Company Profile: The Green Office
The “Company Profile” is an Earth911.com series highlighting consumer goods and services making a difference through product stewardship and recycling. Products and services featured do not pay for placement and are not endorsed by Earth911.com.
The green trend is spreading to all industries and aspects of life, including our office. But greening a workplace is not always an easy endeavor. One company, The Green Office, provides more than 40,000 products to get the job done.
To learn more about the company, we chatted with The Green Office founder, Alex Szabo.
Company Mission
The Green Office is not a manufacturer, but rather a one-stop retail, “making the transition from ‘business as usual’ to a more sustainable situation as easy and cost effective as possible,” Szabo said. “It’s not the job of every purchasing agent to know everything about sustainability. We simplify to make it easy.”
The difference between The Green Office and a big box company is that products are sorted and rated by their greenness. More than 60 criteria are used to label a product. A product may be labeled light or dark green. Conventional products are also available because in some areas, a green solution does not exist, and the company sticks to its mission of providing a one-stop shopping experience.
The example of paper demonstrates the difference in available products. The conventional buy would be virgin paper, while a light green purchase would be 30 percent post-consumer recycled paper. The dark green product would have quite the resume: 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper, processed chlorine-free, within EPA green purchasing standards and produced using wind power or at least a green power company.
Three Years and Counting
The Green Office was founded in 2005. It began as “a couple of guys working out of an apartment,” but has since grown into a much larger staff with several (green) offices. The number of available products now exceeds the selection in big box stores, according to Szabo.
Speeding the Transition
“The idea is to use this business to speed the transition to sustainability. We want to make it very easy for folk to find green alternatives,” Szabo said. “What we’re looking to do is to pool the purchasing power. We’re showing to the industry that there are a block of us out there who are demanding greener solutions.”
Eco-Evolution
He described going green as “a budding environmental and social conscience. Folks are recognizing that individuals are demanding this and it’s spreading to companies. Companies are realizing that if they don’t take a green leadership role, they will be left in the dust. It seems like almost a race to the top.”
Role of Consumers
Individual efforts of consumers has an impact on the industry. “When people compost, it closes the loop. The more that is recycled, the more that can be produced with recycled materials,” Szabo said.
Most Exciting Part of Running The Green Office
Often times, a more eco-conscious office begins with an individual. A lot of people “feel helpless about bringing their values into their workplace, but we open the door,” he said. “It captures people’s imagination, they become excited. Seeing that spark is one of the reasons I get up and come to work.”
Szabo also enjoys the challenge of his work. “Trying to build a green business has all the challenges of building a conventional business and then some,” he said. It comes down to mundane things like the type of business cards a company needs, or if they are necessary at all. He described every decision as “a challenge and an opportunity for innovation.”
Future of The Green Office
“We are constantly finding the next green alternative in any given product category. There are always great new products,” according to Szabo.
He also talked about the growing number of requests from customers to be recognized for the efforts they are making to have a more eco-friendly office. In response, the company will soon launch a green office certification program.
Favorite of the Three R’s
“I don’t know if it’s the male gene or what, but I’m not one who likes to shop, so in that sense it’s reduce,” Szabo said, laughing. He continued to explain why he chose reduce by relating his experiences backpacking.
Before leaving for the great trek, he always tries to be sure he has everything he could possibly need. “Still, you always forget something,” he said. “But you almost always find that you do fine without it. We don’t always need as much as we think we need to be happy and get by.”
