Are Girl Scouts Greener – Or just in the Pocketbook?

Being a Daisy Girl Scout troop co-leader this year has been an eye-opener in many ways. Fundraising is the biggest one of all.

I’m not naive enough to think that dollars magically float from the air, but the way the Scouts are approaching the fall fundraiser is a big disconnect from their messaging that they are “always greener” and from their emphasis on recycling, etc.

Girls earn not one but four stackable participation patches: One for selling magazines (Interestingly, only print editions are for sale. My retired mom wants digital subscriptions.). A second for selling a certain quantity of chocolates and nuts.

A third is for loading up a website with a dozen email addresses of their closest friends and family members to receive requests from. And the fourth for completing a mailing booklet (assuming to the same people) with addresses to send two print mailings to.

I am a mass marketer. My six year old is not. But I’m further bothered by the fact that families and friends receive multiple print mailings for this fundraiser. And parents will be encouraged to turn those in as well, as I’m told each troop makes $2 per completed booklet, on top of a percentage of sales. Shouldn't we be about reducing waste instead?

For an organization that is purporting to be “always greener,” this practice flies in the face of what we’re encouraging girls to be.

Taming the paper monster

I'm buried in a sea of paper. Literally. My work desk is a foot deep in marked-up papers, sign-offs, meeting notes, etc. I've yet to find a working solution. Add a kindergartener, preschooler and a college-student husband to the mix of bills, work and other "business" of home, and you'd think my home would be in a similar situation. And sure, I have a few hot spots, like our kitchen table that never seems to stay clean. But thankfully, we're starting to tame the paper monster. Slowly. Here's what's working for me:

• We reuse. Work papers get rehashed as printing paper for everything from recipes from the Internet to printouts of email receipts to word finds for my kindergartener. And the papers are stored in two locations: one for printing, and one for easy kid access. That way they're not mixed about the house.


• We recycle. We keep at least one, if not two, recycling bags in our kitchen to toss completed math papers, junk mail, newspapers, etc. When the bag's full, we drop it off at the school's paper recycling station, which helps the school as well. Since we drive our child to work anyway, we have no excuse. The cool thing? It helped the environment and raised $1300 for tuition assistance last year!


• We eliminate. I have a serious problem with lists and sticky notes and multiple calendars. This year, I stumbled on a "mom planner," which has kept my life saner and more organized than I've felt in a few years. Each weekly sheet tracks by day my activities and those for each of my family members, along with a space for lists and daily meals. Along with that, we posted a wipe-off monthly calendar and menu on our fridge, so it's easy to consult or change.

What works for you in taming the paper monster? Any other habits that can help us out?

Does the RNC just not get it?

An election year means all bets are off when it comes to political campaigns. I'd seen a lot even at the local level in my good old days as a reporter. But this one takes the cake.

Let me preface this story by stating I'm a loyal independent who typically errs in the voting booth on the side of helping people.

Now, imagine you get a certified letter in the mail. Your response? Make time, drive to the post office and pick it up.

Now imagine it's a request for money - and it's not a collection notice. Instead, it's a campaign solicitation!

Indianapolis Star political columnist Matthew Tully wrote in Sunday's paper:

To [Lizbeth Maher's] surprise, the letter in question was nothing more than a plea for cash from the Republican National Committee -- a form letter, no less, seeking a few bucks so Republicans could fight against what the letter breathlessly called "the national Democrats and their ultra-liberal allies (who) are raising money at a frantic pace."

Sounding a dire warning, the pitch included what many such letters do: An artificial
deadline. "I must ask you to please use the Emergency Return Envelope and rush
an immediate contribution of $360 today," it said.

Now imagine you are Maher and you're standing there at the Carmel Post Office, having just rushed over to pick up a certified letter that turned out to be a cheesy campaign contribution scheme. And you're not alone. Several other people at the post office received the same letter.

