Revisiting Green

Don't blow it - good planets are hard to find.
 - Quoted in Time

We're revisiting the whole "Green Meetings" initiative at work right now. The conversation tends to center around the "what can we do," rather than the "why are we doing it." I want to revisit the Why part before jumping into the What.


So... Why? Because it's good for the enviroment. Because I work for one of the Greenest companies in the world and we're just bringing that brand philosophy to life in our events. Because I care about the planet. Yeah, yeah, yeah - great story to tell to the press, but being Green is not a determinate need when buying computer products (except in some government sectors).


How about this? Because it saves us money - both on printing costs, and on shipping all that paper to our events. Because our customers want it - they don't actually like to carry back paper with them after an event. They would much rather have a link or a file they can refer to later. Because it's easier to capture real leads - when someone actively wants your brochure, you have them email it to themselves from your system, thus capturing their email address. Harder to do when handing out paper!


NOW! On to the What: When you do print, use recycled and recyclable materials. If printing postcard-sized teasers, use that cool wildflower seed paper so your trash grows flowers in the landfill. Work with hotels to ensure leftover food goes to the appropriate charity of choice. The What is really easy!