It is amazing, isn’t it, how expensive printer cartridges are. The profit margin on them has got to be incredible. I think about that every time I have to replace a cartridge. A few cartridge purchases almost equals the cost of the printer itself. This past week I wrote and posted an article on remanufactured printer cartridges. Be sure to read it. Remanufactured (a.k.a. reengineered) cartridges, guaranteed to work just as well as new ones, can save you a lot of money and significantly reduce the flow of cartridge waste to the landfill.
According to Tech-Optics Inc., a remanufacturer, distributer and seller of toner cartridges for laser jet printers, every year, approximately 400 million cartridges are thrown away. A typical cartridge takes 1,000 years to decompose. Each laser cartridge consists of 2.5 pounds of plastic, along with rubber, steel and aluminum. According to Guy Brown, a reseller of remanufactured printer cartridges, for each 1,000 toner and ink cartridges recycled, the carbon dioxide emissions equivalent to the burning of 300 gallons of gasoline is saved. Be sure to do business with a vendor that will take back printer cartridges for recycling.
Purchasing remanufactured printer cartridges is just one step you can take to green your office environment. Imaging equipment (copiers, printers, scanners, all-in-one devices) also presents an opportunity for savings. According to the EPA, through the years, it has strengthened the energy efficiency requirements so that models meeting the latest requirements, effective January 2014, use from 40 to 55 percent less energy than standard models. By meeting requirements to enter low-power “sleep” modes when inactive, and using efficient power supplies, an Energy Star certified copier, for example, saves energy when it is in use and when it is not.
Computers Automatically Boot Down
Brenna St. Onge, Assistant Director of Rooms and Chair of Sustainability at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, told me a couple of weeks ago that associates in the Brown Palace Hotel’s offices are asked to turn computers and lights off. And, if you forget to turn your computer off, it will boot down by itself after 15 minutes of inactivity. Speaking of computers, be sure to buy Energy Star certified models. According to the EPA, if all computers sold in the United States were Energy Star certified, more than $1 billion in energy would be saved each year.
Other best practices in the office include: using power strips so that multiple items (monitors, computers, printers) can be turned off at the same time at the end of the work day; only printing when necessary; purchasing copy paper that includes a percentage of recycled content; recycling the office paper and newspapers that are used; using occupancy sensors to power down lighting and heating and cooling in seldom used meeting spaces; and of course utilizing efficient heating and cooling systems and lighting in more commonly used areas. One source for office savings tips are the various green certification and rating programs applications. For example, in the description of GS-33, the Green Seal Standard for Hotels and Lodging Properties, there are requirements for paper purchasing and double-sided copying.
What best practices does your company have in place to save energy and reduce waste in office spaces? I would love to learn about them so that I can share them with our readers. I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
NYSHTA Seeks New Sustainability Committee Members
The New York State Hospitality & Tourism Assn. (NYSHTA) created a sustainability committee a year ago. Their first decision was to develop a partnership with a sustainability certification program. After a selection process they decided to partner with Green Key Global. The purpose of the committee is to consolidate all the current initiatives in New York State as well as generate new initiatives and entice all members of the association to embed sustainability (Profit, People, Planet) in their strategy. If hoteliers or actors of the New York State Tourism sector are interested in joining the committee, they should contact Mark Dorr, Vice President of Operations, at mark@nyshta.org. (Vendors may be part of Working Groups reporting to the committee.)
Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Looking for Guest Columnists
Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Planning Advertising for 2014/2015?
Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2014/2015. Many excellent spots are available on the website and in the weekly e-mail newsletter. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2014 or 2015 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. Media kits can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Newsletter & Green Supplier Spotlight Circulation Tops 5,000
The circulation of our weekly e-newsletter and Green Supplier Spotlight recently topped 5,000. Thank you to our new subscribers for signing up. Be sure to encourage your colleagues to do the same. There is a “subscribe” form in the upper left area of the Green Lodging News home page.
Green Lodging News & Social Media
Green Lodging News now has 1,558 Twitter followers. Thank you to all of those who follow our tweets. In addition to following us on Twitter, be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also on Facebook. Be sure to “Like” us there. Green Lodging News now has 616 Facebook followers.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
