Environmental Business

As the  2010 theme for the National History Women's Project may be, "Writing Women Back into History," as a sustainability consultant, I'd argue that women are at the forefront of the green frontier.
 
Long before the first Earth Day in 1970, women were playing a major role in the effort to protect the environment.  And today, it's no different.  Speaking this past St. Patrick's Day at the Greenspoint Chapter of American Business Women's Association in Houston, Texas, it was evident that eco awareness and sustainable business strategies are on the rise.  
 
With escalating conversations on topics such as climate change, carbon legislation, energy independence, and growing consumer eco awareness, the discussion was lively and topics included:
 

• How Small Business Wins with the Sustainable Best Practices of Larger Organizations
• Social Media for Stakeholder Engagement
• Why Paper Choices Matter and Becoming a Paperless Office

 
ABWA is the fourth largest women's professional group in the United States and is committed to providing educational and networking resource for professional women.  The sustainable businesses emerging from the economic uncertainty are companies that will anticipate and take proactive steps to address change in the business world.  I thank the ABWA for the opportunity to speak to an amazing group of women- thought leaders moving us toward a brighter future. 

You may often ask yourself why people make the choices they make.  Given an endless range of possibilities, is sustainability one of the decision criteria which leads to the eventual outcome?

When it comes to daily choices, our personal and professional consulting views each decision point as an opportunity to integrate eco awareness into an eventual outcome.  While the result of every decision does not have to be directly aligned with sustainable values, the inclusion of sustainability concepts in the thought process can greatly improve the evaluation.
 
Integrating sustainability into your daily living is more than just a one-time single yes or no decision.  The pursuit of personal and business sustainability is a mindset change that incorporates expanded eco awareness into all decision making. 

The factors that lead to the choice of one path versus another are usually based upon personal value drivers.  By incorporating sustainability as criteria in decision process and recognizing that the pursuit of personal or business sustainability is not a single decision, this presents an opportunity to make alternative choices.

•    Explore healthier living.
•    Improved quality of life and work life balance.
•    Reconnect with local community.
•    Build your career with eco awareness.
•    Become an educated and conscious consumer.
 
Our sustainability consulting practice works with clients to build sustainability concepts directly into personal daily living.  We work with individuals to release resistance and embrace the benefits of personal and business sustainability.

After all the energy audits and establishing sustainable business strategies have been done, don’t forget to include your Web site. Corporate sustainability managers are looking to use the company Web site to communicate and engage with key stakeholders.  Doesn't it make sense to have the website reflect sustainability values? 
 
Resources to make your website Green, Sustainable, Eco-Friendly:
 
Web Hosting:
There are web hosts that are powered by solar panel, wind, or some type of combination of traditional and natural power. 

• Green web hosting typically involves several of the following elements:
• Servers directly powered by renewable energy.
• Energy use offset using a carbon credit.
• Energy use offset using a Renewable Energy Credit (REC).
• Hosting servers optimized for energy efficiency.

 
Offset Your Carbon Usage:
Companies like CO2Stats will “offset” your dirty energy use by contributing a proportionate amount to a program that will remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere or insert renewable energy into the grid equal to your non-renewable energy usage. The program also claims to drive traffic to your site and help you improve its energy efficiency.
 
Green Energy:
Your computers, servers, and data centers will need to consider green power.

• Energy Star Program
• How to green your electricity: More tips to improve consumer and corporate energy
• EPA’s Green Power Partnership

 
Computer and Server Recycling:
Computers only have a limited shelf life, so what happens to those out of date pieces of hardware? 

• Computer Recycling & Reuse: Various resources
• Ten Tips for Donating a Computer
• How to: Recycle Your Computer

 
Social Media for Stakeholder Engagement:
As viewed in our professional consulting, many websites succeed in presenting basic information about their business sustainability programs by offering access to stand-alone annual sustainability report. However, we encourage clients to leverage social media for stakeholder engagement.   Engaging stakeholders is not only a means of building sustainable business, but it is also a powerful way to master clear communication of the environmental business initiatives your company is pursuing.

