Organic is going Green!!!

As you all have seen with the previous emails regarding making Organic a Green office; below is an update on where Detroit stands in this process.

• Switched all of our cleaning products to organic, biodegradable products (Method/Seventh Generation).
• Switched from Styrofoam to all paper products: all bio-degradable or recycled when possible.
• Switched to recycled paper.
• Recycling ink cartridges and batteries.
• Working with an organization (Youth Environmental Recycle) to recycle all empty cans and bottles.
• Brought in more recycling containers throughout the office for both confidential shredding and recycling.
• Much of the office lights have been switched to energy efficient light bulbs (working with building management to change the rest).
• Switched fruit to all organic and/or locally grown when in season and available.
• Junk mail stopped/recycled:  attached you will find a flyer on how to stop receiving junk mail at the office and your home. (I’ve actually done this in the past and love not receiving all the extra mail each day!).
• All garbage and waste that goes in our dumpsters are 100% recycled.  That includes paper, plastic, etc.

We are currently still working on:

• Establishing recycling bins for paper at every workstation (to be emptied nightly by cleaning staff).
• Installing timers on all the lights (some of our conference rooms/office have this already…we are working with building management to have the rest changed over).
• Recycling all old computers/electronics.
• Switching all cutlery to recycled/bio-degradable material.
• Installing a bike rack for those interested in riding a bike to work.

Here’s what you can do:

• Please turn OFF lights when conference rooms and offices are not in use.
• Turn off desk lamps when leaving for the evening.
• Print/copy two sided when possible.
• Print only what is needed and remember to pick up your printed material (the amount of unclaimed paper tossed each day is huge!).
• Turn off computer monitors when finished for the day (make sure to leave your computer running as IT runs updates and the network performs back ups at night…only turn the monitor off!).
• Use washable items for coffee, drinks and meals…..glasses, mugs, silverware, etc.  (Our office does have a dishwasher on site, as well as, dish soap for cleaning your items….please remember to clean your items and not to leave them in the sinks!).

Through our research to become a more ECO-Friendly office we have found that our garbage/waste service (Capital Waste, Inc) recycles everything that leaves this office.   (http://www.capitalwasteusa.com/)

Capital Waste is a local company who hand sorts all the materials in the dumpster, recycles what they can and sends the rest to the Greater Detroit Resource Recovery Authority for incineration. 

The steam generated produces electricity and is sold to Detroit Edison.  This process completes the recycling chain and ensures that 100% of Organic Detroit’s garbage/waste is recycled.

Toni