The Tribune

CHAMBER VOICE

By Ian Ferguson

The world has undergone a major shift in how we view our existence and future here on Planet Earth. There are some who will have us believe that our actions are so destructive to the planet that we have altered our course forever. Wherever you are in your understanding or interpretation of the fact and opinions being shared about our misuse of natural resources, we all agree that more attention should be paid to how we care for our planet, and how we must sustain the beautiful treasure that we have inherited in the Bahamas. This is a conversation that I believe should begin at the corporate level and trickle down to individual households.

Positive PR – Showing a commitment to recycling and energy-saving habits is a great way to boost your company’s profile. It gives you a reason to talk about your company and market it in a unique and consumer-friendly way.

Don’t just save money, earn more - some companies, such as Whole Foods and Harbec Plastics, have generated millions from cost-cutting moves. Marketing themselves as eco-friendly, they were able to get featured by major online and print publishers, and generate the kind of publicity that money cannot buy.

For the rest of us, there are still dozens of little things we can do around our office that can save big in the least amount of time. Some slight policy changes here and there, and an active interest in learning new ways to be more aware of consumption, can - and does - make a big difference toward protecting the environment.

Here’s what you can do…

Rooftop Gardens - Many urban landscapes are now utilising green rooftops. Having vegetation, even something as simple as grass on a rooftop, not only reduces heating and cooling costs, but helps combat higher temperatures associated with urban environments.

Use Smaller Fonts – Aside from just recycling papers, using smaller fonts actually saves reams per week. Other little paper-saving tricks include double-sided printing and using electronic files over printed hardcopies. Not only will you be saving paper costs, but you will also be saving printing and trash-hauling costs. Hewlett-Packard is one example of a company putting these ideas to use, recycling as much as 43 million pounds of paper - that’s about 367,000 trees.

Alternative Cooling – Portable air conditioners are another great way to save cooling costs. The average 1,200 square foot office can incur cooling costs as high as $3,000 per month. Instead of cooling the entire office, get each room a portable cooling unit that will do the same job at a fraction of the cost of normal cooling.

Switching off – One of the most notorious office habits is leaving your PC running. Now times this by the millions of businesses, and times that by how many computers each business has. Simply switching your PC off can prevent an extra 1,000 pounds of greenhouse gases each year. Contrary to popular myth, this practice doesn’t hurt your computer, but if for any reason you have a program running or have a deep-rooted aversion to turning your computer off, then just set it to sleep mode before you call it a day.

Create a Niche - Many companies are quartering off a small section of their break room and setting up a small information section on eco-friendly habits. This not only shows your employees you're serious about conservation, but it reinforces positive office/home habits. Businesses can also encourage and reward employees for thinking of new ways to save around the office.

Refurbish Furniture - Rather than buying new office furniture, see if your existing furniture can be refurbished. Not only is refurbishing cheaper than buying new furniture, but it also helps companies do their part in not wasting resources.

Lighting – Lighting amounts to about 44 per cent of an office’s electrical consumption. Little things matter, like shutting off the lights at the end of the day or when you leave the room for more than 10 minutes. A lot of companies have easily-adjustable automatic timers that can be adjusted to accommodate your new habits. However, if your office is part of a larger building, talk to your building’s management to see what they can do about a special set-up just for your floor or office.

Recyclables – Set up different types of receptacles for recycling. You can get a separate one for trash, paper, plastics and even metals/plastics, since many gadgets face the trash bin as new ones get purchased.

Eco-friendly Cleaning - The average office is cleaned about once a week, four times a month. Each time products are used with little thought of what they are made of, and what companies are washing down the drain. Simply by opting to go with using environmentally-friendly cleaning products, companies can do a big part in conservation.

Solar Energy - Depending on the size of a business, some companies may want to look into solar energy panels as an alternative means of energy. While solar energy systems can be expensive to set up, they are favourable for larger companies willing to invest in long-term savings. An added bonus is that many states now offer incentives for solar energy users, including rebates and purchasing extra energy back from the company.

NB: Ian R. Ferguson was educated locally, regionally and internationally, having earned a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Miami. During the course of his nearly 20 years in education, talent management and human resources, he has served both the public and private sector in senior management roles. He currently serves as manager of the Chamber Institute and as a local consultant in the field, having assisted hundreds of local and regional organisations to improve in business and service excellence through their human capital.