Filed under: Business Practices | Tags: environment, graphic design, graphics, green printing
Advanced researches have successfully proved that the printing industry is the single largest polluter and the third largest consumer of fossil fuels in the world after automobiles and steel manufacturing. It is estimated that printers consume trillions of gallons of water, which again demands treatment on account of its toxin content. Use of adhesives and foils further render the final product un-recyclable. Imagine a situation where millions of such products are being manufactured everyday, which would ultimately end up in a landfill! These volatile products can easily contaminate groundwater, soil, and air (when evaporated) consequently stimulating the occurrence of fatal diseases like cancer, chronic liver and heart malfunctioning.
The concept of green printing is thus an offshoot of increasing environmental degradation. The concept holds a lot of promise as the end product created is recyclable. Since the common printing process is hazardous in itself, steps are taken by green printing firms to use such materials that would not spur the creation of toxins. For instance, the printing paper should be derived from 100 per cent post-consumer waste, processed chlorine free, uncoated, Forest Stewardship Council certified, and manufactured using renewable energy sources like solar power or wind. Vegetable-based ink or soy ink should be used for printing. Dye sublimation is another printing process, vastly used by non-profit organizations these days. The process uses petroleum and other volatile organic compounds instead of solvent-based inks. Digital printing is another alternative towards a more sustainable approach.
Green printing processes can thus help promote the cause of the environment and make your planet look green and beautiful. So help spreading awareness towards eco-friendly printing and save your home from further degradation.
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Suzanne Macguire is a marketing professional, currently engaged in encouraging eco-friendly printing solutions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Suzanne_Macguire
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Filed under: Business Practices, Consumer Products | Tags: bags, Consumer Products
There are two kinds of degradable carrier bags on the market today. The first being a biodegradable bag – Note the ‘bio’ part of it. This bag is made from a natural maize, which once manufactured, starts to degrade slowly. These are generally the most expensive, and are not ideal if some of the stock needs to be shelved for a lengthy period of time. The second type is a degradable carrier bag. These are basically a plastic carrier bag which has a special agent added to it during the manufacturing process. This agent slowly breaks down the plastic material over a fairly long period of time, which eventually turns it into a harmless vapour and dust, none of which are toxic in any way. These are the cheaper option and probably the most popular. The quality of this type of bag is the same as a standard plastic carrier bag, the only difference being that they are far more environmentally friendly.
These biodegradable bags are also great to use as a promotional tool. They can be printed and personalised with company logos and wording and are proving extremely popular for use at events and exhibitions. It gives the opportunity for businesses to advertise themselves to hundreds, if not thousands of people attending the event, as well as give the visitors something to carry there freebies and literature in.
Most councils and government organisations have switched to using biodegradable bags due to their eco-friendly nature. With the government actively promoting environmental issues and solutions, they have to be seen to be operating in a greener way themselves. There are many other eco type products on the market today, for both domestic and commercial purposes. These range from recycled products, through to energy saving products. The world is becoming more aware of the damage that we are causing to our planet. If more people, and businesses made a few changes to their daily practices and changed their habits with the products they bought and used, the world would be a greener, safer place to live.
Filed under: Business Practices | Tags: internet fax, fax, save the planet
Do you know more than 17 million trees are cut down yearly just for the usage of faxing papers in United States? Ever thought of cutting down your paper usage, especially in office? Now here’s a simple way to do so: Switch from conventional fax machine to Internet faxing machine. Yes, and I mean cut down all conventional fax machine usage!
What is Internet faxing?
In general, Internet faxing is known as a web service that allows users to send out and receive faxes in email forms. Faxes are transmitted via Internet and no fax machine is needed during the process. The very first Internet fax services are started since mid 1997 by PSI Net. Back then, Internet faxing was better known as InternetPaper. The technology then revolved and developed into a multimillion industries where more than dozens of merchant popped up to provide similar services. Nowadays Internet services are available worldwide.
Can I really send fax over Internet?
The answer is yes! In fact there are more than couple ways to send and receive faxes via Internet.
When you are shopping Internet faxing services, your choices are wide. Some service allows you to fax for free; while some require monthly subscription fees. Some Internet faxing services require you to install special software on your computer; while some allows you to send fax directly on the web. The right thing to do is to review and select the one that suits your needs.
What are the benefits of Internet faxing?
When compare to conventional fax machine, Internet faxing is so much easier and more affordable.
