green steps

A nuts-and-bolts guide to greening your practice

By Erinn Morgan

Can greening your practice grow business? The answer, according to research by Mintel, is yes. Its 2009 survey found that 36 percent of Americans say they “almost always” or “regularly” buy green products. The company predicts a 19 percent growth in this number by 2014.

“A lot of people are very sensitive to these issues,” says Barbara Wright, CID, of Barbara Wright Design, an eco-conscious interior design firm that works with eyecare practices. “And, if they are comparing two offices on their websites, your green focus could be enough to make some people decide to go with you.”

In the guide that follows, we cover what you need to make simple, eco-conscious changes in your practice.

STEP 1: ONBOARD YOUR STAFF

Start by begging your employees on board for the changes ahead. “Sit down with the staff and tell them you want to start greening the office and discuss how you can all work on this together,” says Cathy Ives, founder of and blogger for theopticalvisionsite.com and greenecoservices.com. “If they are not signed up, it's just not going to happen.”

The next step is setting your green goals.

STEP 2: ASSESS YOUR GREEN SCORE

Walk around the office and write down all the green offenders that you see. Look at your light bulbs. Are they old CFL models that use scores of energy?

Move on to your computers and equipment. Do they remain on all day when they could be turned off or set to energy-saving modes?

Does your office use reams of paper on a weekly basis? Do you recycle plastic, metal, and paper?

Having a list of the things you can change will enable to you get started greening. If you'd like a more accurate and professional assessment of your business' green score, head to nrf.com/srcss. There, you can take a quick test that will reveal your practice's eco-consciousness. Offered by the National Retail Federation's Sustainable Retailing Consortium, this scorecard assists retailers in developing their own green programs.

Once you've determined your strengths and weaknesses on the green front, it's time to pinpoint the areas for improvement.

STEP 3: SET YOUR GOALS

Make a list—as long or short as you like—of the green changes you'd like to make for the year. List them in order of importance or, if you choose, in order of easiest to hardest. A list in hand will enable you to focus on making one change at a time.

Your list can be distributed to staff or even posted in a break room for everyone to see. You could also make a poster of your list that features boxes that you can checked off as each green step is accomplished.

“It's hard to make big changes—and sometimes even moderate changes,” says Nick Shilman, OD, owner of Blink Optometry in Duluth Minn. “We are in an old building with a 100-year-old heating system that is anything but green. I don't own the building, so it's tough to make the investment in changing things.”

Shilman recommends focusing on what your office can do. “We have implemented a paperless system and we offer recycled paper and plastic bags to our customers,” he says.

STEP 4: GET RECYCLING

When you consider that glass bottles can take one million years to decompose, tin cans take 50 to 100 years, and plastic bottles may never break down, recycling makes sense. Recycling the standards—paper, plastic, metal, and glass—is an easy change, especially since most cities today provide curbside pickup for these items.

Head to Earth911.com to enter your zip code and find out what recycling services are available in your area. Many cities also provide the bins for recyclable goods.

Optical-specific items, such as demo lenses and contact blister packs, can also be recycled, depending on your city's capacity. “We recycle all plano dummy lenses,” says Graham McPartland, OD, owner of Oregon Eye & Vision Center in Central Point, Ore.

McPartland's practice also offers an eco-conscious program for contact lens patients called Blister Pack Points. “For every 10 blister packs they turn in to us to recycle, we give them a free set of contact lenses, a case, and solution,” says McPartland, who also bikes to work as often as the weather permits. “They love it and it keeps them involved with the practice.”

McPartland's green ideas started nine years ago while in college (he graduated from optometry school in 2009). He started Eye Recycle, a group that collects used eyewear on college campuses and refurbishes them for redistribution to the needy. “We ship them out to those in need in the U.S. and abroad,” he says.

Those interested in Eye Recycle can visit mcpartlandmedical.com. The Lions Club International also provides collection boxes for redistributing old glasses (also visit lionsclubs.org/EN/our-work/sight-programs/eyeglass-recycling).

