Larry's Auto Works: a Certified Green Business

As originally published at AskPatty.com.

At the recent Santa Clara County Green Business conference, I heard Larry Moore of Larry's Autoworks in Mountain View share his thoughts about being a green business. They have been in business for 30 years and became green certified by Santa Clara county in November 2006, the first certified green business in Mountain View, the town famous for being Google's headquarters. Their environmental motto is, "Keeping our environment safe and healthy is an important part of Larry's AutoWorks. This applies to both our daily work environment and the world environment." What a great example of how a small business can take on big issues and play a role in being a leader in protecting the environment.

Well, obviously as an emergency room for cars, they are most concerned with quality service and customer care. In fact, they have been voted as the best-of in the city in their service area for three years in a row. A customer once said that Larry's is the cleanest and most pleasant auto shop to wait in while your car is being serviced. So green could go hand-in-hand with profit and service. Still, what does a green business certification mean? Well, in Santa Clara County, it covers the following areas:

• Compliance with environmental regulations
• Energy Conservation
• Water Conservation
• Waste reduction and recycling
• Pollution Prevention

There is a checklist that you have to complete and proof, but the process itself is free. An auditor will visit your shop and ensure that you do what you claim (e.g. installing low flow faucets, recycling paper and cans) after which you get all the benefits of the program including a green business logo.

For Larry's Autoworks, it is focusing on: (a) pollution prevention, and (b) recycling. According to Larry, they first go for the biggest financial savings, although that sometimes means doing the hard part first. They are rather small and hence do not have a specific department to run the program and track all the savings, but Larry knows that through recycling, they have recouped $14,000 in fees. In his opinion, the financial case IS the biggest reason to go green -- "It would be crazy not to go green, given these numbers!" They were able to save water, reduce electricity cost, reduce chemical usage which reduces workers' comp claims, and recoup money by tracking materials from recycling. Hey, in today's competitive autoworks world, any little bit helps!
One of their biggest lessons in going green successfully has been how important it is to involve the employees in redesigning the work flow. For example, getting recycling to work effectively on the shop floor required an iterative approach. Initially, even though bins were available for separating trash during auto works, the position of bins were inconvenient. By strategically re-positioning them so that workers productivity are not impacted, they were able to change behavior on the floor. "Place recycle barrel before trash barrel -- simple as that!" In addition, Larry also informally audits his supply chain. The purchasing decision is one of the most effective levers for affecting overall change. When doing research and deciding which vendor to obtain supplies from for day-to-day business operations, he takes into account whether the materials are recyclable, whether the vendor/manufacturer provides easy take-back arrangements. In addition, he favors water-based solvent, which is less toxic.
Sure, when it comes to automotive repair, customers care most about a job well-done, about convenience, and about cost, and less about the environment. Still, Larry has found that his shop is able to distinguish itself by creating an environment that is more pleasant for the customer, and appeal to those who care about being environmentally correct. He feels that in general, his customers are concerned about his company being environmentally responsible. As a woman, I would definitely go to a greener car shop, because greener probably equates to a more pleasant environment and a cleaner car repair experience. I am concerned that the myriad of chemicals used do not cause further harm to my health, to society when it is supplied and when it is disposed of. I do not want to pollute the environment with unnecessary waste each oil change. Plus, I personally would feel better if my mechanic cares about the environment. Because, if he can do that, I assume that he is capable of caring well for my car too! Auto body shops are not that attractive a place for me to hang out in. Knowing that they are cleaner makes it a lot more palatable place to visit. Knowing that they are greener just creates a much more pleasant image of the shop in my head that makes me want to spend money there. Well, that's me.

Today, green business certification programs everywhere are running into a bottleneck with more demands from businesses. In fact, all the programs around the San Francisco Bay Area have backlogs and needs more staff to approve the many new businesses wanting to be certified green. With consumers demanding more accountability on businesses, and the increasing PR value of going green, it is not wonder this kind of program is worth considering. If you are interested to find out more, please check with your local Chamber of Commerce, your city government, or your county government for specific details on a program nearby. Here is the Santa Clara County green business certification program with some information on why being green helps the business.

Happy Earth Day!