As the market shifts its focus in response to a potential recovery and as consumer expectations  for alternative products and business sustainability practices continue to increase, companies are feeling the need to redirect their capital and resources.  In our professional consulting, we find leading businesses shifting the emphasis of their research and development in response to growing global eco awareness.  As a result, business innovation appears to be moving towards a greater emphasis on business sustainability practices.

A recent article, The Top 10 Drivers of Change in 2010 and Beyond,  indicates that the best-positioned companies will push innovation practices to be truly global and facilitate seamless idea flow across their organization and network.  Further, the market prediction is that consumers will become the source of new ideas.

To capitalize on this momentum, a common characteristic will be the ability to recognize public eco awareness and deliver new products that address societal and environmental challenges in a way that meets business sustainability expectations and delivers long term value.

As we engage with companies and business leaders seeking to inspire and motivate sustainable action within their organization, we encourage them to look to their key stakeholders as a source of valuable market information. Our professional consulting works with clients to step outside of the confines of the business to leverage employee, supplier, and end consumer thinking.  We encourage innovative businesses to:
 
•    Promote open communication and embrace creative thinking in the organization.
•    Be curious about what the outside world is thinking and how they responding.
•    Instill imaginative thinking, focusing on the future equally with the present.

The best ideas do not always come from the top or even from within.  By enabling creative ideas and inspired actions inside and outside of the company, businesses can create an innovative environment that promotes long-term business sustainability.

Want to go green but just don't know where to start?  As sustainability consultants, we hear this quite often. 
 
In our sustainability consulting with individuals, we offer fun challenges to our clients to see how many green things they can do in a day.  Here's a list of 17 simple things that you can do today- ranging from work to home to personal care. All designed to bring eco awareness to your daily living and help support living a sustainable lifestyle.  See how many you can do today.
 

1. Go paperless for the entire day
2. Learn how to put some green in your St. Patrick's Day
3. Turn your monitor off when you are away for meetings and shut down your computer and monitor upon exiting the office
4. Host a green St. Patrick's Day Party
5. Look around your home and office and unplug seldom used appliances
6. Subscribe to a green blog
7. Volunteer to head the greening of your office and engage your fellow workers in the effort
8. Learn ways to recycle your junk
9. Eat an organic meal or purchase some fruits and veggies from a local farmer's market and compost your vegetable scraps
10. Purchase green office supplies
11. Replace chemical cleaning agents with natural, biodegradable, phosphorous free cleaning solutions.
12. Use reusable kitchenware in your office kitchen
13. Use reusable bags when shopping
14. Try an organic personal care product.  My newest favorite is Ren's body wash
15. Apply the 3 R’s to your closet: reduce by removing clothes you no longer wear, reuse and recycle by donating to a local clothing donation
16. Walk, ride your bike, carpool or take public transportation when possible
17. Get your friends involved!  Ask 5 of your friends or coworkers to join you in building a sustainable lifestyle.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Most leaders of successful organizations recognize that change can be unsettling, yet our experience in sustainability consulting still finds many of the leading businesses approaching change from the same traditional structured implementation processes.  However, facilitating business sustainability discussion can opens the door to a inclusion and a smoother transition..

One of the most common “miss-steps” taken by many business leaders is the roll of the salesman.  In this case, executives attempt to sell a predefined change to the organization as a way to attain agreement and accelerate implementation. Selling change to employees or other business stakeholders is often not the best strategy for success. 

An alternative approach is to align business sustainability with the needs of the employee.

•    Encourage employee discussion around business sustainability direction.
•    Focus on facilitating sustainability learning for employee development.
•    Stage implementation at a rate that is manageable for your workforce.
•    Encourage feedback from stakeholders  regarding change management processes.
•    Take ownership in the outcome of each step and make improvements going forward.