"Everyone was standing there with their mouths open," she said. "They were not happy."Neither was Maher. She called the letter an embarrassment and a waste of $3.02 in postage. Not to mention a thoughtless swipe at people who have supported the party and its candidates.

So here's my question: Is the RNC just out of touch? Had it not realized that people are paying $4.15 a gallon for gas (OK, $3.79 or so when it was likely mailed), and they have to invest time and hard-earned gasoline money to get to the post office? Not to mention when we're debating the dwindling resources for gasoline in this nation?

Are you the environmental conscience?

Becky wrote last Friday that a doctor at her practice is the environmental conscience for the group.

One of the docs at our office brought a small trashcan with holes cut into the
lid for recyclables. She takes this home with her weekly to her personal
recycling bins.

Are you your organization's green version of Jimmeny Cricket? The little (or loud) voice saying you office should do more? What has worked or not worked at your work?

What's your office's environmental impact?

The joke around my office is that I keep things out of the landfill. It's not because of my oft-used blue paper recycling can; it's because of the stacks of documentation and project files I'm cursed with.

Even with a "Web" job, which one would assume is paperless, there are significant paper trails that do develop. System documentation. Printouts of approvals from "problem" clients. Publications that you struggle to keep up with. Memos. Hard copies from proofing from when I can't stand staring at the screen any longer. And more.

The reality is, in a lawsuit-crazy society, and particularly in the industry I work in, we have a major paper trail. And I'm stuck in it, particularly when projects can drag on for months or even years. Even though most of my "trail" is electronic, housed on my personal folder on our file server, there's still a lot of waste.

Paper can't just be recycled; it must be shredded due to privacy regulations. Who knows where it goes. The papers that are "safe" and don't have to be filed (i.e. drafts that I've edited) or shredded come home for a second life as a Sesame Street or Pigglywinks coloring page before they move on for recycling.

For a company that prides itself on community stewardship, recycling has not yet become a serious part of the equation. There are no boxes for can or plastic bottle recycling at the cafeterias or vending machines. Our can container's contents have on occasion found their way to the garbage bin. Our newspapers and magazines, left in the break room, find their way to the trash can. I sheepishly pack any empty plastic bottles into my lunch bag to take them home. And my coworkers were floored when I suggested that I'd take the cardboard boxes to get recycled rather than pitch them in our most recent storage room cleanup.

Thankfully, my employer is working on developing a recycling program, and I can't wait to see the rollout. But it's an interesting contrast when I read today's post on Crunchy Chicken's blog. At her employer, they go so far as to have a worm composting system and, now, food waste compost pick-up at work. Each kitchen will get its own compost container along with posted rules about what items are acceptable for composting. And a Massachusetts public library utilizes rain collection barrels.

What does it mean for us?

Maybe nothing. It may well be that those of us who are committed to small changes keep making those small changes and accept that as enough. (I for one, know worm composting would never happen when we have to worry about the state health department.)

Or, it may be that those of us wanting to reduce our carbon footprints demand more from our employers.

According to the UK's Labour Outlook, published last summer:

• Seventy per cent of organisations say that they could do more to encourage
  employees to reduce their travel.
• Ninety-one per cent of organisations encourage recycling, while 83% promote
  the case for reducing energy consumption.
• Employees actively use the recycling facilities while at work at around
  two-thirds of organisations. This compares to 59% of organisations who say that
  their employees are energy-conscious.
• Thirty-nine per cent of organisations believe that an environment policy is
  an important recruitment and retention tool for younger workers.

In the States, other surveys are finding that employees are demanding a more environmentally friendly workplace. According to the Christian Science Monitor (as cited by the Vancouver Green Business Journal):

In a new survey by Randstad and Harris Interactive, 87 percent of employees say
it is at least “somewhat important” that their employers offer “green-friendly”
programs at work.

