The Greening of Gavin

TGoG Podcast 093 – Greening Our Business

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Greening our business is now second nature for us.  When Kim and I started our Little Green Workshops business, we wanted it to be as green as we possibly could.  We strive to make sure that our personal values shine through when we teach our classes and that all of our ingredients and equipment are as sustainably sourced as possible.  From local milk for the cheese making, to as much locally sourced oils for soap making, and eco-soya wax for candle making.  We reuse things as much as possible and recycle everything that is possible.

During this episode you will hear Kim and I talk about how we started our business and what we teach.  We get a bit off track at the start, but get to the greening part at around the [12:40] mark.  If you just want to specifically listen to greening our business then fast forward to that time mark.

Greening our business - soy candle making workshop

We have carried that through to our on-line business and all our new products where possible.  Additionally, around the office we make sure that we source post-consumer 100% recycled paper, refill our own toner and ink cartridges for printing our booklets and invoices, and of course we use 100% renewable energy here at home.

An as for packaging our products we use recycled cardboard boxes and brown paper for most of our shipping.  We even shred our old tax documents and any other paper we can get our hands on for filler for shipping.  Nothing goes to waste around here.  Boxes that we receive stock in gets reused for our own shipping or cut into soap mould lids or given away to friends.  If we can’t find a use for it, we then recycle into curbside recycling.

We hope you enjoy the show and learn a little bit more about how we try to keep our business as green as possible.

Wireless Solar Keyboard – Logitech k760 Review

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Roughly once a year, I review a piece of green technology that I have bought or been given to review.  It is not easy maintain my media empire 😉

This is such a review, and features the Wireless Solar Keyboard – Logitech k760.  The review unit was kindly provided to me by Mobile Zap, who are located in Sydney.

You may have seen in my recording studio video that I have a refurbished iPad that I use for podcasting, and I have found that I just cannot type anything of substance on it.  I definitely would not attempt to type a blog post using the iPad’s onscreen keyboard.  I have tried and the result is not pretty.

I had been looking for a keyboard, but it had to have one special feature.  It had to be solar-powered, and have replaceable batteries if the rechargeable ones failed.

There are not many on the market, as most of these types of keyboards need to be recharged from the mains.  Thankfully Logitech had the foresight to design this model.

So on with the review.

The Good

Logitech k760

The keyboard arrived via a courier, so I unboxed it and put it to good use.  It has a small area footprint, and is slightly larger than my iPad.  The big black panel across the top of the keyboard is actually six separate solar cells that charge the two 1.2 volt Ni-Mh batteries located in the rear of the unit.  These can be replaced and recycled if they fail, unlike the apple devices (iPad, iPhone) that it connects to.  I like this feature a lot.

Logitech k760

It is lighter than my iPad, which is a bonus, because I have been carrying it around for three weeks and have been using it on the train as I travel to work.

It it easier to use on a table than it is a lap, but certainly beats the on-screen keypad.

This keyboard can also connect to three bluetooth devices at the press of a button, but not all at the same time.  It does make swapping between devices a breeze.

The Bad

The only feature that I do not like on this keyboard is that due to its compact size, the left hand shift key.  It is way too small, and I keep hitting the wrong keys.  It is something I am getting used to.

Also, it can only be used with specific Apple devices, including those running Mac OS X and iOS 6 and above.

I could not find any mention of it working with Android tablets, and unfortunately have been unable to test it with one.

The Ugly?

I would love to say that it is made from post-consumer recycled plastic and that the packaging was recycled cardboard, but I cannot, because I cannot find evidence that it is.  I wrote to Logitech and asked them the following question;

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing a product review on my blog, The Greening of Gavin, for this keyboard, and am trying to clarify this statement from the product page;

“Small steps, bright future
From the PVC-free construction to the fully recyclable box, the K760 is designed to reduce its environmental footprint.”

What are the full environmental features of this model. Surely it has to be more than just that it is PVC free and the box is made of cardboard. It is made of post-consumer recycled plastic and the box is recycled cardboard?

Please expand on this statement so that I can write a better review.

Kind regards,

Gavin Webber

After two weeks, the only response I received was that they would investigate my request.  I pestered them twice with the same response.

