It Isn’t Easy Being Green…or is it?

HDI Community Blog:
Sophie Klossner, Membership/Local Chapter Director

In HDI’s most recent issue of Support World magazine Scott Green, BDO, published an article on “The Green Service Desk.”  In this article Scott gave us some great basic, commonsense, and amazingly simple, action items to use in our support centers (and across our organizations) to “go green.”  Scott made us realize how easy it is to make a difference on our carbon footprint.  Thanks Scott for being a contributing author, for stepping up in your organization and leading the “green” charge, and for giving me a nudge to remember what I’ve known for a long time… One person can make a difference!  Check out Scott’s article as well as the other articles in HDI’s Support World at:  http://www.thinkhdi.com/hdi.aspx?c=188

I am a baby boomer and this concept of “going green” is not a new idea.   Who out there remembers:  “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires” or “Give a Hoot, Don’t Pollute” or “Rethink, Reuse and Recycle”?  All slogans born out of the same concept of “going green.”   Our newest environmentalists have a larger platform and more venues to get their message out so more people are aware of the environmental issues.  From what I can see it all comes down to one thing:  One person can make a difference. 

ONE person can do:

We all like the newest and greatest electronic gadgets.  But what happens to your old one?  It works, it was great until Steve Jobs introduced his latest one.  What are you doing with it?
     Donate to an abused women’s shelter or other communities that help those that need it
     Donate to a school or senior citizen center
     Sell it to the local company that buys used cell phones
     At MIT they have the “Flea at MIT” which is a monthly buy, sell & swap flea market for electronic items.  Create one in your area

Soda cans or any aluminum…recycle!
     If your office has a soda machine, provide a place to recycle those cans
     Carry them to the recycle bins and earn a bit of cash
                In Colorado Springs our Humane Society collects cans to help feed the abandoned animals.  I’m sure you have something similar in your geographic area…find out!

Remember libraries?  Borrow books rather than buy, but if you buy share them with others–share the wealth of knowledge
     Donate them back to the library
     Donate to Goodwill
     Donate to hospitals, nursing homes, schools

Newspapers…yes I am one that still gets the newspaper delivered to my home on a daily basis.  I love the smell of the ink, the black on my fingers as I fold it back, and enjoy reading those headlines…however, when you are done reading here are some great suggestions for that newsprint:
     Carry a newspaper in your car and use as an umbrella when caught in the rain
     Put it in the bottom of your birdcage
     Put in loose shoes to tighten
     Stuff in leather shoes to preserve shape
     Crumple and place in your luggage for couple of weeks to remove stale odors
     Use as padding under a tablecloth
     Dampen and spread over window panes before painting
     Use to dry and polish windows after washing
     To keep down the weeds in your garden or flower bed, put sheets of newspaper down, cover with mulch and plant your flowers.  It helps keep your gardens moist and keeps down the weeds!