It's been 6 months since we lauched the GoGreen - Buy Eco Friendly Office Supplies section of our web site; here's how its going:

• Sales of "Green" recycled and biodegradable products are up 59%
• The number of Green office products we carry rose from 1300 to 1800
• We've switched our internal purchases of copy paper, paper towels, toilet paper, etc from virgin paper products to recycled products containing 30% to 100% post consumer waste

And we've seen many of our competitors add green sections to their web sites; it seems there's a little more "buzz" about green office products on the web than there was 6 months ago. This progress is encouraging, but we're not satisfied. We're pressing our suppliers for better pricing on the green products we carry and continuing to search for a larger assortment of earth friendly supplies.

I just discovered 41pounds.org and immediately signed up for their service. What do they do? Their service claims to eliminate 80-95% of the unsolicitied mail (JUNK MAIL) that shows up in my mailbox! They took their name from the 41 pounds of junk mail that the average adult in the US receives yearly. The service costs $41 for 5 years, and 1/3 of the fee is donated to an environmental or community organization; they even let you choose which organization you'd prefer receive the donation.

Here's how 41pounds.org says I'll benefit (from their web site):

• 41pounds.org eliminates 80-95% of junk mailings for you by contacting dozens of direct marketers on your behalf
• By reducing your junk mail for 5 years, you’ll conserve 1.7 trees and 700 gallons of water, and prevent 460 pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere — and you’ll gain about 350 hours of free time!
• By stopping credit card offers and other junk mail, you’ll help protect your identity from theft and fraud.

They say I should see a noticable improvement within 6-8 weeks and after 4 months, virtually all the junk mail should have disappeared. That'll save me a trip to the trash everyday, and several shredder sessions every week. I'll follow up with my results in a few months.

We've been selling Global Office Furniture for the last year and during that time I've been pleased to learn about their commitment to the environment. 

One of their initiatives is the use of powder paint finishes on metal parts in Global production facilities. 

• About 98 percent of the excess paint powder is reused eliminating waste
• The powder in its raw form is classified as non-hazardous
• Powder coating is a waste-free process, eliminating the need to vent, filter or recover any solvents – very energy efficient
• Powder coating secures healthy working conditions for our employees!