Green Business Tips: Choose an Eco-Friendly Printing Company

Individuals are increasingly aware of the environmental practices of companies, and those practices can influence buying decisions for your key customers and clients. One of the simplest and economical ways to improve your environmental practices is to use green printing for all your marketing and sales materials.

PSPrint is one printing company that has taken action to offer environmentally-friendly services. Below are some of the benefits they offer with their services:

Printing on Recycled Paper
PsPrint offers 100% recycled paper stocks for most of their printed products. Your business should consider using high-quality recycled papers for everyday office printing and faxing, along with promotion of your services via brochures, business cards, and catalog printing . Show your green efforts to your clients by printing a line on your sales materials – “Printed on 100 percent recycled paper”.

Printing with Soy-Based Inks
PSPrint uses soy-based inks which are much safer for the environment than traditional petroleum-based inks. Soy inks emit fewer VOCs (volatile organic compounds) than traditional inks, and they help save the environment by making paper easier to recycle.

Recycling Paper Waste
Consider the life-cycle of the production of your printed materials, not just the quality of the finished product. PSPrint recycles all of their paper waste, while the printing industry on a whole produces tons of paper waste every year.

At Green Nation Today, we encourage you to go green with your business’s printing. The price will be similar to your current processes, and you’ll have the added benefits of reducing environmental impact and having one more sales point for your environmentally-sound clients.

Under Floor Heating a Green and Economically Smart Solution

If you’re looking to renovate your home, or plan to build a new residence, a major portion of the planning process should focus on energy efficiency and long-term economical benefits. In cooler climates, installing under floor heating is one of those economical and environmentally smart options that should be seriously considered.

Underfloor heating systems are generally constructed as either electric systems or warm water circulation systems. The heating elements are built directly into the floor, and provide a gentle, constant warmth from the ground up. Typically, these installations are more efficient than traditional forced air and radiator systems, making them less expensive over time and better for the environment. The reason is that your room’s air is heated more evenly and at a lower temperature, yet still provides the same level of comfort as a higher temperature setting would in traditional systems. No more cold spots in the room!

One additional benefit of underfloor heating is that it can improve the air quality for people with allergies. Because there is no circulation of air and no fans in this system, you can prevent the circulation of dust and other allergens that is all too common with forced air systems. Just another way to improve your living environment.

Arctic Ice Melt: A Video Explanation

In this short video, NASA climate scientist Tom Wagner clearly explains the recent history of arctic ice melt, and what these changes mean on a global scale. He also discusses NASA’s role in monitoring the cryosphere.

Via Treehugger

Lawn Care Providers Pay Attention to Health and Environment

As discussed in Organic Lawn Care: Safer, Cheaper, Easier, we have many good health and environmental reasons to pay attention to how we care for our lawns. The good news is that larger lawn care companies now offer better visibility into their products and practices, and are aware of the benefits to sustainable property care.

Corporate websites for lawn care offer greater information on the environmental benefits to choosing their services, and provide information to their customers about the safety of the products being used.

For example, TruGreen Lawn Care mentions some valid environmental benefits of maintaining a healthy landscape. Healthy trees, plants and shrubs can prevent erosion and build fertile topsoil (via decay of lawn clippings, roots, and shoots). They also help to reduce water runoff, which in effect recharges the water table with more purified water. Proper positioning of trees creates better home shading in warm weather, lowering energy costs in the process.

On the health side, keeping a groomed landscape can moderate temperatures and noise, reduce glare, and control some allergens. And carefully selecting only FDA and doctor-approved products will keep our children and pets healthier.

We should all ask that our local lawn care providers to consider these elements when providing their services. The impact of even a fraction of the households taking action would be great, and another step toward better sustainability