May 2, 2008 | Filed under: Going Clean, Solutions by Nick | No Comments »

Ok, here’s the deal: businesses are far more concerned with the bottom line than they are about “going green.” Quite frankly, they should be. If a company loses heaps of money trying to be green, and goes out of business as a result, it can’t exactly be green anymore, can it? For a company, doing good things for the environment only makes long-term sense if it is also good for business.

Every day we are bombarded with stories and advertisements from companies like GE, and Wal-Mart proclaiming their new-found love for the environment. In reality, these companies recognized that going green boosts the bottom line. They see that customers care about their practices, efficiency initiatives save money, and they can reduce their risk of getting sued for violating environmental regulations.

The real challenge for a company considering green initiatives is to decide what exactly to do. We think the best choice is to identify and replace business processes that are both financially and environmentally wasteful.

We’ll be honest – when Cleaner Commerce’s sponsor, ADX, was started in 1992, the goal was simply to provide a better way for companies to do business. It was only later that ADX realized it also helps thousands of companies waste less paper.

Another company, GreenPrint, has developed software that prevents extra sheets of paper from being wasted when documents are printed. They promote the tree saving benefits, but the real selling point of their product is the estimated $90 per user savings in paper and ink each year. The environmental benefits are really just an added bonus to a solution that is good for business.

Cleaner Commerce likes these sorts of solutions – ones that primarily serve a business purpose, but also happen to do good things for the environment. We believe that the only realistic way businesses can reduce their environmental impacts is if there are cost-effective steps they can take to do so. Our goal is to help your business get connected with better ways to do business that also incidentally do good things for the planet.

April 18, 2008 | Filed under: Solutions by admin | Comments Off

The arrival of the fax machine many years ago made it possible to send business documents instantly around the world. As time went by, we saw a lot of room for improvement, and we developed new technologies that reduced the error rates, time commitment and paper wasted due to faxing. We now have E-Commerce solutions that are far more advanced and environmentally friendly, so it is time to let a loyal worker retire. Don’t worry, they’ll be fine - see what these retirees are doing with all their free time:

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See, what did we tell you? These retirees are having a blast!

We look forward to working together to help companies like yours take meaningful steps to reduce their environmental impacts and to make business better. We would love to hear from you - please take a moment to send us your comments!

Visit our home page to see the campaign introduction video “To Think, To Create.”

Learn about the problem with paper, and about practical solutions that help businesses do more with less.

Use our Impact Calculator to see how much paper you use and what the impacts are.

March 17, 2008 | Filed under: Solutions by admin | Comments Off

Please check the boxes below for information you are interested in and provide the following information:

March 8, 2008 | Filed under: Solutions by admin | Comments Off

In Writing

• Compose and review letters and other documents on the computer rather than on paper.
• Be brief. Get organized, then get to the point. Keep letters and memos to one page.
• Work on drafts electronically, using “edit” and “comment” word-processing features, instead of working on paper.
• Use the back side of waste paper for scratch paper.

In Format and Design

• Redesign letterhead to condense headers (printed top material) and allow for narrower margins. Use up the old inventory, however.
• Use E-mail for routed information. If you must use paper, put the distribution list cover sheet on the same page as the message. Other options include putting the cover sheet on the front with the message on the back, or using a Post-it routing/request note.
• Examine publication formats and frequency. Publish information on the Internet as the first choice of distribution. For mailed items, send a two-sided, 8-1/2 x 11 newsletter, rather than a four-page, fold-out version (cutting content accordingly).
• Redesign and rewrite forms to reduce paperwork and form length. Eliminate unessential duplicates. Many companies are using electronic forms (via the Internet), which saves even more paper because no inventory is maintained.
• For mailing use the smallest envelope possible. Fold pieces to fit into standard business size envelopes.
• Use the lightest weight paper possible.
• For large mailings, compile a prototype. Then combine pages to save paper and postage.
• Use shredded waste paper to replace purchased packaging materials.

Through Technology

• Transmit efficiently:
  • Use the telephone if a verbal message will suffice
  • Use voice mail or e-mail for short messages
  • Don’t print e-mail message. Put the words “Don’t print this email unless you really need to” at the bottom of all emails.
• Install new software and hardware to expand your choices in data processing and document creation.
• For mass mailings, to eliminate labels or long distribution lists, use the mail merge feature in word processing.
• Make reports and data available online.

