California moves to put textbooks online instead of on paper

In a story published on Slashdot, Hugh Pickens reports that California will be moving to online textbooks for their state's high schools.

The move was reportedly made to help reduce expenses for struggling school budgets. Governor Schwarzenegger called the reliance on heavy printed books "nonsensical," and pointed to the fact that students are already using electronic media such as Twitter and Facebook for communication.

The story has a decidedly green angle as well. Replacing thousands of printed textbooks with easy-to-update electronic versions will reduce paper and ink use, while reducing waste streams from discarded out-of-date or damaged text books. That model could make a huge difference in paper use if the practice spreads through other grade levels and other states.

I love the green aspect of this, and applaud the Governor for initiating such a bold move at a time when school budgets are teetering on the edge.

But there is an element of an SNL skit in here somewhere, too. We see a saddened Captain Jean-Luc Picard in his office, lovingly cradling his calculus textbook -- the last of its kind before the electronic book took over. (Those of you who get the allusion, congrats! You are as geeky as I am!)

Or perhaps we see a teacher Twitter today's history lesson...the fall of Rome in under 140 characters...

While the comic possibilities are endless, I have to go back to the potential this has for a green impact. K-12 schools and colleges buy, use and discard millions of tons of paper each year. While there is something undeniably wonderful about turning the pages of a real book, it would seem that for school text books, the green answer is on the screen.

Eco-Friendly Gadgets for the Office

How green is your office? Do you recycle all of your paper? Do you avoid printing when you can? Well, if you're doing all of that, then you might like these green gadgets for your workplace, so that you can be even more eco-friendly!

Rather than use plastic pens, you could use pencils instead. However, rather than use a conventional pencil, Smencils are made from recycled newspaper, and they come in different flavours too! Some of the scents are pretty tasty, so as tempted as you might be to eat these smencils, I recommend you don't! The scents include Bubble Gum, Orange, Toasted Marshmallow, Chocolate, Strawberry, Pineapple, Raspberry and Apple. The only downside to these pencils is that they come in plastic tubes, which is not so green.

For when you do print out your documents, then the eco-stapler using a special cutting and folding technique to hold up to clip 3 pages together without using a metal staple. Admittedly, 3 pages is not a particularly large number of pages. However, I'm sure it'll just be a matter of time before more sophisticated stapler gadgets can fix together even more pages.

If you use a computer in the office, then you might be interested to know that you can get some really low power PCs now. The Aleutia E2 is a small PC around the size of 3 stacked CD cases, and incredibly it runs on just 8 Watts of power! Considering that modern PCs use around 250 to 400 Watts of power, that's a massive difference. It's not designed for processor-intensive work, but it's definitely suited to word processing, email and web browsing. You can even run it from a solar panel if you wish!

Even if you have an older-style computer, there are lots of things you can do to make it more energy efficient, such as using a low power hard drives. These low power variants can save up to 50% of the energy compared to conventional hard drives. There are other peripherals that are coming on to the market too, including energy saving PSUs (power supply units).

It just goes to show, eco-gadgets aren't all just tote bags and compost bins!

This article is a guest post written by Dan Harrison who writes about all kinds of green gadgets for EnviroGadget.com. You can read about energy saving gadgets, gizmos that save water, basically any kind of device that's good for the planet.

Ford transforms SUV plant into green electric car plant

In a move that may signal the beginning of a new era in domestic auto production, Ford Motor Company has announced that they are transforming an SUV plant into a green production facility for building electric cars.

According to a post in Greenopolis,

The Ford Motor Company is investing $550 million to transform its Michigan Assembly Plant into a lean, green and flexible manufacturing complex that will build Ford’s next-generation Focus global small car along with a new battery-electric version of the Focus for the North American market.

The plant, formerly the production site for Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigators SUVs, is one of three North American light truck plants Ford is retooling to build fuel-efficient global small cars in the coming years. The new Focus will begin rolling off the line next year and the battery-electric version of the Focus – Ford’s first all-electric passenger car – debuts in 2011.

