Going Green the Right Way

Checking out at a favorite shoe store, I am told by the associate that they are "Going Green" -- just the fancy word for we no longer have bags. She then proceeds to punch a couple holes out of the shoe box, slaps a handle on it and sends me on my way.

My initial thought -- what a fabulous idea. I got a new pair of boots and I am saving the environment all at the same time. As I am traipsing through Woodfield mall with my new boots hanging out of the bottom of the box, my enthusiasm quickly dwindled. "Going Green" - Not such a good idea if the box isn't capable of holding the boots in while being carried with the handle.

This got me thinking about retailers Green Initiatives. Granted, we are all for saving the environment, but are there other ways to "Go Green" without sacrificing the customer experience?

Office Depot is a prime example of a retailer who has done it right when it comes to Green. In 2002, the company created a position dedicated to Green Initiatives: Director of Environmental Affairs.

According to the Palm Beach Post, "For the Office Depot, it's not just about saving the environment, although that's part of it. But being green also means saving money and even increasing the company's market share."

Some of Office Depot's Green Initiatives include:

• The Green Book, a catalog of about 4,000 "green" office products for sale.
• Recycling and reselling its corrugated cardboard boxes.
• Refurbished shopping carts.
• More fuel-efficient vans and route-optimization software to cut down on fuel costs and the number of trucks needed (reduces company's transportation greenhouse gas emissions by about 9.4 percent).
• $20 million in energy upgrades, adding high-output fluorescent lighting and installing an Energy Management System that allows store managers to track energy usage and adjust accordingly (In the first year, the upgrades cut carbon dioxide emissions by 10 % in its U.S. stores and saved the company $6.2 million in electricity costs).
• Office Depot opened its first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - or LEED - certified green store in Austin, Texas, in July as a prototype for later stores.

Check out the full article at here.