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Alo and the Environment
  Automatic Lighting Timers:
Automatic lighting timers have been placed throughout our facility and employees are seeing the benefits, including lower electricity bills! They eliminate the unnecessary use of wasted electricity. Check with your local electrician to see what the costs are for setting these devices up in your home or office. back to top
Buy a Hybrid or a Fuel Efficient Car:
Getting a few extra miles per gallon makes a big difference. To make a contribution toward the reduction of global warming pollution, choose to drive a fuel efficient vehicle. This change will improve your way of life, your savings, and the planet for years to come. There are several brands in the market all with varying costs. Check here for more information: http://www.edmunds.com/fueleconomy/ back to top
Carpool:
Own a large, spacious vehicle? Why not carpool with nearby friends and co-workers? This will save you gas money, and give you more time to chat with your friends/co-workers before work. Even implementing a program once per week is a great start. back to top
Clean Up Your Beach:
Our oceans provide the earth with oxygen, moisture, and weather climate. In order for us to keep our oceans clean, we have to start with our beaches. Every year there is a nationwide clean up. When you go to the beach you can help by bringing a trash bag and spending a few minutes picking up litter, or you can join a beach clean-up crew. Find out how you can be a part of Ocean’s Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup. Log onto http://www.oceanconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=home to find out how you can help to make a difference. back to top
 Direct Deposit and Electronic invoices/Bill Pay:
Not only do you or your company reduce paper waste, you also save a trip to the bank and save money on postage. Request direct deposit from your company if applicable. Most invoices and bills now come with an electronic option and are available online 24 hours a day for your convenience. Try switching your bills to electronic one-by-one and see the difference! In addition, there are several online service options for electronic bill pay today that will consolidate all of your electronic bills. Check with your bank to set-up automatic bill pay for your account. back to top
Junk Mail:
Do you receive large amounts of advertisements and other junk mail that you never look at or pile up? We offer a wonderful solution to that issue. You can eliminate the mailings and reduce excess waste by writing to the following addresses and requesting that they take your name off of their circulation list: Direct Marketing Association Mail Preference Service P.O. Box 9008 Farmingdale, NY 11735-9008. back to top
Layer In The Comfort Of Your Home:
Instead of turning up the heat in your home (when the weather is chilly), layer up in fleece or thermal clothing to keep you warm. Leave an extra blanket in common areas like living rooms or kitchens (or place several in a basket on the floor) so your family or visitors can grab a cozy blanket when they feel drafty. back to top
LCD monitors:
All of our computer monitors have been switched to LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screens as they use a third of the energy of a traditional CRT (Cathode-Ray Tube; the technology used in most older televisions and computer screens) AND last twice as long and reduce additional waste associated with monitor replacement. The reduced heat output also decreases air conditioning needs up to 20%. LCD’s are flicker free and anti-glare. These products can be found at any local electronic stores such as Best Buy: www.bestbuy.com. back to top
Low-Flow Faucet Aerator:
Aerators are small devices that attach to the faucet to reduce water flow. By attaching one of these devices in your home or business, you can reduce your water flow by 50% and your water pressure will seem more powerful! Adding Aerators will not only reduce the amount of water used, they will end up saving you money. You can purchase a Low-Flow Faucet Aerator or find more information at http://www.eartheasy.com/shop/water_save_02.htm. back to top Programmable Thermostat:
Programmable thermostats, now very common, can save energy (and money!) by automatically adjusting the temperature depending on your seasonal needs. By setting your thermostat to a schedule, it will be heating or cooling your home or business during the times you really need it, but saving unnecessary dramatic increases or decreases in room temperature to cool spaces down or heat spaces up. back to top
Plant a Tree:
Green trees are beautiful and it’s one of the best things we can do to make the air we breathe a little bit sweeter. Get together with your family or co-workers and plant one or two. We planted six on our property in celebration of Earth Day this year. Several online organizations offer you to donate money to tree-planting or you can report tree-planting you’ve done on your own. Here’s a great resource to get you started: http://www.milliontreesla.org/ back to top
Power Off:
Appliances left on standby account for up to 87% of electricity consumption. Unplugging your appliances and electronics when they are not in use can significantly lower your energy bills. Think of any appliances used often but may only need electricity when in use: cell phone adapters, computer and printers; kitchen appliances like coffee makers, toasters and blenders are just some of the items you should leave unplugged when not in use. back to top
