Happy New Year! A key theme for Green Impact for 2016 will be holistic sustainability. As for specific green resolutions, here are the three I have committed to:
Install a Toilet Tank Bank
Fill with water. Hang it in your toilet reservoir/tank. Yes, it is plastic, but it is an easy, safe, cheap way to save up to 0.8 gallons per flush with no loss in performance. You can buy them at Conservation Warehouse. Or act now on this Crowdfunding campaign and get a free Drop a Brick. More ideas for reducing water use can be found HERE.
Eat Less Meat. And When You Do, Buy Antibiotic-Free Meat
One of the easiest and most effective things we can all do to reduce our carbon footprint is to eat less meat. And when we do chose meat, be sure to purchase organic meat or look for an antibiotic-free label. The meat industry’s chronic overuse of antibiotics creates an environment that can cause drug-resistant bacteria to multiply—and that poses a threat to us all. One easy way to avoid antibiotics in your meat is to buy organic. Adherence to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s organic rules prohibit antibiotic use on livestock and must be verified on-site by an independent accredited certifier, providing a high level of confidence that any meat or poultry labeled “USDA Organic” comes from animals that never have been given any antibiotics. To learn more about how meat impacts the environment go here. To learn more about antibiotics in meat, go here.
Buy 100% PCW
Now there is no excuse not to purchase 100% post-consumer waste (PCW) paper for the office. At the institutional level, if you negotiate smart, 100% paper can be cost competitive with 30% and virgin papers. For example, UCSF joined forces with UC Berkeley and together these two campuses have negotiated with Office Max to provide all UCSF staff and faculty to purchase Georgia Pacific paper with 100% PCW content with no cost premium. The new 100% recycled copy paper is both cheaper and more environmentally-friendly, leaving no reason not to transition to it for your copy paper needs. So next time your office needs paper, click on 100%. For more information on why recycled paper is a good choice, see Conservatree’s website.
