In North America and Northern Europe where winters can be long and bitter uPVC windows have several advantages. The hard plastic is easy to cut, mold and dye. It can be made into any style of window – casement, patio, stable door etc. and it is resistant to bad weather. In contrast wooden frames tend to need constant maintenance without which they quickly rot.

Moreover, uPVC has a high thermal resistance. In conjunction with double glazing uPVC windows greatly improve the insulation of a home and thus reduce heating and cooling bills.

Another advantage of uPVC windows is that they are sturdy and usually come with locks as standard. From a burglar’s point of view uPVC windows present a far greater challenge than old wooden windows.

The other side of the coin is that uPVC or vinyl is a petro-chemical product. This means uPVC is not a renewable resource and the demand for uPVC is helping to drive oil companies to the extremes of the earth where they invariably pollute and kill the wild life. Think of Exxon Valdes, Deepwater Horizon and the latest spill in New Zealand.

The production of PVC and uPVC has also been connected with increases in cancer rates in the vicinities where the factories are placed. It is not just the start of the uPVC process which is fraught with concern, the end is also problematic. It is very hard to break uPVC into material that be re-used or safely disposed of. Most of the unwanted uPVC in the world goes to landfill sites where they leach chemicals into the ground for many years.

Veka Group has built a factory in Thuringia in Germany that changes all this. They take in old and unwanted uPVC from a wide variety of sources. They have an automated process that separates out the uPVC, glass, metal and rubber. The recovered uPVC is then subjected to a closed system process which recycles it; after the uPVC is reused to make uPVC windows. Veka now sell mostly recycled uPVC windows.

This process avoids releasing the dangerous dioxins that are produced when uPVC is made. The factory essentially recycles uPVC. This means that less oil is needed and that the problem of what to do with unwanted uPVC is solved. It is an important improvement on the traditional life cycle of uPVC windows and definitely goes a long way to answering the critics of uPVC windows.

Other green posts you might be interested in:

• Solutions for Renewable Energy for our Future
• Making Interiors Green – green interior design
• Cutting your Energy Bill is as easy as 1, 2, 3…4.
• DIY Solar Panels – The inexpensive way to using solar power
• Saving Money With Sustainable Homes

People today throw all kinds of phrases and statements around.  And more often than not, others smile or nod in agreement, while not really understanding what their friends are talking about.  I mean, how many times have you heard someone say “oh they are green”? Or “I only work with them because of their green policies”?  But have you ever really stopped to think about what this means?  How is something green? Is the company’s building painted green?  No.  Do they only use recycled paper when publishing documents? Perhaps. Do they only buy supplies for their office that are made from recycled materials?  Probably not.  So, what does it mean these days to be a ‘green company’?

People have become consumed with the idea of ‘going GREEN’.  Simply recycling isn’t enough these days for many individuals.  Many people want to only support and purchase from companies who have positive impacts on the environment.  (And quite frankly, who can blame them?)  Infact it has become such a driving force in today’s society to identify one’s company as being a green company that the Green Business Network was developed by Green America.  The Green Business Network, or GBN, is a network made up of over 5,000 businesses, which provides companies with tools and information, including a consumer base, to help businesses thrive in today’s market.  Green America, as the ‘mother company’ of this network, reaches out and educates millions of consumers each year through education programs and publications.  Green America encourages consumers to support environmentally responsible companies.

But so far this sounds too easy.  Any company could simply market themselves as a green company couldn’t they?  Not if they want to be a part of the Green Business Network.  These businesses not only reduce, reuse and recycle, but also offer environmentally friendly products that help with things like education, clean energy, fair trade, clean air and water, and much more. Any business who wants to be a part of this network must submit an application to be screened and considered to be allowed to call itself a GBN member.

After a company’s application is accepted, Green America’s board of directors appoints a Screening Team to investigate each new applicant.  In the most broad terms, the Screening Team investigates the company and its familiarity/commitment to environmental responsibility/issues and its action in relation to this commitment.  Green America takes the time to make sure any company they add to their GBN fulfills four specific goals in their everyday business practices.  First, they must focus on their company being a tool for positive social/ecological change.  Second, they must be a company that is both values driven as much as profit driven.  Thirdly, they must be environmentally/socially responsible in how they run their company, market products, manufacture their products, etc.  And finally, they must be a company that is committed to running in a manner that benefits employees, their community, consumers, and the environment.  Only after fulfilling all of these qualities to the Screening Team’s satisfaction will they recommend to Green America to include the company into the Green Business Network, and identify them as a true ‘green company’.  You can learn more about Green America and the Green Business Network at http://www.greenamerica.org.

Ok, so say you have checked out Green America and read about different companies and their policies and practices.  Should the general consumer simply look at one source, one network as the confirming factor of a company’s green policies and commitment to the planet?  Personally, I don’t think so.  There are plenty of other resources out there to find confirmation of a company’s policies, practices and commitment to making a positive ecological impact on our world.  One of these sources is Newsweek.