As part of the retooling, Ford will consolidate its operations from Wayne Assembly Plant. When production launches in 2010, approximately 3,200 employees will be building the new Focus at Michigan Assembly Plant. At the plant, Ford and United Auto Workers are developing modern new operating practices to ensure high quality and even greater efficiency.

Read the rest of the story at LiteGreen's Greenopolis blog.

Green holiday cards big business for businesses

In a recent survey of business owners, 40% said that the environmental aspects of the holiday cards and other business greeting cards they send out matters "somewhat" or "very much." That's up from just over 29% two years ago.

The same survey showed that 52% of businesses are using some form of green business practices with regard to paper choices and disposal within the company, an increase of nearly 30% over the previous survey.

The survey did not evaluate whether the owners were willing to pay more for the cards, or whether they were using green business practices in other, non-paper areas of their companies.

Eco-labeling - Can consumers sort out the hype from the facts?

According to Joshua Saunders at GreenBiz.com, there are now over 300 different so-called eco-labels in use in North America alone. Sounds good, right? All that information for consumers and business buyers who want to make the most environmentally friendly choice in their shopping decisions. Except:

• Most consumers, including B2B shoppers, don't understand more than a few of the most basic labels
  
  
• Even when they do understand them, having a high score on one green factor doesn't necessarily mean the product is better for the environment than a similar item without that factor. (For instance, a product may contain a high percentage of recycled material, but the process needed to transport and reuse that product may leave a larger carbon footprint than a locally made virgin materials product.)
  
  
• When faced with two or more different types of eco-labels on similar products, consumers have no idea which green element is more significant
  
  
• Many misleading or ill-defined labels are in use
  
  
• Enforcement of many labels is non-existent. In fact, many companies are self-certifying their products as "green" or "environmentally friendly" with no data to back that up. This so-called "greenwashing" is on the rise.
  
  
• Useful information about the real environmental costs of a product or service over its useful lifetime are expensive and difficult to measure. Small to medium sized companies simply cannot afford the invest of time or money needed to generate that data.
  
  
• Even basic titles like "organic" which was supposed to be defined once and for all by federal legislation continues to be fuzzy. State, local and industry standards for organic products remain in use, and are in fact, increasing.
  

So what is a consumer or a business to do?

Educate yourself.

• Start with ecolabeling.org for a some good guidelines on what all the labels really mean.
  
  
• Look for trusted labels like the California Organic Certification or the National Forest Service's Forest Stewardship Counsel logo.
  
  
• Learn about the benefits and environmental costs of various green factors, so you can make rational choices when faced with multiple labels.

Green from top to bottom

Going green is big business.

The good news is you don't have to do it all at once. The readers of this blog are at vastly different points in their move to green. Some are almost all the way there, some are just beginning and some are still deciding whether it's the right direction for their company.

That's all good, because every green step is good. If you're still in the process of going green at work, or are thinking about taking those first few steps, here are some ideas for little things that add up to a lot. (If you think your business is all the way there, check the list anyhow. You may find a thing or two you missed along the way!)

Saving resources:

• Green lighting/low energy-use bulbs
  
• Timers and motion detectors to turn off unneeded lights
  
• Energy-star high-efficiency appliances, computers and office equipment
  
• Just-in-time manufacturing to reduce warehouse space needs
  
• Manufacturing process reviews and improvements
  
• Telecommuting or remote offices for employees
  
• Hybrid or solar powered cars and trucks in your fleet
  
• Using delivery route mapping to reduce on-the-road time
  
• Solar or other alternative power sources
  
• Installing drip irrigation instead of water-wasting sprinklers
  
• Offering filtered water instead of bottled water at meetings and in lunchrooms

Recycling and reducing waste streams

• Buying and using materials with high post-consumer content
  
• Recycling paper from copiers and printers
  
• Reusable plates, silverware and cups in lunchrooms and cafeterias
  
• Recycling drop off bins throughout the facility
  
• Going paperless for project routing, memos and meetings
  
• Repurposing desks, chairs and other office furniture rather than buying new
  
• Refilling ink cartridges
  
• Donating extra (non-toxic) materials, supplies and paper goods to area schools and children's museums
  
• (For retail stores and distributors) Donating out-of-season/unsold clothing, bedding, furniture, household goods and personal care items to shelters, transitional housing facilities and low income housing projects
  
• Buying recyclable office supplies and other consumables

Feeding the earth

• Replacing corporate lawns with trees, low-water xeriscaping, food producing plants and native growth plants.
  