Recycle Bins:
Recycle bins have been strategically placed throughout our offices and warehouses. Since implementing the office recycling program, we have cut our garbage waste and landfill fees in half! Employees have caught the bug at home too, and now are implementing recycling programs in their homes. Log onto www.recyclingbin.com to purchase recycling bins and start your own program today! Contact your local waste management company to inquire about recycling at your home or office. back to top
Replace Old Appliances:
Is it time to upgrade your appliances? It may cost you a few more dollars up front, but you'll save a lot on electricity with the energy-saving options now available, and you'll reduce pollution produced by power plants. Look for the Energy Star label, which identifies the most efficient appliances or log onto http://www.energystar.gov/ for more information. back to top
Tune-Ups and Tire Pressure:
Take your car in for necessary tune-ups and make sure your tires are adequately inflated. A well-maintained car with proper tire pressure is more fuel efficient, more reliable and safer! back to top
Weatherize Your Home:
Make your home more energy efficient. Caulk and weather strip your doorways and windows to keep the cooler (or warmer, depending on the season) air in! To find out more information, log onto http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/ - a consumers guide to energy efficiency and renewable energy. back to top
 Cloth Napkins:
The debates go on and on about re-using cloth versus buying biodegradable paper napkins, but on most of the blogs we’ve researched, cloth napkins win as the greener choice. When used a few times between washings, cloth napkins do not require a significant amount of additional water, detergent or energy and if bought second hand (or ‘pre-loved’ as one source referred to them) you are re-using something that is already in existence. If you’d like to read the full conversations, visit these blogs: http://girlsforglaciers.wordpress.com/2007/08/07/can-good-vibes-save-the-environment/ Mugs and Drinking Cups:
Alo has instituted a drink ware policy in the office by providing all employees with re-usable coffee mugs and water cups. Americans throw away approximately 25 billion cups a year, most of which end up in landfills. Contact a promotional product company to customize drink wear for your business and save on wasted materials. At home, use mugs and re-usable drinking cup that you can use at home and on-the-go. back to top
One person's trash is another person's treasure:
There are a variety of donation programs that accept (and sometimes pickup) used items such as furniture, cars, phones, eye glasses, clothing, books, computers and equipment. This will help reduce the amount of waste these items produce and provide necessities to those less fortunate. Log onto www.adonations.com and find out where you can donate your discarded items. back to top
Paper:
We know that not every business can truly go paperless, but we can still look for ways to reduce the amount of paper we do use. Re-use old printouts to take notes on the reverse side and if your printer has a “double-sided” function, make it a default option. back to top
Purchase rechargeable batteries:
Rechargeable batteries can be used numerous times throughout their lifespan. Each time you recharge, you prevent the purchase of a new battery and reduce the amount of disposed waste. This not only saves money, but more importantly helps protect the environment. Go to www.greenbatteries.com to find out more information about rechargeable batteries. back to top
Reusable Shopping Bags:
As part of the solution, bringing a reusable shopping bag each time you go to the market or store will help eliminate hundreds, if not thousands, of plastic and paper shopping bags. So the next time your in the checkout line of your local grocery store and your clerk asks you if you prefer “paper or plastic,” you will be able to give them an environmentally friendly response by saying, “neither, I will be using my own.” Log onto www.reusablebags.com to purchase your reusable bag and make a difference. back to top
Reuse and get a little bit in return:
Does your business have a tendency to hang on to obsolete items either in inventory or in the corners of the warehouse? It can sometimes be hard to let go of things, but for items that are last year’s model, off spec or just slow moving, it could be better in the long run to pass them on to someone more in need. And the good news is, it’s easy & can benefit you! Congress provides incentives under tax laws to encourage donation of inventory to non-profit organizations. These laws provide an incentive to businesses for donating slow-moving items prior to marking down the price. By donating items that today are collecting dust on a warehouse floor or a retail outlet shelf, donors can save the cost of other expenses related to maintaining the inventory, including the cost of warehousing, handling, and/or disposing of items. For more information on how to participate, visit http://www.redo.org/index.htm. back to top
Reuse Boxes and Shipping Cartons:
Recently we have purchased wardrobe bins for shipping marketing materials. They easily travel and save approximately 300 boxes per/year from being shipped. We also continually re-use old cartons several times and keep them in a common place for anyone’s use. Try and set up a box policy both at home and in your organization that will allow you to reuse empty boxes once they are emptied from their intended purpose. back to top