I originally published this on AskPatty.com. Happy Earth Day and remember, be sustainable!

Today, April 22nd, is Earth Day. Founded in the 60's, Earth Day is intended to celebrate and inspire awareness of nature all around us. It started as an activist movement to inspire the grassroots. Traditionally, the weekend prior to or after will bring many events on environmental stewardships to local communities, sponsored by organizations of all stripes. Beach cleanup, park cleanup, and trail maintenance are examples of stewardship focused events. How about in the vehicular sector? AskPatty found the following events across the sector.

Today, the government is set to release details on the timeline for achieving the CAFE standards increase to 35mpg by 2020 all vehicles. The legislation was passed in the Dec 2007 "2008 Energy Bill" s explored in these AskPatty blogs (results, debate). There is speculation that the government will require the industry to achieve more than half of the overall goal between 2011 and 2015.

A search on Toyota Earth Day on its website and Google reveal a prominent story on the Toyota Earth Day Scholarship, where 15 $500 awards are given out across Canada. Its website features link to how it supports the Earth Day Network, National Arbor Day Foundation, National Public Lands Day, Nature Conservancy, Audubon, and Tree People Eco Tours throughout the years. There were also a number of green-related news releases of recent achievements, such as the Lexus Environmental Challenge for high school students, winning the 2008 EPA Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award. Great job, Toyota!

A GM's website search says that it provides lesson plans on the environment for grades K-12. If you are an educator, check out "Earth Day Way - Every Day". A Google search returned several videos. The most interesting one is a GM media story on recycling rates of cars, which according to EPA has the highest recycling rate (95%) beating paper and plastics.

A Ford website search did not return any hit on Earth Day. In the media, Ford touts its success in cleaning up its operations, though those are not new news. Here's a blogger's a blogger's take which includes the press release.

In Los Angeles, the Wilshire Center is sponsoring an Earth Day = Car Free Day event.

In New York City, the car wash Broadway Bridge Wash and Lube will celebrate its first Earth Day by promoting the dramatic impact proper car maintenance can have on carbon reduction and cost savings at the gas pump.

Meanwhile, US News has this easy-to-read snapshot on the state of green cars. Where are they today? What is available?

The Environmental Defense Fund has this message of hope on Earth Day 2008. Meanwhile, another website for going green just launched today, Go-Green.com.

Last but not least, while doing all these Googling, I notice the Google homepage has a special graphic to celebrate this special day. I always love these Google arts -- very creative... here it is.

Still, why should earth be celebrated only on one day? Why not Earth Week and Earth Month? How about making every day an earth day? AskPatty "Be Green and Eco Conscious" blog section has a lot of information and ideas on how to be greener with your car, your fuel, and your daily life. What is the one action that you can take this month to honor Earth Day? It could be something small or something big... no matter... work it up towards doing more and more.

As for me, I am going car-free today. I am going to enjoy the sunshine and the breeze on my face while cycling around.

Tips for greening your events

As originally published on AskPatty.com.

Have you noticed how much trash is usually generated after a party and thought about how it sullied an otherwise wonderful atmosphere? Ballparks, night clubs, birthday party, even sometimes, green events, can create tremendous amount of waste, pollution, and emission from all those things we toss away, all those miles we commute to get to them. If your family or your company is hosting a green event, make sure it is backed up by equally responsible eco-actions. Otherwise it could appear hypocritical (walk the talk), and could contribute to an image problem. Studies have shown that there is a backlash building with green washing and you don't want to be the target of a backlash. Events with eco-friendly footprint also tend to generate a feel-good atmosphere for guests, since we all like to know that we are doing our part in being eco-responsible.

The recent "Chevy Rocks the Future" event in Los Angeles, which brought together hundreds of schoolchildren, celebrities, and Chevy green vehicles, is an example of how to green your events. The bash was designed with the environment in mind. Most items associated with the event are either organic, made of sustainable materials, recyclable or biodegradable materials.