• Offering plants, seeds, garden tools and other green items as incentives, promotional giveaways and corporate logo items
  
• Serving organic or natural foods and vegetarian choices in lunchrooms and at special functions

More to come......

Clear communication essential for green businesses

Good communication may be the key to making greener business practices are reality in your company.

Business analysts report that green initiatives require clear channels for information and clear set of goals. Missing information or garbled communications can easily result in one department undoing the green benefits of another.

A similar problem was reported last year in a UK report:

Green Efforts Hampered by Broken Supply Chains

Broken supply chains and poor communication between different departments and partners are hindering many firms’ effort to reduce carbon emission, according to Dave Food, Oracle’s UK supply chain director, BusinessGreen.com reports.

What are the keys to clear green information?

1) Set green goals at the company-wide level
2) Coordinate each team or department's green goals with the company plan
3) Set up benchmarks to ensure that changes are taking the departments, and the company, in the right direction
4) Have regular meetings to compare notes and address issues common to all departments like paper supplies, low energy light and power or telecommuting options to make sure everyone shares their best resources
5) Where possible, define and check progress against measurable goals like kilowatt hours used or employee commute hours.

Greener can be cheaper Part Four

Simplify, simplify, simplify....

Years ago, Henry David Thoreau said

Our life is frittered away by detail... Simplify, simplify, simplify! ... Simplicity of life and elevation of purpose.

That sage advice penned on the banks of Walden pond has never been more in need than today. In times of abundance, our lives -- and the products we use each day -- become more elaborate and more complicated. But abundance is not the watchword of the day, and people are looking at those complicated and expensive "toys" and asking why.


That represents a great opportunity for green manufacturers and marketers to offer a simpler -- and ultimately cheaper -- alternative. In this case, it's not about making the product cheaper than a less green version, but offering a product that takes the place of a more expensive and less green tool, service or item.

For example, the last few years have seen the ordinary clothes dryer morph into a gigantic $1,000 plus monster in a dozen decorator colors. Laundry areas formerly housed in closets or behind sliding doors in a kitchen no longer accommodate the huge dryers and their companion washers, so new houses need bedroom-sized laundry rooms. And these rooms need to be decorated, fitted with cabinetry and laundry folding tables and sorting bins, then heated and air conditioned. All to wash and dry dirty clothes.

So where is the green marketing opportunity here? In turning back to Thoreau's message...simplify. Marketing green means offering a cheaper, simpler alternative. Instead of a $1,000 dryer, how about well designed, attractive clotheslines and small energy efficient dryers, the kind that fits in a closet?

In this case, and so many more like it, the greener is cheaper model isn't about making a green clothes dryer that is cheaper than other same-sized clothes dryers...it's about offering a viable, simple alternative to the king-sized dryer.

Greener can be so much cheaper, especially when it's simpler.

With dryers. it's a clothesline. With things like business products, it's not finding a way to make something like a laminated minimum wage poster greener, it's about going back to just paper because really most printed posters and notices don't need to last that long.

Think about the expensive, complicated items in the marketplace. Now envision a less complicated, less expensive way to accomplish the same goal. Many of them may have come from an earlier, more cost conscious time. There is your cheaper, greener marketing opportunity.

Greener can be cheaper part three

Targeting needs, not marketing illusions

One of the great failings of the green movement in this country has been the failure to start the process by looking at where demand already exists but is not met, instead of trying to force a "green" version of products that may not have a significant market.

Creating and marketing a product not in demand results in:

Higher costs. The item needs to be advertised, promoted and otherwise pushed as "green." The potential buyer needs to be sold on your product, rather than happy to find what they already wanted.

More waste. High prices and low demand means more product will end in clearance racks, on discounter shelves and ultimately in the trash.

A bad reputation. The more green products are viewed as indulgent and overpriced, the more people will turn away from the green movement. That's bad for legitimate green manufacturers and providers, and ultimately, bad for the planet.