Successful implementations recognize that communication and learning are success factors in the pursuit of business sustainability.  By allowing for flexibility and promoting innovation across the organization, you are positioning the business to capture the interests of its stakeholders and ensure active and engaged participation.  This creates personal buy-in and ongoing support.

Our sustainability consulting firm works with business leaders and organizations to build business sustainability concepts into core practices and employee daily activities.  We work with individuals and groups to recognize the importance of change management as a key process in the pursuit of personal and business sustainability. 

We've all heard about "going green" and the corporate sustainability plans that many larger organizations are undertaking.  However, one of the biggest misconceptions around this topic is that sustainable business strategies are exclusive to larger organizations.  Nothing could be farther from the truth.  
 
In fact, within our professional consulting with smaller businesses, we guide clients to use the best practices of larger organizations to sustainable business strategies they can use in their business that deliver bottom line and environmental results.

As an example, HP is known as a consumer and vendor of paper.   Internally, HP executed six guiding principles including efficient use of raw materials, sustainable forestry practices, responsible and low-carbon production, and waste minimization.   The results?  HP diverted   91.3 percent of its waste in 2008 and the company’s non-hazardous waste reduction program helped the company avoid sending 83,866 tons of waste to landfill, which was primarily paper waste.   Technology Business Research  says this strategy saved the company nearly $7.7 million from reusing items and avoiding landfill costs, and generated $2 million in revenue by selling material to recyclers.
 
How can a small business implement similar sustainability concepts in the business and generate similar results of cost savings, environmental impact reduction, and increased efficiency?
 
One approach taken in our business sustainability programs is to identify all the activities in a business that utilizes paper.  The obvious comes to mind like printers, copiers, mail, and collateral.  Areas to explore include:
 
•    How much paper do you use for events, trade shows, invoicing, literature, packaging, shipping materials?
•    What about the kitchen areas and bathrooms?  Remember, it's not just paper but paper products. 
•    Consult with people in other departments and get a clear picture of the paper they are using, where it is coming from, when they are using it, and how they are using it.
•    You might want to talk to your purchasing department and learn more about how much you are spending on your paper products.
 
As a next step, take eco action and employ the sustainability concept of the 3 R's: reduce, reuse, recycle. 
•    Reduce your paper consumption by working with your purchasing department to reduce the amount of paper purchased and switch to buying  recycled paper (100% post consumable is best). 
•    Reuse paper by placing bins next to the copiers and printers for easy reuse of single sided scraped paper. 
•    Recycle paper that has been used.
 
Simultaneous with these efforts, we suggest the use of online document management systems for your documents.  Content management systems give you more than the environmental benefits of going paperless.  They offer the ability to manage different types of data: emails, contracts, logos, reports, forms, drawings, web pages, and blogs which contributes to improved efficiency, further cost reductions, and environmental gains.
 
Sustainable business strategies used by larger organizations are examples of best practices that can be utilized in small business to generate cost savings, reduced environmental impacts, and brand differentiation by going green.  

Cycling is a zero emissions emitting form of alternative transportation, great stress release, enjoyable exercise, and is a component of a sustainable lifestyle.  The latest cycling benefit?  Cycling is a great way for those living the green life to walk, or should I say, ride the talk. 
 
A question commonly asked in our eco friendly consulting centers around staying fresh and clean at work after riding in to the office.  As a bike commuter and green living consultant, following are some proven suggestions for a pleasant commute and work day. Begin by selecting the most pleasant route.  One of the great things about bike commuting to work is avoiding the stressful world of driving.  Look for streets with attractive scenery and bask in the charm of new routes.
 