For example:

• The invitation was a mouse pad made from 100-percent recycled tires, and the information printed on recycled paper with soy ink. The invitation has been inserted into the mouse pad; when removed, guests can replace it with a photo they will receive at the event.
• The traditional red carpet has gone green, manufactured from recycled materials and lined with a hedge row that will contain the step-and-repeat on recycled paper. Chevy’s fuel-efficient vehicles will be on the green carpet.
• Food and food service items were environmentally friendly. In a normal landfill, food service items will bio-degrade in about a year.

• Forks, knives and spoons are made primarily from 80 percent potato starch or cornstarch and 20 percent soy or other vegetable oil.
• The cold cups at the bars are made of corn, which use up to 50 percent fewer fossil fuel resources in their manufacture than conventional plastic cups.
• Paper plates and bowls are made of the pulpy byproduct of the extraction of sugar from sugar cane. The plastic-like plates and bowls are made of corn, wheat or rice.
• The menu features organic and locally grown ingredients. Leftover food goes to Angel Harvest, a local agency providing emergency food for those in need.

• Guests received a bag of environmentally friendly gifts:

• The bag itself is a woven cotton tote – perfect for grocery items, carrying books or after-school practices.
• Gifts included American Apparel’s Sustainable Edition of T-shirts made from 100-percent USDA-certified organic cotton, reusable aluminum water bottles and organic snacks such as granola bars and fruit roll-ups.

This is a very extensive list that covers many aspects of being eco-friendly. Being green is really using your common sense. It takes some research for alternative vendors but you would need to do it only once if the information is properly retained. More and more sustainable products are coming on the market that makes it easier. However, here are some tips on how to prevent your eco-friendly efforts from going to waste.

• Don't overuse the color green in your marketing, especially on your key product or your logo. It is too tacky and sends a message of "green washing". If you have a truly sustainable product or service, do not cheapen it with inappropriate imagery. I don't know about you, but I get a bad reaction whenever I see companies simply slapping the color green on their adverts. My gut reaction is that it actually makes me not want to buy their products because it must be more spin than substance!
• Make the goodies you give away be truly essential items that don't add to the landfill. Here's an interesting blog about an airline green giftaway program that backfired when the International Herald Tribune writer did an analysis on its impact.
• Provide recycling AND compost bins. Cans, bottles, and paper should go into clearly labeled recycling bins. Bio-degradable utensils (e.g. potato starch materials), food scrap (no meat) are compostable and can be returned to the biological cycle as soil. These should go into the compost bin. Even though they decompose much faster in a landfill, they still take up space and remain trash. Better still, use reusable utensils and plates.
• Reduce packaging: avoid wrappers if possible.
• Reduce paper trail: use email for invite. Evite.com is a great website that sends out beautiful electronic invitations while allowing you to keep track of RSVP.
• Consider requesting that guests not bring gifts, but indeed donate the amount to charity, or bring cash instead.
• Buy carbon offset for the mileage traveled (by guests and for event logistics)

Have fun planning your next bash! If you have more tips, we'd love to hear from you.

Steps to go green

At this point, you must wonder -- how can I get on being greener for 2008? Some organizations out there have good lists (e.g. Sierra Club, Worldwatch Institute, Whole Foods). Here's mine.

1. Buy fewer things: New stuff, especially. Research has shown that material consumption does not add much to marginal happiness. Start by thinking about which stuff in your life you will be ok with buying used (e.g. decorative trinkets? books? furniture?). Better still, give gifts that aren't things -- e.g. GreenDimes.com, Kiva.org, magazine subscription, spa services, or an appreciative letter. Watch the Story of Stuff (full 20-min movie here) for why.
2. Commute less: Consolidate trips to save time and gas. Google Map is a great way to plot the locations and determine clustering for places you need to visit. Work from home as often as possible. Use public transport, or better still, bicycle, whenever possible. You will meet new people, enjoy the outdoor, and get fitter, while saving on fuel cost.
   
3. Use less non-renewable fuels: Fossil fuel is >>BAD<<, period. America spends >$1B per day importing oil. Emission from cars is the leading contributor of greenhouse gas, which causes global warming. See step 2. Support alternative fuel initiatives. Convert to solar for electricity and hot water heating.
   
4. Follow the news on climate change -- you will be surprised how big the problem is, and how much you personally can do.
   