The lesson for would-be green businesses?

Make sure there is a demand
Check out the competition to verify that the demand is not being met
Find lower cost green raw materials or elements
Skip the gimmicks
Market your products at a price point that will encourage demand to remain high

Making greener cheaper

Greener can and should be cheaper.

My previous posts on green marketing and overpriced goods lead to a lot of comments via e-mail. Some agreed, and gave examples of truly green marketing in Europe where the absence of overtly green images doesn't change the fact that the products ARE green. Another had attended a green trade show here in the US and complained about the explosion of green ink, and the even more disturbing fact that many of the items advertising green loving were not in fact green products at all!

Others complained bitterly, saying that of course green has to cost more -- a lot more -- because the raw materials and processes are so much more costly. Is that true? It may be in the short term, but that is largely because of the high retail prices, rather than an excuse for them. More about that later.

I want to explore ways in which green items can...and should be cheaper. And why manufacturers and suppliers using the green image as a gimmick are over-inflating the prices,using guilt or fear instead of value as a marketing message.

The next few posts will focus on the real costs of green production, building and sales. I would hope you would join in by commenting on the blog or by submitting guest articles. I want to hear from you. I want to open the floor to the why's and how's of green life and business. Will you join us?

Developing green products that sell

On Friday, I went after the glaring failures I see in the green product world. And since I'm a firm believer in never pointing out a problem without also offering a solution, here are some ideas for creating or sustaining a green product line.

1) Do your research! The Internet is an endless resource for research. Start there. Find out what people are looking for. Join forums and read blogs. See where the push is for greener products. A preliminary search a few days ago revealed lots of new moms looking for organic or natural baby clothes that don't cost a fortune (babies grow too fast!) but offer some protection from the harsh chemicals now used in most infant wear. Is the need met? From the number of posts, clearly not. Remember, successful green marketing is not about telling people that they need something, it's about finding out what they need in a green format and providing it.

2) Mind your price points. Just because a product is green, doesn't mean it should cost more. And it certainly doesn't mean it should cost a lot more!! Work to source your materials and processing with an eye on the final retail price. We're living in a shaky economy. If you want your products to sell, they have to offer value as well as a greener benefit.

3) Skip the shouting! Just because your product is green, doesn't mean it has to look different! People like pretty greeting cards on white or colored card stock, so forget the brown cards imprinted with faded earth tones. Soy and vegetable inks are available in a wide range of real colors, and recycled paper doesn't need to be brown or grey!

Of course the buyer should know it's green -- but that could be as simple as a tag or imprint. It doesn't need to be in their face. Make it work for ordinary shoppers, too. Cartoon characters on organic cotton bibs and t-shirts instead of tired "save the earth" slogans will sell more product and thus do more for the earth by replacing non-green items with similar images.

4) Start with the purpose. If the purpose of making and selling green products is simply to show the world what a mensch you are, by all means, continue making them obvious, different looking and elitist. But if the purpose is to help the planet and make a difference, focus on how you can take ordinary, popular items we all buy and use and make them safer, greener, more organic, less wasteful. Offer that, in a familiar look, functionality and cost level, and you will be on your way to a green business success.

Green advertising - Part 2

In the last post, we talked about mailing frequency, paper type and inks. Now it's time to look at the mediums you're using for advertising.

Are your customers on-line?

A newsletter, weekly or monthly flyer or a catalog are all excellent ways to catch potential buyers' attention. But if a significant percentage of your shoppers or clients are web-savvy, you can provide the same advertising for less online. An e-mailed newsletter or flyer eliminates almost all paper use, cutting both waste and costs for your business -- a big plus in troubled times.

Of course, this might not work for all businesses or even for all customers within a business's client base. Some customers may not be net-savvy. Others may prefer a paper catalog or mailing. But offering the choice could reduce your costs and your un-green marketing.

Piggybacking your advertising

When little thought was given to green issues, putting a dozen separate inserts into a newspaper or magazine was common. Each of these papers was for a different company, and even though most ended up in the trash (or on the ground in front of the newspaper box), the ROI was good enough to make the cash outlay worthwhile.