• Wear the right clothes.  Opt for wicking materials that help evaporate sweat off of your body and help to keep you cool.  Find ways to keep your gear off your body.  Detours offer recycled pannier bags that that hangs off your bike.   Each bag is made up of about 100 recycled juice packs.
• Have the essential toiletries on hand. Stay fresh with organic and natural personal care items such as deodorant, hair products, and lotions.  If shower facilities aren't available, wipe down with EO sanitizing hand wipes.  They are organic and biodegradable.
• Give yourself time to cool off.  If you don't have access to a shower, try cooling off in front of a fan and reply to email prior to cleaning up and putting on work clothes.

 
The rewards of bike commuting are numerous.  Regular participation in a cycling routine naturally shifts your focus to include thoughts of the weather, areas in your community to ride, road safety, and traffic.  Thereby increasing your awareness of the link between the environment and your community.  It also helps the environment by reducing your carbon footprint. 

Cycling as part of a sustainable lifestyle is a rewarding personal adventure.  As a green living consultant and cycling enthusiast, I can't encourage you enough to explore the cycling adventure for yourself.  Enjoy your ride! 

A recent Gallup poll shows that 94% of Americans are aware of Climate Change issues, and of that segment 75% feel that action needs to be taken.  So what percentage of Americans is transferring this awareness into action?  What impact would it have if 75% of the US population took personal action to address these climate issues?

The gap between awareness and action may represent the single largest opportunity for global sustainability progress.  While historical efforts have focused on expanding awareness, the recent explosion of information and global interest indicates that the “word is out” on most major issues.   The next step is closing the growing gap between knowledge and personal action.

One of our sustainability consulting missions for 2010 and beyond is to promote the action step  in personal sustainable lifestyle and business sustainability change.  Integrating sustainability concepts into everyday activities at home and at work doesn’t have to be a costly or laboring process.

As we discuss with clients and friends, personal and business sustainability is a continuous improvement process that challenges each of us to constantly transform our personal eco awareness into manageable and value adding action. Putting a plan into action creates alignment and further expresses or extends one’s personal commitment. 

Take for example a few basic actions to address personal impacts on climate change.  These concepts are not beyond our current awareness and simply need to be put into action.  In fact, these actions will not only make a positive impact but will actually save money.
 
•    Evaluate energy sources: at home, at work, and in transportation.

•    Evaluate electrical energy efficiency at home and at work.

•    Evaluate the impacts of everyday purchasing decisions .

An important aspect of creating a personal or business sustainability plan is finding the right incentives to keeping a program going.  As a sustainability consultant, I encourage everyone to look for the economic benefits as well as the personal satisfaction of a sustainable lifestyle.  Our goal is to help business and individuals take continuous inspired action on their growing eco awareness.

Engaging conversation around sustainable business strategies is always exciting and this morning was no different.   Why?  Because as a sustainability consultant in the heart of Texas, I was welcomed with open arms to speak at the Houston Business Connection.  The Houston Business Connection is an allegiance of business professionals in Houston’s prestigious Spring Branch/Memorial area in which its members are committed to fostering growth in the Houston business community by providing local entrepreneurs a central source for their core business and personal needs.  Generally, Texans are known for embracing independence and not necessarily sustainability concepts; however, this network of professionals demonstrated that eco awareness is alive and kicking in Texas.
 
We started out clarifying misconceptions around business sustainability.  Our working definition for the day: business sustainability is not only about the environment.  It's about profitable businesses including the social and environmental impacts of their decisions in a way that strengthens the organization, the community, and the environment. 

What were the hot topics? 

• Sustainability as a profit center
• Sustainable business strategies for the year ahead
• Energy efficiency to increase profits
• Double whammies!  Eco actions that boost productivity and also reduce carbon emissions. 

While there may be some in Texas still arguing that sustainability is a passing trend, profitable businesses are not.  Sustainable business strategies are designed to bring eco awareness and sustainability concepts to employees, customers, and suppliers which bring value to the organization and also broaden and expand sustainability concepts into the communities and lives of the individuals.  Many thanks to the Houston Business Connection for inspiring eco awareness in their organization and the community. 

