Monthly Archives: January 2012

The value of metrics in a sustainable business

Metrics, the art of measuring performance, can be the key to your success or the bane of your existence. The wrong metrics can be hard to measure and lead you down a road tangential to your mission. The right metrics can … Continue reading

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Task Force wraps up efforts on sustainability–focused general plan

After 10 months of deliberations, the Howard County (Maryland) General Plan Task Force wrapped up its work this week.  The overall theme of Plan Howard 2030 is a statement on what can be done to ensure the sustainability of all … Continue reading

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WH Consulting proves sustainability applies to any industry

 I was immediately intrigued when I heard about a computer consulting company that focused on sustainability. And as soon as Wendy Howard, owner, answered the phone on the first ring, I knew WH Consulting wasn’t your run-of-the-mill egghead shop. “A … Continue reading

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The importance of buying green and sustainably-produced

Everywhere I turn someone is telling me about their green product. A recent conversation went like this: “Oh that is great that you are advising companies on how to be sustainable.  By the way we sell green window blinds.” I … Continue reading

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New plastic water bottles will decompose in 30 days

Boyd Rutherford strikes again – this time the topic is plastic water bottles. Readers may recall that Rutherford brought a commercial composting machine named ORCA to our attention in October. Two weeks ago, Rutherford, a strategic advisor to Totally Green, … Continue reading

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Carbon offsets: modern-day indulgence or path to carbon neutrality?

Carbonfund.org Foundation, a successful nonprofit climate services and carbon reduction provider based in Bethesda, Md., is leading the fight against global warming, according to its website. Carbonfund.org claims its services make it easy and affordable for individuals, businesses and organizations to … Continue reading

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The state of green in the world of business

I recently attended a conference in DC and would like to share some business insights that I thought might be interesting to Green Business Matters readers. 14,000 companies currently report

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IdeaMensch honors 6 sustainable leaders among its 33 ‘doers’

I was pleased to see that the blog IdeaMensch included a half-dozen sustainable businesses in its list of 33 Entrepreneurs Who Make This World A Better Place. One might argue that all of the leaders on the list are acting … Continue reading

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Dutch college kids love their shipping container dorms

Recent posts on plastic bottle houses, Morgan State’s Light Box shipping container project and Dickinson University’s Treehouse dorm motivated one Green Business Matters reader to tell us we were all wet.

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How would a green purchasing policy help you?

Most firms spend a lot of money on purchases.  Often buyers do arduous research and negotiate agressively to conserve precious dollars.  But do they think about the costs of what they purchase after the acquisition? Green purchasing policies look at all costs … Continue reading

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