Factoring in the green issues changes that. What are the costs to the earth for all those separate papers?

There is no doubt that paper inserts and mailers can be effective. But a concept called co-op advertising allows businesses to work with related but non-competing companies to make one paper into two ads.

Some example of good co-op advertising include a travel agency and a luggage store, a pet supply store and a dog training company, or perhaps a car repair shop and a gas station.

More tomorrow! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Green advertising - Part 1

Have you ever thought about how green your marketing plan is -- or is not?

If you're committed to running a green company, one of the issues you have to consider is the environmental impact of your advertising. Some of the factors to consider are;

Frequency of mailings and the impact of those on your sales.

If a monthly mailing doesn't generate significant increases in sales, consider cutting back to every other month. That would mean half the paper use, half the transportation-based energy use, half the production energy use, and probably half the waste generated (a few consumers might recycle, which would reduce that waste.)

Look at the paper you're using

Are your catalogs, flyers, postcards and other paper marketing tools printed on recycled paper? Switching to recycled paper, especially if you have frequent mailers, inserts or offer large catalogs, could significantly reduce virgin paper use and slow down tree cutting. Even a few trees saved is better than none.

And what about the ink?

Many commercial inks contain heavy metals and other potentially toxic substances. When printed material ends up in landfills, those dangerous substances can leach out and contaminate soil or even group water supplies. Switching to a soy or vegetable ink eliminates that environmental hazard.

I'll give you more issues to consider in tomorrow's post. And then on Friday, I'll suggest some greener advertising choices that just might work for you -- and the earth.

Greening your cleaning products at work

It's amazing that most of us survive the workday.

Between the toxic off-gassing from carpets and plastic desks and the toxic cleaners, we are all getting more than our share of dangerous chemicals every day we're in the office.

Fortunately, there are alternative to the toxic soup in which we spend the majority of each weekday.

Green cleaning products have gone mainstream. There are now green choices for every kind of business, from tackling a greasy restaurant kitchen to cleaning office floors and carpets.

Leaving behind the furnishing and carpets (that will be another post), resources like the National Green Pages list dozens of sources for safer alternative to standard janitorial cleaning supplies.

Low cost, "homemade" choices also work well in the office. Using household products like white vinegar, baking soda, fruit oils and other safe alternatives allows your company to maintain a clean property, save the environment, protect employee health -- and best of all, save money at the same time!

With all those incentives, what company wouldn't want to go green?

Green lunchrooms and kitchens at work make a difference

At many companies, the only acknowledgment that employees need to eat and drink is a bare break room...some tables, maybe a few vending machines featuring the popular junk food of the day and maybe a microwave. The result?

Most people go out to eat fast food, order in, or snack on the vending machine fare.

Aside from obvious health issues associated with this, there's a green factor as well. Or rather several green factors.

1) Going to the fast food drive through means employees are using their cars...and contributing to the carbon footprint. Sitting idling in the line is even worse than the to and from.

2) Fast food is typically heavily packaged, so a sandwich, fries and a drink generates a large amount of non-recycled trash including boxes, cartons, bags, straws, wrappers, cups, paper napkins and plastic condiment packages.

3) Ordering in requires a delivery person to drive, again adding to the carbon load.

4) Delivery food may be even more packaged than fast food, including reflective covers or plastic covers, foil trays and plastic flatware.

5) Vending machine food reflects a high level of processing, so factories are using energy to prepare and package the food, the food must be delivered via car or truck, and the food is typically packaged in non-recyclable plastics.

So how can a company make lunchtime greener...and save money on employee health issues, too? Here are some suggestions from readers and others:

1) Create a green lunchroom. Add an energy efficient refrigerator so employees can bring lunches from home. Leftovers and other "brown-bagged" meals are typically lower in fat, sugar, salt and processing than fast food or delivery alternatives.

2) Provide a sink and washing supplies so employees will use glass or reusable plastic containers for their food. Having a way to wash up after eating encourages employees to bring reusable containers.

3) Have enough energy-efficient microwaves to make heating food feasible during peak lunch hours.