...Whatever approach companies take, three factors motivate them, says Madeline Turnock, vice president of Hill & Knowlton, a public-relations consultancy in Portland, Ore. The first involves altruism; employers know their efforts are good for the environment. Second, they realize that going green makes good business sense. Energy-efficient practices lower costs. Third, they find that green policies help them recruit and retain talent. “People want to work for companies that have strong values and care about sustainability,” Ms. Turnock says.

What can you do today?

So maybe your workplace isn't the greenest, and perhaps it will take a committee or more to move that mountain. That doesn't mean all hope is lost. Take a look at the little behaviors that can reduce your organization's environmental impact.

For starters:

• Turn off your monitor or computer when you are out for extended periods of time. I am very guilty of neglecting to turn off the monitor myself, but it uses energy even if it's not projecting anything.
• Likewise, turn off your office lights when you leave.
• When possible, recycle your newspapers, printer paper, soda containers and anything else, even if it means taking it yourself to the recycler. (Maybe it's worth turning in mileage for that?)
• Skip the plastic silverware and paper plates in the breakroom and bring your own reusable ones.
• Likewise, carry your own coffee cup and spoon to avoid styrofoam cups and stir sticks.
• Make sure you're signed up for direct deposit.
• Sign up for a carpool or look into public transportation to work.
• Look into conference calls or video conferencing rather than adding to travel expenses.

Are there other ideas you've seen or tried in the workplace?

Doctor's offices: Welcome to the 21st century!

Doctor’s office reminders. They’re great for the harried working mom or just those of us with one too many appointments on our calendar. I juggle those little business card sized reminders until I can input them in my planner (yes, I still do paper. Heck, I can lose my blood sugar meter several times a week, and that’s needed to survive!)

Then I get the reminder postcard and/or phone calls in the days or weeks leading up to the appointment. My dentist’s office even wants you to waste your (and their) time by calling back to confirm. Hey, I got the message.

But is this good customer service, or a lot of time, money and paper wasted? (And did I mention the resources expended to ship or pick up the cards from Staples or through the mail.

Walking Green recently wrote on her blog:

Can you imagine how much money the dentist would save if the just had it set up
so that you received an email? Of course, there would be the initial cost.
However, by the time you pay for the post card, the postage (.26 cents), an
employee who is filling out the postcards, the non-recyclable labels that our
address was printed on and stuck to the post card (instead of writing it in),
then for a busy practice, it is quite a chunk of change.

Unfortunately, it’s one part financial laziness on the part of practices and one part our friends at the U.S. government. Yes, I’m talking HIPAA, the legislation that says I can’t talk to anyone, even your spouse or voice mail, about your health without you signing pages and pages of consents. (Let’s talk about that paper waste! Actually many places now state you acknowledge you can get a copy of the privacy policy online if you care.)

Because of this, you’re limited in how you can do reminder cards – often, your name and info must be sealed so your spouse, etc., can’t read it.

It’s worse for e-mail, because people change it so often and theoretically anyone can access it. So offices shy away from it.

According to Healthcare Economist:

Among individuals with Internet access, 90% want to communicate with their
physician over email. In fact, 56% of patients claim that having the ability to
email their doctor would influence their choice of doctor.

Really, it’s stupid that they don’t. My endocrinologist has me fax in blood sugars every two weeks (twice a week when I was pregnant). That involves me printing my sheet and faxing it (generating another sheet of paper.) I asked if I couldn’t just e-mail an Excel document (one less sheet, and with HIPAA I am sending the information, not requiring a response over e-mail), and they didn’t want to change their business practices and remember to check an e-mail address. The office is swamped because the physician is fantastic, so we use old technology to make due. I'd simply phone in my blood sugar readings, which would save that one sheet of paper each time, but it could cause problems in interpreting results if something was written down wrong.

The alternative is secure messaging, and no practice (heck, not even a lot of large medical practices) are up for that kind of investment. Instead, it's cheaper in the short run to do paper, no matter what the long term cost is.