At the Copy Machine

• Before running a large number of copies, do a one-page test of copier settings.
• Don’t throw away slightly light or dark copies for internal use.
• Make double-sided copies, especially for large documents. If your copier doesn’t have this feature, ask to have the equipment updated.
• Avoid making extra copies. Make extras later if you need them.
• Get training if you are unsure of copier features or how to use them.
• Prevent jams and toner problems by cleaning and servicing copier regularly.
• Post a list of paper-saving copy ideas at every copier.

By Management

• Support and promote paper reduction in your company. Build awareness with contests and signs. Publicize implemented ideas and savings.
• Be flexible. Give departments and divisions authority to examine their paper use and make changes. Approve purchase of paper-saving equipment.
• In large offices, to cut postage and envelope use, develop an inter-office delivery system.
• Hold a “Clean Out Your Files” day. Collect all paper with a blank side, making it available for scratch paper or rough-draft printing.

Office Kitchen

• Stock the kitchen with reusable mugs, plates, bowls, and utensils to discourage the use of paper and plastic disposables. Consider cloth napkins, or use paper towels with high postconsumer recycled content.
• Encourage employees who carry in lunches to use reusable bags and napkins.
• Encourage the use of tap water instead of bottled water.

Buying Better Paper

• Buy paper with the highest percentage of postconsumer recycled content available, never settling for less than 30 percent for uncoated paper or 10 percent for coated stock.

• Insist on “processed chlorine free” (PCF) paper. (What’s PCF paper? - opens new window)

• Always avoid paper made from 100 percent virgin pulp.
• If you do buy paper with virgin fiber content, be sure the virgin fiber comes from sustainably managed forests.

• Look for paper products certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
• Create a corporate purchasing policy that clearly outlines your goals and preferences for paper buying.

And Then Some…

• Remove outdated or unessential listings (internal and outside the company) from your mailing lists. better yet, don’t distribute some information at all; just let people know it’s available”
• Remove your name and company name from mailing lists. Write “Refused - Return to Sender” on unwanted junk mail (First Class Mail only).
• Use a centralized bulletin board to post one copy of an announcement as opposed to sending individual copies. When individual contact is required, route a single copy. Sometimes it’s more effective to call a special meeting to make an important announcement.
• Each time you reach for a piece of paper, THINK! You can make a difference.

Resources

| Filed under: Solutions by admin | Comments Off

Paper causes problems for businesses and negatively impacts the environment. E-Commerce solutions are proven to make business processes more efficient, and are a step your company can take now to reduce its environmental impact.

Good for business…
In their simplest form, E-Commerce solutions allow businesses and their trading partners to transfer information electronically. The business benefits of E-Commerce are well proven, and can:

• Reduce operating costs
• Improve responsiveness to customers
• Allow companies to focus more on core business activities
• Reduce the internal complexity on handling information
• Reduce the financial waste and frustration of human error

…and good for the environment!
Beyond business benefits, E-Commerce inherently reduces your company’s impact on the environment. For example, E-Commerce solutions help eliminate the need to send any of the following via fax or mail:

• purchase orders and invoices
• shipping notices
• price quotes
• bid documents
• price, quantity, and availability documents
• numerous business forms
• cover sheets
• envelopes

E-Commerce allows these paper-intensive processes to be successfully completed electronically. It is by embracing this system of information interchange that companies can take a step towards environmental sustainability and better business practices.

Want to learn more about E-Commerce solutions and how they can help make your business better and cleaner? See how ADX can help - request more information from a representative.

| Filed under: Solutions by admin | Comments Off

Using too much paper contributes to serious environmental problems, and costs businesses a lot of time and money. The first focus area of Cleaner Commerce is to help individuals and businesses recognize and implement ways to reduce the amount of paper they use.

Cleaner Commerce is proud to be sponsored by ADX, a company that offers E-Commerce solutions. ADX offers a way to use less paper and improve the efficiency of your business. Our motto here at Cleaner Commerce is Business as Usual, Only a Whole Lot Cleaner!

Individual steps:
On an individual basis, you can cut back on paper use with simple steps like reading email on the computer or printing double sided. Just knowing about the environmental impacts of paper will help you use it more wisely. To learn more, check out our collection of paper saving steps.

Big steps:
We live in a digital age, but still a majority of all business transactions are completed via fax and mail! Doing your part individually is great, but much larger overall reductions can be accomplished using E-Commerce solutions to exchange electronic business documents and integrate them into your company’s information systems. To learn more about the benefits of going paper-free, visit our E-Commerce Solutions page.

Here is an idea: allow a loyal worker to finally take some time off - retire the fax!