As I have not had a proper response to my question, so I guess that the environmental credentials are just that it has a solar panel, is not made from PVC, and that all the packaging is made from cardboard.  If they do eventually respond with an answer, I will update this post.

Summary

When I look at some technologies that I purchase, is not a bad effort.  The fact that it self charges and needs no external power supply is its biggest feature.  That it only works with Mac OS X and iOS 6 and above is a downside.  You think that you would be able to connect it to any bluetooth enabled tablet that needed a keyboard.

Typing this blog post using the k760

Typing a blog post using the k760

The lack of packaging that came with the Logitech k760 was a pleasant surprise, because I have unpacked computers with so much styrofoam and other plastic paraphernalia that it would make this green IT guy cry.

Would I recommend it?  Yes, but only if you have a need for this type of device.  As I already had a refurbished iPad for use in my studio and as an eBook reader, it was a logical addition.

By getting this keyboard, I did not need to buy a laptop or notebook so that I could write on the train, so it filled my need.  It saves me time having to transcribe from my recycled paper notebook into my PC at night-time.  In fact, it has saved me about 2 hours a day.

So if you are ever in the market for a wireless keyboard, you could do no worse by buying the Logitech k760.

 

Greening The Office

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Photo: Loungepark/Getty Images

I write a lot about greening my own home, but what about the workplace?  I do have a few tips that will save money in energy and help to green up the office by reducing the environmental footprint.

• Reduce paper. When printing, use both sides of a piece of paper in order to conserve. Keep a scrap paper pile for misprinted or unnecessary documents to either print on or write on.   Also, think before printing, you may not need a hard copy.

• Reduce your waste. Bring your own coffee cup or water bottle to work to avoid buying Styrofoam or paper cups and throwing them away every day. Also, bring your lunch in a reusable container rather than a disposable paper bag. Lastly, make sure your company has an easy-to-use recycling program and that everyone is educated on how it works.

• Be conscious of your supplies. Some office supplies are better for the environment than others;  Consider refillable pens and mechanical pencils rather than disposable ones.  There are even corn starch based pens that break down in landfill.  Most office supplies can be made from recycled materials and a cheap to buy.

• Office Equipment – Computers, printers, fax machines and photocopiers all contribute to an office’s electricity consumption. New office equipment has become more energy efficient and includes facilities to automatically reduce power when not in use. This is known as ‘stand-by’ or ‘sleep’ mode. For most office equipment the power consumption in sleep mode is between 5% and 50% of its operating power.

• Turn off equipment if it isn’t needed – This is the easiest way to reduce energy costs. A check at the end of the day (especially on Fridays) should be done to ensure all equipment is off.

• Install plug-in timers – Use plug-in timers to automatically switch off some equipment after hours. These are especially useful for photocopiers, printers and appliances which do not have automatic switch-off functions.  The continuous boil hot water in the kitchenette is a great appliance to target for a time!  TIP – It’s a good idea to post clear instructions on how to override timers for people who may require equipment out of hours. Otherwise you may find them disconnected by a frustrated staff member!

• Computers – Make sure all computers are turned off when not in use, especially overnight, weekends, and at lunchtime. A notice reminding people to switch off computers when not in use will keep staff aware of energy saving initiatives. Each desktop computer left on a lunchtime costs about $5/year if not set to low power or sleep mode.  Increasing numbers of computers can be responsible for the increase in office energy consumption.

• Switch off monitors – The monitor of a computer uses more than half of the energy consumed by the machine. Newer computers have functions that automatically switch off the monitor after a set period of inactivity. For older computers turn off the monitor, even if the computer itself is left running.

• Turn off the Screen Saver – most computers allow a screen saver to appear when they become idle for a certain period of time. Screen savers do not save energy, they are merely a protection device to maximise your screen’s useful life. They do not replace the sleep mode or switching the monitor off.

• Use laptop computers – Laptop computers use about one tenth the energy of a desktop computer. Connected to a monitor a laptop still uses about half the energy of a desktop machine.

So, if you follow some or all of this tips, you will save money for your business and lower your environmental footprint, and you will find that staff will feel more engaged because the company shows that they care about the environment.  Give yourself a pat on the back if you have already implemented some of these tips!

Are there any others that I have missed?