4) Give employees enough time to eat a proper lunch. If you only have half an hour, a fast food burger might feel like the only option. A full hour not only encourages healthier eating, it will allow employees to function more productively in the afternoon, as they will have had a significant restorative break.

5) If possible, offer hot or cold healthy lunches at work. Contract with a caterer or restaurant who has adopted green practices, and have them bring in minimally packaged foods.

6) Work with your vending machine supplier to replace highly packaged and highly processed foods with fresh fruit and food in recycled containers. Make sure there are visible recycling bins in all break and lunch rooms, and actively encourage employee recycling.

Europe ahead of US in green business practices

European businesses have been leading the way when it comes to green business innovation. That's drawing traditionally U.S. companies into the more profitable European green market.

In October, the Miami Herald reported on Office Depot's expanded European market share. The company, which has suffered losses domestically despite several years of green product development and promotion is experiencing large and profitable gains with European businesses and consumers who are more willing to seek out and pay for environmentally friendly products and services.

In Frankfurt, Germany subway station escalators are equipped with sensors so they run only when someone approaches or is on-board.

By the mid-90's, all new construction through-out Europe had to adhere to mandated levels of energy savings. And many European architects make sustainability a central theme in their work.

So why is the U.S. lagging behind?

Some analysts theorize that the high level of E.U. involvement in environmental issues has pushed green consciousness to a higher level. Others believe the profit-driven corporate power structure behind lobbying efforts in the U.S. has quashed green development as unprofitable and therefore undesirable. Others cite the material abundance which has typically characterized American life in contrast to the relative lack that existed in some parts of Europe only a few decades ago as an explanation for a more sustainable lifestyle.

Whatever the reason, U.S. businesses need to work harder to convince consumers to buy green and live green, especially when cheaper non-green choices abound.

What has your experience been as a business owner, employee or manager? Are American less enamoured with green products than our European cousins? How can we break that trend? I would love to hear your ideas and experiences!

Are hybrids right for your business?

In late October, UPS took a bold move into a greener world with the introduction of hydraulic hybrid vehicles (HHVs) to its fleet of delivery vehicles. This makes it the first package delivery company to adapt hybrid technology.

Earlier in the month, Toshiba American Medical Systems announced they would be replacing their sales and service vehicles with Toyota Camry hybrids. They hope this move will reduce CO2 emissions by as much as 25%.

The hybrids will take us closer to our goal of reducing emissions in logistics from company cars and freight by one percent each year,” said Paul Biggins, director of Regulatory Affairs and head of the TAMS’ Environmental Affairs Committee.

In 2007, Bausch & Lomb announced that their 400-vehicle fleet would be replaced by hybrids. McDonald's in the UK is running their vehicles on recycled cooking oil. And plans are underway to replace high-gas use NYC taxis with environmentally friendly hybrids, a move that is already in place in Washington D.C.

So how do you know if hybrids are a good choice for your business?

Here are some questions you need to ask:

• How much of your company's business is conducted on the road? If company car mileage is low, the payback time on a hybrid might not make business sense. If mileage is high, especially in cities and on other secondary roads, a hybrid might reduce fuel costs significantly.
  
  
• Can you afford to replace a large enough percentage of your fleet to make a difference? If you're running 300 vehicles, replacing a half dosen with hybrids probably won't save enough fuel to make it worth while.
  
  
• Might switch have PR value or social value beyond the cost savings? Having your company viewed as green and earth-friendly might yield a significant boost to public image. And that could be worth more than the cost of a new hybrid vehicle.

Getting the word out about your green business

Whether your company's move to the greener side has been inspired by a deep commitment to the earth or a keen awareness of the costs of business-as-usual, you'll want to get the message out to customers and business associates. Even the most altruistic managers and business owners will want to leverage the changes into positive publicity for the company.

Let's face it: green sells.

So how and where does a business share the information about their changes? And how much change is enough to make a campaign or press release seem meaningful? Let's start with the latter -- what's enough of a change to warrant publicity.

1) The change represents a significant alternation in the way your company and/or industry did business in the past. For example, allowing two or three people to telecommute is not news. Allowing 30% of your workforce to do so IS news. Especially if your industry or region is not heavily invested in the concept at this point.

