green practices

According to this year’s GlobeScan / SustainAbility Survey, the downward slide of government leadership is driving the green agenda forward. Experts argue that though collaboration with governments is the most effective approach businesses can take to creating pro-sustainability policies, less than a third believe that companies engage in this manner.

Whilst business leaders are aware of the issues, only 33 percent of those that participated in the 2013 UN Global Compact-Accenture CEO study feel there is actually enough being done to address environmental issues.

At The Refinishing Touch we wholeheartedly believe in reducing budgets whilst also maintaining a lower carbon footprint. To date we’ve prevented the destruction of 500,000 hardwood trees for fabrication of new furniture. We understand the pressures on big businesses to invest in cleaner, greener initiatives, however the government also must work closer with organizations to support innovation and investment if we want to see changes on the broader scale.

We’ve worked with many local and federal government edifices to reduce carbon footprints, and believe that the passion and capacity to influence the greener good is there. To learn more about our work in the government sector, please click here.

The low-down on green savings In the continued conversation on how to be environmentally-friendly, sometimes being green doesn’t always translate to more green for your bottom line. But even so, spending a little extra on green products, such as CFL energy-efficient bulbs, can certainly reap impressive ROIs. For example, CFL bulbs last, on average, ten times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs and reduce month-to-month energy bills– two factors which will make the initial investment worth the long-term benefits.

Here at The Refinishing Touch, we are always looking for ways to save money while preserving the environment. Our award-winning furniture asset management services – which include refinishing, reupholstering and remanufacturing – save government, hospitality and higher education organizations up to 80 percent of their budget and 90 percent in carbon emissions, when compared to buying new furniture.

Here are some other ways that money can be saved through green practices, which can be implemented in individual households or rolled-out across larger corporations:

Turn off lamps and ceiling fixtures when lighting isn’t necessary and unplug unused devices; large organizations can invest in automatic, smart fixtures which monitor movement and turn off unused lights
Choose reusable items instead of disposable ones – a great example is buying plastic storage containers instead of dispensable, one-time use storage bags
Consider packaging when purchasing items – are you paying for wasteful materials? Hotels, for example, can source toiletries with bottles from recycled products
Walk, bike, carpool or use public transportation to get to certain destinations, including work – many companies even have programs in place to reimburse employees for decreasing their transportation carbon footprint
Grow fruits and vegetables in a home garden, instead of spending the green at the grocery store. If you’re a student at a university, get involved with or start a program that maintains campus gardens or sources dining hall food from local farmers

For more tricks on how to save both your budget and the environment, be sure to subscribe to our free quarterly newsletter, InTouch. Simply visit our homepage, and submit your contact information in the right hand panel. Along with green tips, we also provide the latest in sustainability news, project updates and eye-opening blog poll results. You don’t want to miss the next issue!

For more information on The Refinishing Touch’s green furniture refinishing services or to get a free quote for the services at your business, visit our website: www.therefinishingtouch.com.