Have you ever noticed how the expression of a corporate mission differs from the high level vision to how it's expressed within an organization?  It appears there is often a disconnect between a corporate sustainability plan and how that vision filters down to the day-to-day workings of the company’s employees.   The heart of this may lie in the misconceptions of executive management about true employee engagement. 

In a recent report by Companies at a Crossroads, findings show there is a huge disconnect between executive beliefs and employee reality.  While 38% of chief executives felt levels of trust in their companies were high and that their staff was engaged, only 16% of managers had similar perception from the front line.

It is concerning that both perceptions were well below 50%, but even more surprising is that there is such a disconnect between executive belief and employee experience.  What chance do companies have to implement business sustainability programs with such a wide gap in leadership?  What can businesses do to bridge the gap?
 
 A few ideas we have seen in our sustainability consulting include:

•    Green teams: informal groups of people in a company organized around environmental issues and tasked with ways to promote business action in alignment with the corporate sustainability plan.

•    Individual employee sustainability programs: personal employee commitments with the basic premise of translating corporate strategy into personal business sustainability action.

•    Cross-Organizational Education: sponsor ongoing workshops, training, lunch and learns, and educational activities to educate both employees and management on the corporate programs and the individual efforts underway within the company.
 
Evidence has shown that stakeholder engagement, particularly employee engagement, is critical to a company’s ability to capitalize on internal eco awareness, innovation, and overall business sustainability.  Start building the bridge today between your corporate sustainability vision and employee action.

The ability to capitalize on opportunity or mitigate business risk often depends on the availability and access to quality information.  Being able to sift through what is important and what is not can be a determining factor in transforming a good decision into business turning point.  Today’s market intelligence has expanded to include business sustainability expectations, trends and requirements.  Are you listening?

With the speed of business sustainability information rapidly increasing and global eco awareness constantly expanding, it has become increasingly important for companies to leverage available technology to capture and access information.  The questions we often pose in our sustainability consulting: where is this information coming from and is the feedback specific enough for your business to take action.

The internet and social media provide  individuals, communities, businesses, and non-government organizations the ability to connect with business in meaningful discussion from anywhere in the world in real time.  To focus the corporate ear, business sustainability minded organizations are engaging with stakeholders, who have a vested interest in the success of the business, as source of actionable information.  These interested parties include:
 
•    Shareholders – knowledge that may affect company share price.
•    Partners – data that may impact investment dollars.
•    Employees – daily feedback on internal operations.
•    Customers – direct feedback on product quality and shifting market expectations
•    Suppliers/Contractors – input on new material sources and process improvements.
•    Local Communities – continuous feedback on business impact on society
•    Natural Environment – feedback from NGOs on business impact to physical surroundings.
•    Non-human species – feedback from NGOs on business impact on life.

Done effectively, stakeholder engagement can positively impact the outcome of business sustainability decision making.  Our professional consulting encourages business to leverage technology to engage vested parties in the discussion to propel the organization to greater success.

In a recent article by the Wall Street Journal, a summary of sustainable business best practices was issued offering suggestions for sustainable business strategies.   As a sustainability consultant, I couldn't agree more with the information provided; however, I was left questioning how do the busy, overworked, under resourced business owner, executive translate a conceptual best practice into a tangible business strategy that delivers results to the bottom line?  It's not as is sustainability implementation is mainstream.  In fact, most are still struggling with what sustainability is and how it applies to their business. 
 
Regarding reducing carbon emissions, the suggested best practice was to look for things  that boost productivity and simultaneously reduce carbon emissions.  Conceptually, that's easy to grasp but how does that translate to daily behavior that is measurable, impacts the bottom line, and meets the environmental criteria?  To bridge the gap from concept to eco action, following are 5 sustainable business strategies that address that recommended best practice.
 