2) The change involves a technology, process or business model that arose from your company.

3) The change results in a significant or potentially significant savings in energy or a significant reduction in waste or pollution. A process change that saves one tree a year is a nice gesture, but will appear self-serving and insignificant in a press release. A technology that saves 20 trees a month is newsworthy.

Once you've determined that your news is indeed,well, news, the question of where to shout the news remains. Here are a few suggestions:

1) Targeted press releases. A number of press release services allow you to select your audience, and environmental targeting is typically one of the choices. Make sure big names in the environmental news world like the Sierra Club and the World Wildlife Fund are among the release recipients, along with newspapers in environmentally savvy regions of the country. In the U.S., that would include the Intermountain West states like Colorado, Utah and Montana, Pacific Northwestern papers and most areas of California.

2) Print and online resource publications like the National Green Pages, Treehugger or GreenBiz.com.

3) Green magazines and e-zines. Magazines like Mother Earth News or Good are excellent places to discuss your new business choices. Contact their editorial staff with your story idea or submit a query for an article you'd write yourself. New green publications are being added almost daily, so check your newsstand or do an Internet search for new venues to discuss your green company.

4) Word of mouth. One of most effective ways to promote your green business is through word of mouth. Talk with people online in blogs and other social networking sites. Get your employees excited and talking. If customers are enthusiastic about the new changes, ask them to spread the word. Conversation, person to person, is the best way to build a loyal base of staff and customers.

Even executive toys are going green

It was bound to happen. Once the paper and the light bulbs and the water bottles started to go green, the extras could not be far behind.

The green business movement has even begun to impact on Executive Toys!

Environmentally savvy execs can now adorn their desk with toys that reflect their commitment to the earth. Here are a couple of the fun toys we found in our search online:

It Must Be Green

This U.K. company offers elegantly crafted executive toys that work on solar power instead of batteries. From tiny turbines to aeroplanes (airplanes) with spinning propellers, each toy would be a great conversation starter for the boss's office, or as a reward for an employee who starts a new green trend or process at work.

G.Neil

The business experts at G.Neil are making the move into green products, as well. Their Desktop Buddy motivational pens are made of biodegradable, corn-based plastic, and make a fun reward for employees or a light addition to an executive desk. The company also carries an extensive collection of recycled paper greeting cards for customers and employees and offer many essential personnel forms in downloadable formats so customers can print only what they need on their own recycled paper -- a process called "Just in Time Printing". The company has plans to add additional green products in the near future.

Creating a green product line in your business

With the rise in environmental awareness among consumers, many companies are scrambling to add a green product line to their selection. Even B2B companies are feeling the pinch, as more companies want to show their green side to business clients.

So how do you start a green line in your business? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Look at what you already have. Are any of your products made from recycled materials? Are any of them fully recyclable? Do you have products made from earth friendly formulas, like natural citrus oil cleaners or herb-filled heat wraps? Green doesn't have to mean 100% organic and recycled...there are different levels. Pretty much whenever your product is safer, cleaner, lower in energy use or could be considered a realistic part of the "Reduce. Reuse. Recycle." triad, you have a potentially green item to promote.
  
  
  
• What about your services and processes? Many businesses have employed greener practices as part of their services, manufacturing processes or in-house procedures. You may have made the change for economic reasons, but the effect is greener business. Highlight those choices in your advertising, catalogs, web sites or blogs. Mention the fact that your widgets are made in a factory that recycles 80% of its manufacturing waste. Or that the restaurant is using all natural cleaners and biodegradable paper goods. It won't change the composition of the final product, but it does make your goods arguably greener.
  
  
  
• Look for greener choices to add to existing product lines. If your company sells business paper goods, find some recycled papers to add to the catalog or website.
  
  
  
• Use a logo or other symbol to mark the green items. Or create an insert or special landing page that features your new and existing green products. You don't have to have a lot of green choices to make a statement, and a difference.
  
  
  
• Keep up on green trends in your industry. Make a point of researching changes in practices or products in your industry. As you can, add new green items, incorporate greener practices, make green choices in new construction or equipment purchases and let your customers know what you're doing.