Take action - Protect the Environment

There are so many things we can do. Maybe there are too many, so we end up doing nothing. Here are some simple habits that we should start building into our every-day activities:

Recycle! Purchase products which can be recycled. Put different bins in place for your glass, paper, plastics and good old compost. Remember, the compost goes into the garden, and the other stuff gets recycled elsewhere.

Buy products that are bio-degradable and don't need recycling. Try and find products that sacrifice a little on the packaging aesthetics, and more on the quality of the product itself.

Keep a shopping bag handy, and remember to take it with you when you shop, so that you can reduce the number of plastic bags you take home.

Eat less meat? I'm definitely not a vegetarian, so it hurts me to say this, but cows do affect the atmosphere and use up lots of arable land.

Look for opportunities to work from home. Negotiate with your employer to allow you to work at least one day a week from home if the nature of your job allows it. Not only will you avoid driving, but you'll probably be more productive too. Be disciplined though. Your employer will be watching very carefully, so make sure the quality of your work from home is even better than your office work. Take the comments above about greener business process and show then to your company. Not only will it make you look good, but that may lead to new process that suit home working.

Travel less. Plan trips in advance, and only make necessary trips to the shops. Where possible, buddy up with other like-minded families and share trips. Don't travel alone if possible. There are so many cars on our highways with one occupant. It makes no sense at all.

Grow your own vegetables where possible. Not only is it more environmentally friendly, but it is hugely therapeutic too. Buy organic where you can. About that compost heap - start it, and use your waste wisely. Start a worm farm and be proud of the monster vegetables you produce.

You may have heard about the "paperless office". Sadly reality is far from this utopian ideal. But there are many ways that we can improve our carbon footprints at the same time as reducing cost, improving customer service, and meeting compliance and corporate governance requirements. It is possible, and it can be done without spending tens of millions of dollars.

Here are just some of the processes that can be improved, in order of the steps that most companies follow:

1. Start with scanning documents, and use the electronic image in the day to day process. Get your staff used to working with images instead of paper.
2. Start storing only the images. Destroy the paper, and recycle it. Make sure when you do destroy the paper, that your scanning and storage technologies and processes meet the legal requirements in your country.
3. Send your invoices and statments to your clients electronically. get their approval first, and once again, make sure you do it in such a way that you meet legal requirements.
4. Build electronic internal processes such as applying for leave electronically.
5. Implement some form of simple digital signature technology so that you don't need to print and sign documents.
6. Start looking for ways that you can do business electronically with suppliers and customers. Try and reduce the amount of paper flowing into the company in the first place. Find creative ways to use electronic forms.
7. Reward your staff for going green. Find creative ways to recognise and reward them.

As a simple guideline, don't just do the same old things you've always done, but now in electronic form. Find ways to use the technology you already have to do things differently.

For advice on how you can improve your processes using technology you probably already own, visit COR Concepts, a company specialising in environmentally friendly process development.