Interestingly, did you know that if 10% of the nation's workforce telecommutes one day a week, we would avoid the frustration of driving 24.4 million miles, we'd breathe air with 12,963 tons less air pollution, and we'd conserve more than 1.2 million gallons of fuel each week?
 
3.  Co-working provides a gathering spot for individual entrepreneurs or employees from multiple companies sharing a common work space.  Basically, a bridged solution between traditional office locations and telecommuting, that also offers a unique option for those concerned about their employment carbon footprints.
 
4.  Bike commuting programs: As explained in our eco friendly consulting the benefits to employers in adopting a bike commuting program include:

• Increase worker productivity: Fit employees are more alert, more productive, perform better and more efficiently.
• Improve employee health.
• Lower health care costs: healthier employees can reduce health insurance costs.
• Reduced carbon emissions.
• Reduce turnover: Employers who appreciate workers' personal needs have less employee turnover.

There are benefits to the bike commuters as well.  Not only are employees expanding eco awareness in the community and within the business, they are also elevating their moods, saving money, and improving well being. 
 
5.  CRM and online invoice and billing  applications for small businesses that boost productivity as well as reduce carbon emissions.

According to a study conducted by the American Marketing Association and Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., nearly one in six corporate marketers and communicators think their organizations will increase involvement in environmental sustainability initiatives over the next two to three years, and half believe the economy will actually encourage the adoption of sustainable practices.  Why? Because our business sustainability consulting practice understands that sustainable business strategies are key to creating winning workplaces. 
 
Aside from the positive impact sustainable business practices deliver to the bottom line, today’s employees are looking for more than just the ‘green’ in their paycheck.  “Engaged employees are not just committed. They are not just passionate or proud. They have a line-of-sight on their own future and on the organization’s mission and goals. They are enthused and in gear using their talents and discretionary effort to make a difference in their employer’s quest for sustainable business success”.  - Employee Engagement Report 2008.  

Global economic uncertainty has reduced employee counts in companies around the world, leaving organizations in many cases resource limited.  However, recent signs of recovery have companies reevaluating their talent strength for a more positive future.  Our sustainability consulting finds the ‘recovery’ generation of highly effective organizations is creating a business sustainability culture to motivate and retain top eco-talent. 

‘Eco’ or ‘green’ talent management is becoming increasingly necessary for many industries and is gradually becoming a general business sustainability best practice.  As consumers seek out companies that can deliver new and innovative products, top talent is necessary to meet changing expectations.  Our sustainability consulting works with businesses to view eco talent as a driver of innovation and a true business differentiator.

Through continuous communication and employee engagement, companies are creating an internal resource driver for the company’s business sustainability plan.  Building and motivating the organization becomes critical to recruiting and retaining top eco talent.


•    What is the ‘green’ generation seeking from employers?

•    How do we train talent professionals to identify and attract top ‘eco’ talent?

•    How do we tap into the growing enthusiasm for sustainability in business?

•    How do we challenge the organization to engage in business sustainability programs?

•    What new managerial skills do the next generation of managers need to get the most from their employees?

•    How do we conduct effective retention and succession planning to ensure a diverse sustainable leadership pipeline for the future?

Employee development is critical to raising eco awareness of the organization and enabling these business stakeholders to identify and implement sustainability concepts that add value.  By tapping into what is inspiring to each member of your team and acknowledging  their contributions, your company can surpass the organization of the past.

The exploration of sustainability concepts, particularly in business, has traditionally been a reaction to an undesirable outcome rather than a pursuit of value.   Few organizations truly advance the sustainability conversation to unlock future business opportunities.  However, positive signs in the market may offer a new sustainability perspective.

As the business world begins to emerge from economic uncertainty, our sustainability consulting finds many organizations eager to explore a more positive future.  In general, we find companies have a more optimistic outlook and are interested in capitalizing on the lessons learned over the past few years.  To our delight, this has shifted the sustainability conversation from a corporate side note to a strategic value discussion.

