use even though cooking times are extended.
• Use pots with tight-fitting lids. Your food will cook faster.
• Use the oven light to check on my food instead of opening the door.
• Use an automatic shut-off kettle.
• Always set my dishwasher to air dry and only run it when full.
• Allow hot food to cool before placing it in my refrigerator.
• Thaw my frozen foods in the refrigerator. This can reduce spoilage and even help keep the fridge cool.
• Vacuum my refrigerator coils to keep them efficient.
• Use the oven’s self-cleaning option after cooking. You can take advantage of the existing heat.
• Make my showers shorter to use less energy and hot water. Showers use much less water than a bath!

July 2009

We are well into the end of spring and with the hot days of summer quickly upon us; this is a great opportunity to look at ways to improve your transit to and from work every day. Here are my top 10 favourites.

• Bicycle to Work – you can travel along bike paths and enjoy the scenery – egad – is that helmet head!
• Walk to Work – if you prefer your own company – what a great way to get back into shape with a low impact activity (a high impact would include getting hit by a car.)
• Car Pool – better than a bus and this will definitely force you to leave work on-time, which will ensure that you can make supper, help with the kids homework, do a load of laundry, walk the dog, get groceries...
• Take a Bus – get to know your neighbours as you stand and wait for a bus (and wait, and wait, and wait....)
• Rollerblade – the added benefit is that your legs will look great by the end of summer (except for the tan line half way up your calves)
• Use a Scooter - rediscover your youth (or your backside when you fall)
• Hitchhike – if you love adventure and have time in your schedule – you can meet someone new every day – networking at its finest with a captured audience – now who captured who???
• Crawl – there aren’t many advantages of using this one – except when you are crawling home from the bar
• Skip – wow – lots of aerobic activity here and you will get to know your paramedics very well (if you don’t make it to work on the first try, or the second, or the third...)
• Drive your car – my favourite but most harmful to the environment – so next time you open the garage door and are about to climb behind the wheel, think again if this is the best way to get to work. “Helmet head here we go......The wheels go round and round.....the wheels go round and round...”

June 2009

Even though Earth Day has passed, what action(s) do you take part in to save energy in your everyday activities? If you are stumped on what more you can do, please take the time to read through these fantastic ideas found in last month’s news article posted on the Small Business Canada website.

Going Green Ideas for Computers

• Turn off your computer when not in use. It doesn't hurt it. Really!

• Replace Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors with flat screen monitors. Flat screens consume only about one-third the energy of a CRT monitor.

• Consider replacing one or more desktop computers with a laptop; laptops are the most energy-efficient computer/monitor combination.

• Keep computer equipment updated; current new computers and monitors are more energy efficient than those even just two years old.

• Choose Energy Star compliant computers and monitors when selecting new equipment.

• Recycle used computers. See Where to Recycle Computers in Canada.

Going Green in the Office

• Place a recycling center in a prominent location in your office. If a complete set of recycling containers would take too much room, put a waste paper recycling box near the printers and a general recycling box in the staffroom. Empty the recycling boxes regularly.

• Encourage staff to use "real" mugs, glasses, dishes and cutlery rather than disposables. It takes just seconds to wash a mug.

• Use coffee filters that are made of recycled paper or even better, get a coffee maker that doesn't require paper filters. Compost coffee grounds if possible.

• Make sure your office has at least one large plant in it. They're not only green and pretty but great for recycling the air.

• Make sure that your office is being cleaned using green products that are not damaging the environment.

• Use email rather than faxing whenever possible to cut down on paper waste.

• Print one copy of memos and other inter-office documents and circulate them rather than printing off a separate copy for everyone.

• Use whiteboards and/or overhead projectors to display meeting agendas rather than printing and distributing them.

• Get and use a battery charger; using rechargeable batteries in equipment will save money over time and help reduce the amount of toxic materials sent to landfills. See Rechargeable Batteries FAQs (BC Hydro).

• Find a place to recycle used recyclable batteries and cell phones near you through the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation.

• Practice green procurement.

• Look for products that carry the EcoLogo. The EcoLogo website provides a searchable database of environmentally preferable programs.

Going Green Ideas for Washrooms

• Use cloth towels or hand dryers instead of paper towels.

• Put a brick in the toilet. This will displace an equivalent amount of water, using less when the tank fills. (The ideal, of course, would be to replace an old toilet with a new ultra-low-flush model.)

• Always turn off taps completely, ensuring that they don't drip. A tap, leaking at a rate of only one drop per second, can waste more than 25 litres of water a day – that's about

  10, 000 litres a year (Environment Canada).

• Install low-flow faucet aerators to reduce the flow of water from taps.
• Get continually running toilets fixed. They're huge water wasters and it could be just a simple fix. ( Information on fixing toilet run-on from Environment Canada.)

• Make sure all washroom cleaning products are environmentally safe.

May 2009

Spring is here!

Spring officially started March 20, 2009 and what a great way to start spring than with a warm balmy March day. Spring bulbs will be bursting through the soil in the next 4-6 weeks and the country side will become lush with green colors.

With spring well under way and winter’s back is broken, the idea of spring gardening is gaining momentum and people’s garden spades are being wiped of cobwebs and checked for suitable use. To follow through with your pledge this spring, here are some green tips that will help get you ready.

• Start a compost bin in your home. Composting works best when you combine an equal balance of materials containing carbon - often (but not always) brown in color, such as autumn leaves, straw or shredded newspaper - and materials containing nitrogen - generally green, such as kitchen scraps and grass clippings.
• Donate old garden tools to your community gardening centre.
• Recycle wheelbarrows to use as planters.
• Use rain barrels to collect water run-off to water your plants.
• Donate to Scouts Tree Planting in the month of April.

April 2009

PLANT TREES!

• Did you know that it takes 15 trees to filter the carbon dioxide that you produce when you breathe? Did you know that it would take another 200 trees to filter the carbon foot print that you produce just doing every day living for a whole year? So this spring, think green and plant a tree!
• Each person in Canada generates approximately 2.3 tons of CO2 each year. A healthy tree stores about 13 pounds of carbon annually - or 2.6 tons per acre each year. An acre of trees absorbs enough CO2 over one year to equal the amount produced by driving a car 26,000 miles (41,843 km).
• Trees (deciduous) can provide shade during the summer heat and cut costs on your air conditioning bill (plus there is nothing like sipping mint drinks under a tree, swinging in a hammock).

March 2009

LET’S GET GREEN

With St. Patrick’s Day just a month away, I want to invite each of us to find ways to go green during our every day habits.

• Carpool to the next event at Tudor Hall.
• Use recycle bins in lunchroom cans, glass, paper and get them to a recycling depot
• Put small blue boxes in each office
• Use direct deposit for employee cheque and securely email pay statements
• Email client invoices and statements
• Use webinars for presentations and training
• Store financial records on tape (offsite) for 7 years (CRA requires electronic format)
• Use mass email or electronic newsletter to circulate sales and promotions
• Create a website
• Don't turn off computers; put them in sleep mode
• Purchase flat screen monitors: uses less energy and lasts longer

February 2009

The monthly greening tips (from february 2009 to June 2009) have been collected by Jennifer Robitaille.