If you do most of your reading online, you are, by default, participating in the green movement. Paperless printing plays a major role in the prevention of deforestation, solid and water waste, and chemicals that accrue from the old-fashioned printing process. However, we still need to use print products everyday. That is where Green Printing comes in. It is the practice of printing with non-toxic, non petroleum inks on recycled, hemp, and cotton-based paper. Green printing is the better, safer, more efficient, and better alternative for organizations, educational institutions, and business.
At BIZCARD we offer several print marketing materials for SMBs such as business cards, postcards, etc… Our concern with deforestation, reducing petroleum and toxins from their products, and reducing consumer costs keeps us on the cutting edge of the green printing technology and practices.
But even as using digital printing, or accessing information using a computer, can significantly reduces the impact on the environment, there is still the “carbon footprint” involved in electricity that powers systems. This energy does not have to go up in smoke, or greenhouse gas. There are now easy ways to make even this transaction carbon neutral, along with many others.
Here are 3 ways to do so:
USE C02STATS.COM
CO2 STATS makes your website carbon neutral by calculating the greenhouse gas “footprint” based on visitors’ location, monitor sizes etc… They turn around and purchase renewable energy certificates from companies like Native Power. Your “footprint” is now replaced with sustainable wind and solar power. Participating websites get a nice online “badge” that can be clicked on to see the certificate.
GET GREENSEAL.COM CERTIFIED
GREENSEAL.COM is another “Mark of Environmental Responsibility” that sets environmental standards for many products. Once you have reached their standards, your company is certified and listed on their website. The company evaluates and suggests changes where necessary, and when these changes have taken place, re-evaluate until certification is warranted.
CHOOSE ENERGYSTAR.COM
Energystar is a government-backed program dedicated to protecting the environment through energy efficiency. Their logo can be found on everything from refrigerators to pellet stoves, etc…
BOnus:
LIVENEUTRAL.ORG
LiveNeutral is an independent non-profit organization which supplies Drive-, Fly-, and Home-C02 calculators. It can estimate the annual emissions by your car type taking into account how many miles you drive, MPG, etc…. The FlyNeutral estimates the C02 emissions based on the miles you travel. By these calculations, you purchase offsets, thereby rendering yourself carbon-neutral and a good friend of the Earth.
Businesses who take it upon themselves to reduce/eliminate their eco-impact should not only be thanked, but patronized whenever it is possible to do so. As a customers you can look for a green business when making your next purchase, and help to reduce our environmental impact.