Firstly, there’s no need to waste money on an extra fax line. Also, no extra cost for fax machine, fax paper, as well as printing ink. All Internet faxes come in as email attachments – softcopies are easier for circulation as well as file organization. More over, do you know according to research, 17 million trees (as said) are chopped down annually just for the faxing paper in United States? Sending virtual faxes save more than just your money, the technology save more trees as well!
If you use a conventional fax machine, you should know that using those old fax machines can be very tiring. The frustrations cause by paper jam, extra phone line cost, cuts off page text, and fax transmission failure are always bothering the users. Isn’t terrible? You bet! On the other hand, while comes in cheaper operation cost, Internet fax provides an easy faxing method where the service is 24 hours ready, no more engage tones, and no more paper jamming.
With Internet faxing services, you can send faxes as long as you have an active Internet faxing account and a computer connected to the Internet. The flexibility and mobility of Internet faxing is a valuable feature for frequent business travelers. Just imagine finishing all your faxing works while waiting for boarding in the airport – you wouldn’t have this done if you are still using the old fax machine, right?
Using Internet faxing services
For commercial usage, setting up an Internet faxing needs nothing more than just an email account (well okay, you do need a computer with Internet connection). Most Internet faxing service providers offer immediate activation – this means you can start receiving and sending faxes right after you register for the services.
Once activated, you can construct your outgoing faxes like how you compose your email with Yahoo Mail or Hotmail. What’s different is on the recipient address bar – instead of email address, you will need to input recipients fax number with fax service name. Say we are sending fax to 1234567890: the recipients will be 1234567890@myfax.com for MyFax; while for eFax, it will be 1234567890@efax.com. Email subject line will be converted to fax header, while email content will be the fax content.
Before you ask, yes, Internet fax service is very much similar to sending and receiving the email. In fact some services allow you to setup your virtual faxing service on popular mail agent like Outlook. For most Internet faxing services, a user friendly GUI (a toolbar or something similar) will be installed in your system during setup. Upon receiving the email to the Internet fax service providers the automated programs convert the email messages to the fax format and send the fax to the recipient fax number. On the other hand, the recipient receives the fax on their fax machine normally.
Filed under: Business Practices | Tags: eco-friendly, hotels, planet earth, the environment
Being a green eco-friendly hotel can help you save the environment, your guests and can even save money.
Kingman, AZ (PRWEB) October 11, 2005 — You may conserve at home but how do you follow that philosophy on the road when it is out of your control? Or is it? Staying at a eco-friendly hotel, also known as green lodging, is one way enforce your own viewpoint.
Hotels around the world are massive consumers of water and producers of waste. It is up to the hotel to set their own policies and practices about how they deal with the environment. Of course you change the sheets after having houseguests, but do you change your sheets every day on your own bed? Many hotels, even ones that aren’t a eco-friendly hotel otherwise, give you the option of re-using your bedding while at your hotel for a few nights. It is usually done by positioning a card left in the room or leaving towels and linens in a particular manner. Or you may just throw the towels on the floor if you want them washed every time they are used. We’ve all felt those abrasive sandpaper-like towels in some chains so perhaps this would actually help them stay a towel longer as well.
A hotel may use fluorescent light bulbs, which do not waste most of their energy producing heat like incandescent bulbs do. This change is the most significant big money saver on the utility bill. Fluorescent bulbs also rarely need to be replaced, saving the eco-friendly hotel on maintenance in addition to electricity. A eco-friendly hotel policy may conserve water and reduce carbon dioxide gas emissions.
Many common cleaning products can hazardous to both consumers and the environment, so a eco-friendly hotel may use eco-friendly products similar to consumer lines by Seventh Generation (http://www.seventhgeneration.com) or Ecover (http://www.ecover.com).
“Most guests do not know or pay close attention to what is happening behind closed doors of the back rooms, but they may feel better about staying at a place that is concerned for their welfare and the environment,” says Adam Longfellow of AllStays.com, a worldwide hotel lodging directory with a focus on green lodging (http://www.allstays.com/green-hotels/green-hotels.htm). “It may be just the owners or staff that feel strongly about these issues, but more and more guests are paying attention to this whenever possible. The hard part is finding the properties that have implemented good practices. We’ve made it a priority to help with that information.”