5. Reduce junk mail. Every year, 100M trees and 28B gallons water are used to produce junk mail that waste 5 minutes of our time per day or ~1.25 days of our live per year JUST SORTING THEM. GreenDimes.org helps reduce your junk mail volume. Alternatively, you can DIY here.
6. Recycle:

• If you aren't recycling at home, please please do so. This Christmas, I researched household recycling for a friend living in Colorado by (a) finding out who picks up their trash, (b) checking the curbside recycling policy of that company, (c) figuring out the simple logistics of bin pickup, pickup schedule, and what can be separated for them. All from the comfort of my desk using Google Search! It is that easy, really.
  
• Landfills are sad artifacts that we leave of our civilization for future generations. If you're daring, arrange for an educational tour of your local waste processing plant. I have been to the San Fran Waste Management site, and a sewage processing / incinerator plant in Rhode Island. Smelly, yes, but life-changing too.
• Get others to recycle. When I lived in New York City, my building didn't recycle even though the law requires it. So I called 311, the city hotline for any topic, to complain. A month later, the building installed an expensive recyclable separation chute for high-rise. Small victory, yes, but it affected 400 apartments!
  

A green adventure is endless... it is a good way to live life. Nothing is better than being able to continuously learn new things, and experience life differently through all senses. In my opinion, going green is one of the best ways to rejuvenate the senses, in this sometimes jaded world.

Reflecting on my 2007 green adventure

The end of the year is always a good time to ruminate on one's adventure of the year past. Here's a recap of a year of learning what it means to truly go green -- the ups and downs of this journey, and what it is worth in the end.

I started this blog earlier this year to share my adventure in living more sustainably in the hopes that it may influence fellow readers. It is better than annoying friends and families with little green lectures, right? :-) Writing has always been fun for me, but little did I realize how powerful blogging could be. By putting my opinions out there, it created conversations that I didn't even know exist, with people I didn't even know were green at heart. Green lesson learned: the conversation I start creates the world I live in. If I care about something, share it and talk about it. Don't worry about what others think.

When I started the journey, I was green at being green. I was too easily excited by products that tout a healthier lifestyle, safer ingredients, or being better for the air, water, and land. I was extremely excited by innovative market solutions where profits are possible while serving society's needs -- e.g. micro lending, cap-and-trade. But when I got into figuring specific actions I could personally take, I was assaulted by too much information. Many businesses are touting green products or green services, but so many are simply doing green-washing. To be a conscientious consumer means being able to tell the real deal from the fluff. But where do I start? Green lesson learned: it is hard to truly determine where you can have the biggest impact overall without having to spend an inordinate amount of time researching. There is an overwhelming amount of information out there about going green.

So I didn't try to learn it all. I picked the areas most pertinent to my life. Starting with my own "circle of influence", which areas of my lifestyle create the biggest negative impacts on the environment? I am a number-type person, and finding the definitive green guide with supporting ecodata matched to my lifestyle would be a dream solution for me. But it doesn't exist. So I made some gut decisions and decided on a few topics for exploration: (a) I really dislike being tied to a car in my daily life -- how can I reduce this cognitive dissonance, (b) wouldn't it be nice to have lower utility bills, (c) I am an investor - so why not look first at my own portfolio, and (d) since I cringe every time something goes to the landfill, that must be another area of passion. Green lesson learned: focusing on a few core areas relevant to my life makes the adventure mean more and stick better.

I've had a blast this year from learning and experiencing new things. It is an intoxicating feeling -- to become more aware of the world around me (also a very Buddhist thing). Well, I like learning, and green is a whole new area for me -- so that suits me just fine! I found an unexpected plus too, as the journey progressed. As an adult, seldom will things inspire awe or wonderment -- we have seen it all -- been there, done that. But once I dived into my eco-adventure, I found there are so much I don't know about the world. In fact, I found a parallel universe of alternative lifestyle that has existed for decades -- only that I had been somewhat dismissive of it in the past because I didn't know better. Best of all, I felt better both psychologically and materially from polluting less, living healthier, and learning once more. Green lesson learned: a green adventure has unexpected rewards that add to the happiness index.

Happy 2008!