Last year, Newsweek compiled a list which ranked the 500 largest publicly traded companies in America (based on revenue, market capitalization, and number of employees).  The goal of this list was to assess each company, its environmental footprint, and its policies to manage the company’s footprint.  The list placed these 500 companies in order of their Green Score (i.e.  the Environmental Impact Score – 45%, the Green Policies Score – 45%, and the Reputation Survey Score – 10%).  To check out the entire list, you can go to  http://www.thedailybeast.com/content/newsweek/2010/10/18/green-rankings-us-companies.html.  There are many companies on this list that consumers come into contact with every day.  And others that seem to be more off the beaten path, local/regional companies, or internet companies.  Listed as the Top 10 Green Companies, in order, are:  Dell, Hewlett-Packard, International Business Machines, Johnson & Johnson, Intell, Sprint Nextel, Adobe Systems, Applied Materials, Yahoo!, and Nike.

So being a Green Company is more than buying printer paper that is made from recycled materials or having a aluminum can recycle bin in your office.  Companies are realizing that consumers will support them if they,in turn, support the local society in which they are located and the health of our planet.  So do your part.  Take a little time before you go out and buy supplies for your next project or things for school.  And find a green company.   Support their efforts as they try to make a positive ecological difference.

Green Living

• Easy Tips to Save Some Green While Going Green
• What do companies mean when they say they are taking green initiatives?
• Green Gift Giving – The new way to shop!
• The 5 Biggest Disadvantages of wind power vs solar power

Approximately ten to fifteen years ago many companies, from big box stores to small mom and pop stores, started recognizing that their customers were making buying decisions by not only which stores had the best prices and services, but which ones were doing something about their environmental impact on our environment as well. This has caused many companies to take green initiatives to stop polluting the environment and start to reduce their global footprint. They’ve also begun to realize that by implementing typical green actions (that most homeowners do on a daily basis), such as replacing incandescent light bulbs with CFL bulbs and establishing policies of turning off lights in areas that no one is working in, that they can save millions of dollars a year in operating costs.

But what does a company really mean when they say they are taking green initiatives? Especially when you are talking about a multi billiion dollar corporation, such as Wal mart or Dow Chemical? Most companies green initiatives started out small by taking little steps to cut costs, which coincidentally also lowered their impact on the environment. For example, when a huge conglomerate like Wal Mart decides to replace their light bulbs in their stores with more efficient environmentally friendly ones, they aren’t just saving millions of dollars a year in their electric bills, they are also reducing their impact on their local environment.

But when a company decides to implement an overall green strategy in their corporation is when they can really lower their impact on the environment and start making profits from it as well. Many companies have fleets of cars that they lease for executives or salesmen to meet with their customers. It used to be that these companies would lease big gas guzzling cars that only got 15 or 20 mpg. Now, many companies have begun to lease (or purchase) smaller cars so that they not only save on fuel costs but also so that they can advertise that they are a company that has taken green initiatives and is worth buying products from. Another big step that green companies have been taking to be recognized as such is by reducing their products packaging. Wal mart, for example, has reduced their annual shipping container use (by reusing plastic or cardboard containers that are shipped to their stores everyday) by over 1,000 units a year, which has prevented their consumption of 4,000 trees and barrels of oil while saving them over 2 million dollars in shipping costs at the same time.

One of the most important thing that companies going green have begun to do to lower their impact on the environment and actually make money at the same time has been to recycle all their waste products that they used to just throw away into the local landfills. By recycling all the cardboard that is shipped to them everyday, and then selling the cardboard to a local recycling company not only are they keeping it out of the landfill but they can make a profit that can fund other green initiatives as well. Did you know there is a local grocery store chain in Cleveland, Ohio that recycles enough cardboard every year to pay the entire companies electric bill for the year? Savings like this are a major factor that has pushed companies to go green.

Green Living

• What exactly does it mean to be a “Green Company”? And should I care?

Here is a fun fact to start: Did you know that if paper faxing could be reduced by just 1% in the U.S, we would be helping save an estimated 73.5 million trees! That’s a big number, imagine how much we could help if U.S fax users would make the switch to internet faxing.

A fax machine is not a cheap investment. Getting it setup is also another dilemma as it requires an extra phone line and wiring. In order for you to receive faxes at all times and never miss an important fax, you must leave the fax machine on all day. Because of this Energy Star reported that the fax machine is the office equipment that consumed the most energy!

On the flip side you have internet fax services, also known as email fax services, which allows you to receive faxes all day, everyday of the year without having to hog energy all day. This not only makes a green solution but it also helps you save money on your electricity bill.