Going to green lodging doesn’t have to be more costly. It will most likely save the eco-friendly hotel big money every year. They could save up to 40 percent on energy bills with another 20 percent savings on waste and water bills. And from a consumer standpoint, there are eco-friendly hotels in all price ranges. From a small bed and breakfast to a large luxury hotel, you can find something to make you sleep easier at night.
Almost every aspect of lodging can be improved upon for both guests and the environment. Most of which can save money as well and that is a ingredient in the foundation of any world change. Hotels can go green from the ground up if they are built more efficiently from the start. From orientation of the building to the sun to the use of environmentally friendly and locally sourced building materials. Instead of watering a plain lawn, water fruits and vegetables that can be given to guests. Or use natural landscaping that doesn’t require extra watering at all. A better use of technology and insulation can mean for lower bills and a more quiet guest environment. Hotels can use low or no-VOC (Volatile Organic Chemicals) paints for a more healthy interior. Providing recycle bins for guests to use makes for a more visible statement. Buying “energy star” (http://www.energystar.gov) appliances whenever possible is good for all and saves on utility bills. Use solar water heaters and pumps for pools. Providing maps, information on public transportation and things within walking distance encourages less consumption of fuel. Skylights can save on energy and provide for more pleasant public areas. Use Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights whenever possible, such as exit signage and night lights. They use almost no electricity and last thousands of hours.
If this can become more of a trend, everyone will benefit. Look for a green hotel next time you travel. You may or may not find one where you need to sleep but it’s worth a moment to check first. Ask about environmental policies and show appreciation to the staff when you see green policies in implementation.
What’s the next step? Perhaps a major car rental company can start renting hybrid cars on a large scale basis.
AllStays.com, online since 2000 and based in Arizona (US), lists all kinds of lodging, from bed & breakfasts to yoga retreats and luxury hotels, from primitive campgrounds to motels, haunted hotels and spa resorts. AllStays also links directly to official websites to make sure you have the real scoop on the latest and most accurate information from around the world.
Research, Browse, and book online to stay anywhere on Earth. http://www.allstays.com
AllStays.com
8824 Ironwood Drive
Kingman, AZ 86401
Phone (928) 727-1312
Filed under: Business Practices | Tags: environment, planet earth, trade show displays, trade show exhibits
There are plenty of reasons to consider environmental factors when planning for your next exhibit. If your industry is not traditionally linked with environmental movements, having a “green exhibit” is a great way to stand out from the crowd. Add to that the fact that you’re doing your part to make the world a better place, and you’ll feel less guilty for blowing your competition out of the water. Here are ten tips for going green at your next exhibit.
Building a booth? Use eco-friendly materials. If you’re building a custom booth this year, you have several options for greener materials. First, try to avoid wood. The earth’s forests are nearly 80% depleted, and that’s bad news for our atmosphere. Trees breathe in carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen-so they may be our first line of defense against global warming. Leave a few trees standing by choosing another material to build your booth.
One more eco-friendly choice is recycled metal. While this may not seem like the most biodegradable choice, it’s much better than using non-recycled metals. For example, the process of recycling aluminum takes about 95% less energy than it does to create new aluminum from ore. Recycling steel uses about 60% less energy than making it from scratch.
Another option is wood/plastic composite. This building material is made up of sawdust from lumber and furniture companies mixed with fragments of plastic trash, such as soda bottles and garbage bags. There are many different brands, and the wood comes in colors ranging from deep ambers to espresso browns-as beautiful as natural wood, without the environmental price tag.
Consider your paints. Oil and latex-based paints are toxic to the environment-they contain poisonous chemicals that can’t be removed at a treatment plant. Leftover paint is often poured down the drain, and it gets into oceans and waterways. It also leaches from painted items in landfills, further damaging the environment. Even worse, VOC’s-volatile organic chemicals, such as cyanide-in paint evaporate at room temperature, contributing to global warming while coating your booth.
Instead of traditional paints, look for non-VOC paints made by big-name paint manufacturers such as Sherman Williams and Behr. Other eco-friendly paints are made from talcum powder, clay, and chalk.
Get green giveaways. When looking for a good giveaway item, choose with an eye toward minimizing trash. Avoid items that come in plastic packaging. Avoid plastic altogether, in fact, unless it’s recycled. Good ideas include cotton or hemp tote bags, food in recycled-paper wrapping instead of plastic, recycled plastic Frisbees, pens and other items, and ceramic mugs. Stay away from plastic bags, wood, and non-recycled materials.
