UndercoverHugger

There is a Caribou Coffee conveniently located very close to my workplace. Really, it’s too close and I’ve purchased my share of hot beverages in those nice little paper cups with those plastic lids to prevent magma heated liquid from spilling on me.

Last week I noticed an offer prominently displayed to get $.50 off any drink, any time, any day if you use  Caribou drinkware. This is a wicked great idea. Being the inquisitive type that really likes to find alternatives to a situation I asked the first thing that came to mind “Will you accept my yellow mug with a velociraptor on it?”. The girl was quick to respond that it was for Caribou Mugs. It did seem like she had answered this question already and did hint that they may not be as strict as the sign promised. I will be testing the discount theory out with various mugs and hope to have some success.

So a Caribou mug or tumbler will cost $9 to $25.  Saving $.50 each drink, assuming a $4 drink price,  you will end up with a free mug after spending $72 to $200 and save 18 to 50 cups and coffee sleeves from being thrown out. If you are like most of the frequent coffee drinkers I work with, this entire process will take only a few weeks. Overall not a bad money saving deal while helping save the planet.

Under Construction

We are currently working on some cool upgrades to the site over the next few weeks. A new base theme has been applied with more graphical goodness to come. We have also added some new content areas and are working on some more. Look for new features in the weeks to come. Thanks!

Keep it green, keep it on the screen!

We’ve all seen images or slogans similar to “Be green. Keep it on the screen!” on the bottom of many emails. Most of us get that there are better ways to do our jobs without printing everything, but sometimes it seems like it’s the best way to get the job done. Let’s look at some strategies to keep printing at a minimum. Continue reading »

Recently, a local Minneapolis hospital, HCMC, opened a rooftop garden. This is a hospital with a level 1 trauma unit and a downtown address. Even they see the benefit of growing their own garden. Not only are the fresh ingredients used in the HCMC kitchen, the garden also reduces some runoff and they hope it will inspire staff and visitors to start their own garden.

The project was made possible by the City of Minneapolis Climate Change Grant, which funds projects encouraging climate change reduction activities in the City of Minneapolis. Cities with this type of organizational support for green activities can provide companies and individuals with the incentive to evaluate and change their current business practices.

If a busy downtown hospital can grow a garden, can you convince your company to grow one also?

Classic Brown Lunch Bag

From the time we were in elementary school we learned that there were two types of kids: “Hot Lunchers” and “Brown Baggers”. I came from a brown bag family. Sandwich in a plastic bag, some chips in a plastic bag and maybe a cookie in a plastic bag. Times have changed. I still “brown bag” it, but not in an actual paper bag and I try not to use plastic bags at all.  Everything I do not only saves money, it’s also green since I’m no longer being so wasteful. Continue reading »

Plants are a fantastic addition to any desk or office space. Not only do they help purify the air, they add natural beauty to the otherwise dismal sameness. I know the pen and pencil holder, tape dispenser, post-it notes and computer equipment are pretty awesome by themselves, but a plant or two can make your desk space much more enjoyable. Plus, plants can provide handy jungle terrain for those individuals who keep action figures or other geek paraphernalia at their desks. You know who you are. Continue reading »

dis⋅pos⋅a⋅ble

–adjective

I think the key words here are “after being used or used up”. Many of us grew up in the age of disposable everything. Disposable plates, cups, forks, spoons, cameras, razors, contact lenses, and even underwear.

At the place I work, the kitchenette is stocked with disposable plastic cups, spoons, napkins and plates. Paper napkins are definitely a one-time use deal. But what about those cups, plasticware and plates? Have you just been drinking water out of it? Just because it’s used, doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s used up. Instead of throwing out that little plastic spoon, think of washing it and giving it another go. Keep it around for the next yogurt in a disposable container.

In our last post, Little Brown Bag, we talked about how you can save some cash and be green while brown bagging your lunch on the go. We don’t want to leave the hot lunchers out in the cold, though. You can be green too!

If your company has a cafeteria that you frequent, use the real dishes and silverware and skip the Styrofoam and plastic. I admit that this can be totally inconvenient. Particularly when you work in a large corporate office and want to eat at your desk. How are you going to get the reusable stuff all the way back to the cafeteria? Maybe it’s possible to set up a station on each floor so that someone from the cafeteria picks up the trays, bowls and utensils once a day? Usually, if a company has enough demand from its employees, you can make something happen.

Recycling program

If nothing can be done to convert your workplace to use only real dishes and silverware, set up a place to recycle the waste that’s produced. Simply designating garbage cans with pictures of what can be recycled and what can’t makes it convenient for even the busiest CEO to do his/her part.

Composting program

It’s so sad to see so much food go to waste. If you’re company has a busy cafeteria, why not help to set up a composting program. The leftover banana peels can help fertilize the gardens surrounding your building.

Tea...with style.

I’m not much of a coffee drinker but I do enjoy some tea (and caffeine) during my daily tasks. The coffee shop at work has recently expanded their tea assortment which makes it very easy for me to forget my own selection at home and instead buy a cup here and there throughout the day. Continue reading »

Reuse in Style

Hydration. It’s a fact of life. Whether you’re a coffee, tea, pop, soda, water or mineral person, there’s the inevitable question of what to use to carry the liquid from point A to point B. Meet your options.

Continue reading »