The value of business sustainability has traditionally been demonstrated when sustainability concepts are directly applied to specific areas of concern in current business processes and practices.  The ability to transcend lagging business sustainability measures to a pursued future value can often differentiate an innovative organization from the rest of the pack.

While the pursuit of business sustainability value is often specific to an organization’s unique business goals, there are areas of common interest among most businesses.  It is this engagement of future business value that our sustainability consulting focuses much of its attention and resources to: 
 
•    Define new markets, products and service offerings to expand business.

•    Create company and brand differentiation to drive current and future sales.

•    Improve stakeholder engagement to align business sustainability goals and drive profitability.

The sustainable businesses emerging from the economic uncertainty are companies that will anticipate and take proactive steps to address change in the business world.  Our sustainability consulting encourages clients to create a competitive advantage by building sustainability concepts and continuous improvement directly into the organizations core business processes. 

Have you noticed how "green" is everywhere?  Enter a grocery store, and there are "green" products next to traditional ones.  Billboards on the highways promoting “green" homes.  How do you know which products truly embrace sustainability concepts versus traditional products with a marketing makeover?
 
Frequently discussed in our sustainability consulting is that it is often unclear what a green product is.  Eco labels help but still, there is a lack of uniformity in certifications.  In addition, the environmental claims on packaging vary in credibility.  To help clear up the confusion, within our eco friendly training, we define a green product as one that performs as good as or better than the standard product, has less of an environmental impact, and is cost competitive.
 
Access to information has put the consumer in the driver’s seat and for those living a sustainable lifestyle, there's power in leveraging purchases to support sustainable businesses.  Following are 8 tips to enhance eco awareness for the conscious shopper.  
 
 

1. A comprehensive tool that provides reliable sources of information on the health, environmental, and social impacts of products is the GoodGuide.
2. Research before you buy.  For larger more infrequent items, set aside time to research your options.  Evaluate products on the full lifecycle.  How much energy was used in producing the product?   What is the energy consumption of your intended use?  How it will be discarded later? Compare products with eco awareness in mind.
3. Buy local and buy in bulk.  Supporting local businesses eliminates the need for products to be transported far distances.
4. Buy organic.  Purchasing merchandise certified with organic labeling is another way to bring eco awareness to your lifestyle.   Buying organic means less pesticides in our ground water and better health for your family.
5. Buy Fair Trade.  Buying Fair Trade helps to end abuses such as child and slave labor.
6. Buy products from sustainable sources like bamboo.  Purchase products not tested on animals, made from renewable sources and packaged with recyclable and minimal packaging.
7. Electronic purchases: Consider buying "Pre-Owned" goods.  Purchasing previously owned products is a great way to implement the sustainability concept of recycling.  Ebay and Craig’s list are two good sources.  Also ask your electronics store about recycling options for older models.
8. Speak up!  Manufacturers are listening! Use social media to connect with business to communicate your preferences and experiences.  Consumers are the biggest drivers of sustainability changes.

 
With a little education and pre-planning, it's easy to maintain eco awareness in your shopping- even during the most inconvenient times.  Sustainable purchasing  is important because it can help you make better choices.  Those choices expand eco awareness within your network of friends and family, positively impact your local economy, reduce your footprint on the environment, and may actually help you save money in the process.

Most companies may recognize the high-level consequences of their decisions; however, not all take the time to evaluate the positive and negative impacts of their choices on the communities in which they conduct their day-to-day business.  The link between business sustainability and a thriving business community is more visible today than at any time in recent past.  What role does your company play in the business community?

As a sustainability consulting firm working in our own community of ecopreneurs, small ‘green’ businesses, and action-oriented corporations, we are constantly reminded of the community benefits to both our professional consulting and the stakeholders who engage with our business.  We recognize that a company and the business community in which it operates are closely and strategically linked.

