Green, from Foundation to Application
Got WWW? is an international company located in rural Lapeer County, Michigan, surrounded by seemingly endless acres of woods and farmland. Perhaps inspired by this simple yet beautiful agrarian setting, we at Got WWW? have been proactive in leaving a lighter ecological footprint and providing a healthy, productive place to work since our origin in 2000.
When Got WWW? outgrew it’s office space in the owner’s Energy Star Award home, the decision was made to continue to do anything and everything possible to be conservative consumers.
The new office space was built with Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) which protect against thermal infiltration and are certified by LEED (an internationally recognized green building certification system), hydronic floor heat (which uses recycled water), and a geothermal pump to provide any additional heating or cooling that may be necessary. This highly efficient design provides a quiet and comfortable atmosphere year-round.
The Got WWW? facility, besides having a topnotch eco-friendly primary structure, was trimmed with medium-density fibreboard (MDF) which is made from recycled building materials, decorated using unwanted paint that would have otherwise ended up in a landfill, and floored with concrete that is both low maintenance and allergen-free. It is lit primarily by windows, with back-up from fluorescent (CFL) and LED fixtures, and furnishings were reclaimed from an old office building and modified to accommodate more modern, high tech equipment.
In addition to making our workplace more eco-friendly and efficient, we will do anything we can to assist our partners and clients in their efforts to do the same. We help the companies we work with to become greener by increasing their use of web-based applications (online mapping, calendars, etc.). These apps are hosted using Cloud Computing technologies, and consume up to 90% less energy than apps hosted on-premise. We also encourage our clients to use our electronic billing systems that eliminates both paper, and extra trips to the bank and post office. Here are some of the things that Got WWW? is doing that you can incorporate into your business, your family, or both:
- Use Cloud Computing technologies rather than apps hosted on-premise
- Use your computer’s energy saving settings
- Use low-power monitors
- Do not use screen savers (blank screen)
- Provide an energy-efficient dishwasher instead of paper cups/dishes
- Use a high efficiency washer/dryer instead of paper hand towels
- Run appliances during off-peak hours (check with your power company)
- Use bio diesel in company vehicles
- Encourage casual office attire (no dry cleaning)
- Teleconference when possible instead of face-to-face meetings
- Use natural/biodegradable cleaning products
- Recycle toner cartridges for printers and fax machines
- Remove your name from mailing lists to eliminate junk mail
- Use rechargeable batteries
- Provide a compost bin
- Provide excellent tap water (no water bottles)
- Send map links to phones instead of printing
- Donate outdated equipment for education
How are you helping to conserve?