Green Business

Currently I have a research project on the go. I am looking for useful resources (books, websites, podcasts, experts) that help small businesses become more “GREEN” in their operations.

You see, I cut my entrepreneurial teeth organizing a sports event.  The event is/was  an ultimate Frisbee tournament.  I was responsible for providing food, shelter and entertainment for roughly 600 people and I looked at the design of the event as a way to express and promote some things I believed in. 

As someone who has spent well over 200 days of his life on enjoying and guiding canoe trips in places like Quetico Park, Temagami and Algonquin Park, it turns out the environment is something I believe in and want to see preserved. 

So I gave the overage of my sports tournament to the Sierra Legal Defence fund – they do legal work and take on big companies and governments on behalf of the environment…it’s a GREAT organization.  I also told all the players (all 600) that to cut down on waste they were to bring their own plates and cutlery.

All the players went with it.  In over eight years we prepared dinner for about 5000  people… in about 16 bags of garbage.   Think about your home and how much garbage  5000 meals (about 5 years of eating) generates…scary no?

I’m sharing this with you because I want to do more to help small businesses understand how they can cut down on waste in their business processes and generally operate in a more “GREEN” way.  FreshBooks cuts down on the paper used to do business by facilitating paperless invoicing.  We have been proud of this fact for years.

Over the coming weeks, months and years I want to share with you hundreds of useful tips that will help you and other small businesses operate with less impact on the environment.  So again, if you can help me with my research, I’d appreciate it.  Please comment below.  Thanks.