Taiga Company seeks to be a source of business sustainability information and a positive example of community values.  Our professional consulting focuses on and seeks to partner with individuals and organizations who:

•    Recognize a thriving community as being essential to business sustainability.

•    Incorporate supporting business sustainability strategies and a governance structures into their core business processes.

•    Align business actions to support and engage community goals and objectives.

•    Engage the business community as a key stakeholder in corporate planning.

•    Defined internal performance metrics to evaluate ongoing business actions on the community.

As part of our sustainability plan and company core values, we are committed to the empowerment of others.  We believe that we must operate in a matrix of value adding relationships: with employees, with the supporting organizations, and with peer companies. 

Whenever you want to improve in a specific area or program, just the process of increasing awareness will yield improvements.  The same applies to living a sustainable lifestyle.  Most of us recognize that change can be tricky:  habits and convenience make it far easier to slip back into the comfortable way of doing things.  However, implementing effective sustainable change does not have to be a laboring process.  The key is conscious awareness.
 
Awareness is the tool used to help discover the personal patterns of behavior that offer low hanging fruit for a sustainable lifestyle.  For instance, are you aware of your habits related to energy?  Consider how and when you consume the most energy in your day?  How could you be more efficient? What inspiring eco actions could you take? 
 
Conscious awareness is key to sparking the eco awareness in a personal sustainability program.  As noted in our eco friendly training, following are aids to assist in raising awareness:
 
•    Consciously notice what is most inspiring to you about living green and take eco action in those areas.
•    Notice your current patterns and invoke curiosity as to which eco actions would be a sustainable substitute.
•    Applaud your efforts: small changes add up.  In fact, daily habits have the most impact.
•    Observe how new changes become the new habit/ norm.
•    Momentum brings visibility to previously inaccessible ideas and behaviors.
•    Gain speed: There is ease in taking more eco action.
•    Inspire by living the example.
 
Each day we are presented with opportunities to expand our eco awareness and make informed choices.  The trick to capitalizing on those opportunities is being aware.  Conscious awareness offers us the opportunity to make changes that are inspiring and manageable relative our current life and the process of incorporating sustainability becomes much easier.  Being aware of sustainability concepts when shopping, or at work and play, contributes to living a more sustainable lifestyle.

They say blonds have more fun, but as a green living consultant, I'd have to argue, greenies do!  Greenies?  What's a greenie?  Greenies are those living a sustainable lifestyle or living green.  As described in our sustainability consulting practice, living green or sustainable living is a primary focus on eco awareness with actions towards reducing ones carbon footprint, managing waste, and embracing sustainability concepts in decision making.  You may ask: So what's fun about living a sustainable lifestyle?
 
Well, for one, greenies excel at eco math; greenies demonstrate exemplary qualities of kindness, generosity and willingness; and, they have a discerning eye for saving green.    The fun is the approach to life.  It's an innovative lifestyle: one that dictates awareness for new and efficient ways of doing things.  It's discovery of eco awareness in its many facets.  It's sharing.  It's connecting.  That is fun!
 
If you think about it, everything we do every day has an impact on our planet.  As a green living consultant, I know not everyone was raised with eco awareness, so why do it?  Speaking from experience in our sustainability consulting, some of the general answers received include:
 

• Families go green for their children
• It saves money
• Living with eco awareness protects the planet for future generations
• Because it's the right thing to do
• Participation in neighborhood or community eco awareness
• It feels good
• Living a sustainable lifestyle is healthier-investing in your body is less toxins and less illness
• It's an opportunity to reconnect with local community
• It's easy to go green now: more options and alternatives available

 
You don't have to be a fanatic to live green.  In fact, if you think about your life now, there are probably many eco actions that you are already taking.  A sustainable lifestyle is not an all or nothing approach.  Creating your own sustainable lifestyle is where the fun is.  Uniquely expressing yourself through sustainability concepts applied in your life, the way you like it and making a difference- is fun.