Water Preservation:
Collect rainwater to reuse for your plants and flowers. During scorching summer months, outdoor plants, flowers and gardens require extra water, but using an outdoor water source (hose or sprinkler) connected to a water supply can be very expensive. We suggest using a rain barrel or large bucket that collects rain water. Not only will this help save money by providing free water, your outdoor plants, flowers and gardens will thrive on the essential nutrients and minerals naturally provided. back to top
 Buy Organic Food:
When food is labeled "organic" it means it was produced without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. The chemicals used in modern agriculture pollute the water supply, and require energy to produce. In order to put the word "organic" on a food label, the grower or producer must get the product certified as organic by a USDA-accredited certifier. To learn more, go to http://www.ers.usda.gov/ ) back to top
Clothing & Fabric:
Excess fabric can be recycled and used to make new products, rather then adding to unnecessary waste and landfill space. At Alo, we have begun implementing a fabric recycle and reuse program and continually research new methods to fabric recycling. At home, you can donate your clothing to not-for-profit organizations in your area and receive a tax write-off for these donations. back to top
Eco-Products:
Today, many companies produce eco-products. Office and household cleaning supplies, alternatives to common paper plates and plastic utensils and organic apparel are just a few eco-products to choose from. One of our favorite websites to try: www.thegreenoffice.com/ to purchase environmentally friendly products. back to top
Fabric:
As a company, we recycle a majority of our excess fabric. This process has saved over 20 thousand pounds of scrap fabric from landfills. This method includes shredding the excess fabric into fibers. The fibers are then cleaned and combined with other fibers. The mixture is spun ready for making new fabric. Go to www.wasteonline.org.uk/index.aspx to find out more information about recycling fabric or donate your old clothing to your local vintage store, charity or Good Will. Here are some wonderful organizations and sites where you can sell or donate your old things: www.buffaloexchange.com, www.goodwill.org and www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn.nsf. These are good options for individuals who don’t have “fabric” but rather clothing items they are looking to sell or donate. back to top
Green Power:
Today, some of us have the option of choosing our electricity supplier. Select a company that generates its power from wind, solar energy and other natural resources. Even if you don't have the option to select a supplier, you may still be able to support renewable energy through an option on your electricity bill. Contact your local Department of Energy supplier to find out if green power is available in your area. back to top
Make your voice heard:
As Americans, we have the choice take a positive approach towards conservation and protecting our environment and implement new laws that make a better planet. Write a letter or send an email to your elected officials (http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml) informing them of your concerns. It’s always nice when our elected officials take the initiative themselves. Thanking them for paying attention to these concerns will create positive reinforcement and active change. back to top
Paper:
Purchase post consumer recycled printer paper. Some options are 100% post-consumer, which means that it has been utilized for its intentional purpose and has been separated from solid waste to be recycled into new paper. Alo’s catalogs, line lists, and packaging materials are made from recycled materials and we continually research vendors that will provide recycled goods for various office needs. back to top
Recycled Toner Cartridges:
Drastically reduce the amount of trash in our landfills. Now you can recycle your printer's toner cartridges! To recycle your toner cartridges, find a local business that does printer cartridge recycling, or contact the manufacturer of your current toner cartridge and ask about a cartridge recycling program. back to top
Telephone Book Recycling:
Trash companies and processing centers are joining efforts to make it simple for you to recycle your old phone books. Now you can place your outdated directories in your curbside recycling receptacle. Although some commercial recycling bins, drop-off centers and curbside recycling programs accept phone books all year, it is only during specific times (when the new books are delivered) that all of programs are set-up to collect phone books for sorting. If you do not have curbside recycling pickup, recycle your old phone book at any drop-off location. To find out the location of the drop-off nearest you, contact your local recycling coordinator. For more information: Call AT&T/SBC Helpline (800) 953-4400 Verizon Recycling Hotline (800) 610-4992 Requests NOT to receive a new AT&T/SBC phonebook call (800) 288-2020. Requests NOT to receive a new Verizon/GTE phonebook call (800) 888-8448. back to top | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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