Use energy-efficient lighting. Incandescent light bulbs are notoriously inefficient. They emit only 10% of the energy they use as light. The rest is given off as heat-which is why these bulbs can catch your lampshade on fire if you’re not careful. Instead, use fluorescent bulbs. These are much more energy efficient.
Use recycled paper. There are a lot of paper products involved in a typical exhibit: business cards, signs and displays, brochures and promotional materials. Why not use recycled paper? While most people think of rough, textured and off-white paper when it comes to buying recycled, there are many companies that make smooth, bright-white papers that are comparable to virgin papers.
Consider green printing. Some inks can be as toxic as paint. You can go green with your printing by choosing a green printer. Not all are created equally; their commitment to green printing can range from using energy-efficient operating procedures to printing with soy-based inks on recycled papers. Be sure to shop around when looking for eco-friendly printers.
Talk to your vendor. Some booth vendors are more eco-friendly than others. Some may operate under environmentally mindful conditions-using alternative energy and energy-efficient practices, for example-while others may have pre-fabricated booths built from eco-friendly materials. Be sure to ask your vendor for more advice on how you can create a green display for your next exhibit.
Going green doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. While you may have to buy a custom booth to go green, recycled and eco-friendly materials sometimes cost less than their non-recycled alternatives. Talk to your vendor, research your options, and take your time in designing an approach to green exhibiting that works for your company. No matter how far you go with it-from using recycled papers to building an entire booth from eco-friendly materials-you’ll be making a positive contribution.
Filed under: Business Practices | Tags: eco-friendly practices, environment, responsible business practice, wind energy
Harrisonburg, VA (PRWEB) January 19, 2008 — MODdisplays is proud to announce the release of the Exhibit One display system, which is the most environmentally friendly system available on the market today. Businesses who want to market their company at trade shows are quickly discovering that eco-friendly trade show displays produce higher returns and more good will. We believe that a recent change in the way people think about the environment has spurred the success of the Exhibit One display system. MODDisplays can be found online at: http://www.moddisplays.com .
The health of our environment and the onset of global climate change are issues which have become increasingly important to businesses over the past few years. Business owners are realizing that the vast majority of consumption occurs in the business settings, not personal settings. A single business owner that decides to clean up his/her practices can make an enormous impact, while individuals are only capable of limited results.
The Exhibit One Display System is manufactured in a state-of-the-art facility that was engineered for efficient and clean production. The entire facility is powered using only wind energy, which is one of the most renewable and clean forms of energy available. Despite the massive scale on which these displays are produced, the facility produces a comparably tiny amount of waste. Instead, the components that were unused from the production of one product are immediately recycled to produce other products.
The Exhibit One Trade Show Display System is made entirely of recyclable materials. The structure of the display is made from aluminum extrusions, which can be recycled just as easily as aluminum cans. The main structure is accented by wooden counter tops and canopies, which are produced using the most renewable and recyclable plywood on the planet. The canopy comes with energy efficient recessed lighting, and the entire display packs into a recycled and recyclable roto-molded case.
In addition to its entirely recyclable construction, the Exhibit One components can be reconfigured repeatedly as the needs of exhibitors change. This not only serves to save exhibitors precious time and money, but also eliminates any excuses for disposing of your trade show display system. With only a few simple modifications that can be done without the aid of tools, the exhibitor can transform the system to work in a number of different booth spaces.
“The release of the Exhibit One display marks a systemic change in the culture and policies at MODdisplays. In an effort to reduce our impact on the world we all live in, we have converted to a completely paperless office, and we have taken a number of steps to initiate environmentally responsible policies,” Andy Keeler, President of MODDisplays said. “By offering the Exhibit One display system, we have helped to create a trade show display option that is eco-friendly, yet still offers a professional and modern feel.”
According to recent studies done by Exhibitor Magazine, over 90% of exhibitors would choose an environmentally friendly trade show display if the price and quality were equal. The Exhibit One display system meets that need.
About MODDisplays
MODdisplays is a brand new company founded on the premise that bringing trade show display sales to the internet can create the best buying experience for exhibitors. Keeping this premise in mind our goal is simple: we want to create the easiest way for our customers to buy quality displays, Banner Stands, and Trade Show Flooring. that meet their individual needs.
Contact
Andy Keeler
http://www.moddisplays.com
1-877-663-3976