STEP 5: CONSERVE ENERGY

In most states, the generation of electricity comes from CO₂-producing fossil fuels like coal and natural gas. The more you can reduce your energy consumption, the fewer greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere.

Spokane, Wash.-based Advanced Eye Care uses motion sensors to help cut down on energy consumption. “If there is no movement, the lights go off until you walk in,” says owner Todd Wylie, OD. The cost to install the sensors was minimal since the local electric company offered a $25 rebate per motion sensor retrofit.

Many local electric companies also offer customers the opportunity to buy green power for a small monthly premium. These programs often provide retailers with window decals that show you're fueled by clean energy. Check with your local supplier for details.

Since plugged-in appliances use electricity even when they're not on, McPartland employs controlled outlets. “These outlets stop the idle current drawn from your plugs when electronics aren't in use,” he says. “We only use standard plugs, called always-on outlets, for our phone and fax machines because they do need to always be on.”

Additionally, McPartland says that instead of leaving his exam equipment on all day, he has it connected to a single switch so he can turn everything off between patient visits.

“On the days when I see 10 patients, my equipment is only on for a total of about 3.5 hours instead of eight or more,” he says. “This move not only cuts my exam room electricity use in half, it effectively doubles the life of the expensive bulbs that some equipment uses.”

STEP 6: CHANGE THOSE BULBS

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and LED bulbs use 75 percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. At Metropolitan Optical in Washington, D.C., Saba Ayalew, OD, opted for LED light fixtures and bulbs throughout a new optical boutique. “Our frame displays feature 100 percent LED lighting and they are all set on timers,” says Shawn Gatewood, marketing/social media coordinator at Metropolitan Optical.

While LEDs can cost a lot more than traditional bulbs, they pay for themselves over time with energy savings and a 20-plus year lifespan. “Our decision to invest in LED versus traditional bulbs saves us, roughly, 35 to 40 percent per year,” says Gatewood. “Plus, these bulbs have a good shot at being with the practice after I retire.”

As an interior designer, Wright says it's difficult to completely break away from halogen lighting. “LEDs aren't quite as bright. If we're just lighting up one shelf, we use strip LED lights, but we haven't seen LED track lights that are effective yet.”

Squint Optometry in Irvington, N.Y., also saves money monthly with its use of energy-efficient light bulbs. “We changed and updated all of the lights and now save about $200 a month in electricity,” says owner Debra Bernstein, OD.

ECPs can check with their city offices to see if they offer any rebates or free services for businesses to upgrade to energy-efficient lighting. “Our city came out and replaced every light bulb in my building as part of an eco-conscious city program,” says Richard Wilhelm, founder and owner of West Coast Lens, a lens processing lab in Huntington, Calif. Wilhelm saw a notice in his local paper about the program and contacted the city. “Two months later they were out replacing bulbs for free,” he says.

STEP 7: USE LESS PAPER

Paper usage is a double-hit to the environment: Its made by cutting down trees and the paper and pulp industry is the third-greatest industrial greenhouse gas emitter, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

When she opened her practice two years ago, Squint Optometry's Bernstein decided to run paperless. “It was an initial large expense, but I thought it was important to start with a paperless system. Today, I have no paper records and I scan everything I can into the patient's file,” she says.

ECPs can also save by printing less, setting the office printer to print double-sided, emailing as much as possible, and choosing recycled content paper when buying printer paper. By simply reducing paper use, Ives estimates ECPs can save $2,000 to $5,000 a year.

STEP 8: GREEN THE AIR

According to the World Health Organization, indoor air pollution is among the top five environmental risks to health. One main offender is traditional cleaning products, which contain harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and phthalates, which are bad for the environment and health.

The key to cleaning up your indoor air is to use healthy, eco-conscious cleaning supplies, which are typically not much more expensive than traditional cleaning products.

Certain plants, such as the Boston fern and the rubber plant, can actually soak up airborne chemicals. Even easier? Ventilate the space by opening up windows regularly. EB

Erinn Morgan is the author of “Picture Yourself Going Green: Step-by-Step Instruction for Living a Budget-Conscious, Earth-Friendly Lifestyle in Eight Weeks or Less.”