With an internet fax service you don’t need to waste gas driving around town looking for a fax machine or special hardware. Your account is instantly activated and there are no setup fees or wiring to worry about. You also receive a free fax number which function the same way, the only difference is that your incoming faxes are delivered online and you can send fax through the internet as well.

Being able to send fax via the internet gives you much more flexibility. Not only can you send fax from computer but you can also fax from your smart phone, such as an iPhone or Blackberry. You can receive and send faxes at anytime and check these via your online fax dashboard or even have them delivered directly to your email (you can fax from email too).

Internet faxing provides many features, such as broadcast faxing, as well. All of this is included in your monthly plan. But the best way is to try them out for free! The best internet fax services now offer 30 day free trials, which is risk free and includes no hidden fees. You can cancel at anytime and even when you sign up it is contract free.

Other green posts you might be interested in:

• What you should know about using passive solar energy
• Global Warming and What We Can Do To Fight It
• Protect Your Future – 5 Ways to Reduce Energy Usage
• Solar Power = One of the most effective and popular forms of alternative energy
• Are you being affected by the Global Energy Crisis?

If you want a green job, some of the ones that are currently available today are:

• Wind Technician I, II, or III – This position is performing preventative maintenance and repair on the big windmills you see on windfarms. A good job for someone who likes working outdoors and has a mechanical background.
• Renewable Energy Analyst – Basically, analyzing and procuring renewable energy systems for large companies and ensuring they are profitable and feasible to work.
• Director of Engineering, Solar Division – This job entails working with companies to develop solar power technology and make it more efficient fro public use.
• Clean Air/Clean Energy Specialist – Working with individual local communities/governments to reduce air pollution and promote clean energy solutions in the local area.
• PV Systems Designer – This job is responsible for the the design, and making of photovoltaic cells that are used in solar panels.
• Renewable Energy Consultant – A consultant who advises other companies on how to best use alternative energy sources to their best advantage.

There are many other types of green energy careers that are being created by these new technologies and they are growing every day. The best way to get a green  job is to have at least a 4 year college degree concentrating in some type of engineering that can be applied to green energy fields

Other green posts you might be interested in:

• Saving money while helping the environment
• E-Green – Electronic Waste (e-Waste) Green Living Solutions – What Is So Dangerous ?
• Saving Power In Your Home In 6 Easy Steps
• Green Weddings – The perfect choice for eco conscious couples
• The Trouble with Starting From Scratch with Green Backyard Renovations

1) Use natural light as much as possible. If your office has alot of windows, leave the lights off as much as possible. There’s no reason to ignore a free light sourceand your utility bill will thank you.

2) Start a recycling program for aluminum cans and plastic bottles if you don’t already have one in place. Chances are that your Human Resources department could use the proceeds to fund a summer company picnic or donate to a local charity in your companies name.

3) Recycle your paper products. Your waste removal company will usually take the money they make recycling your paper products off your bill if you ask them to. All you have to do is call.

4) Keep live green plants all over the office. Living plants have been proven to have a calming effect on people and they reduce the amount of noxious gasses emitted by paint, carpet, and new building odors.

5) Set your thermostat in the office a few degrees cooler in the winter and a few degrees warmer in the summer to save energy.

6) If you have a kitchen in your office, set aside used coffee grounds ( filter included ) for any co-workers who have gardens. (You’ll be amazed at how appreciative they are of your going green at the office efforts when their gardens look even better.) You can also ask your landscaping contractor if they will take your vegetable/coffee kitchen scraps to add to their compost piles.

7) Stop using disposible cups, plates, utensils, etc. Have each employee bring their own coffee cup to work and dishes if they use them everyday. Washing or rinsing your dishes off once a day has a lesser impact on the environment than throwing away plastic or styrofoam items everyday.

Ask your housekeeping contractor to use green cleaning supplies as much as possible. Simple Green (http://www.simplegreen.com/) is a excellent environmentally friendly cleaner and can be used on most surfaces. Also as if they can use cloth towels to clean surfaces instead of using paper towels that will be thrown away.

9) Be as paperless as possible. If you can email an invoice or receipt to your vendor/customer, it then becomes their responsibility to print a paper copy. An unused peice of paper is better than a used peice of paper that has to be recycled.

10) Something that can really add up over time in a big company is to replace all your light bulbs with compact florescent bulbs as they burn out. CFL bulbs last 8 – 15 times longer than normal bulbs and they use 25% of the power. The only complication with using these bulbs is that they contain mercury and must be disposed of in a proper manner.

There are many other things you can do in the office to be green at work. If you have any ideas, suggestions or comments, please feel free to email us and we will check it out.

Other green posts you might be interested in:

• How to Make Compost -Making a Difference in Your Own Backyard
• Saving Power In Your Home In 6 Easy Steps
• Green Car Maintenance? Have A Green Car By Maintaining It The Green Way!
• How Environmentally Friendly Is Your Car?
• Bamboo Clothing For The Environmentally Friendly