green living

At a recent staff meeting that included champagne (we were feting the 5-year anniversary of our SVP), we started talking about our blog and the idea of “green” came up in the conversation. Basically, the team wanted me to write about our “green” policy and I had to point out that it wasn’t very hefty. They in turn disagreed. So here we go, writing about green…

We recycle! In fact, I had a dream about it last night after our discussion. In the dream I was remembering to take the paper out of my office trash can and to transfer it to the recycling bin. This morning, I am setting up a new system to make sure I do this on a consistent basis (the former VP of the lux team who is on a sabbatical around the world used to check in on my waste can—recycling was her idea). So, we do recycle, and apparently many offices don’t. I’ve set up a fairly unwieldy group of bins in our kitchen for this purpose and we have a recycle office maven who scolds people if they put the plastic refuse in with the paper (she is the new VP of the lux team so maybe there is something about fancy clothes and diamonds that also translates into a heightened green conscience. Apparently, not a lot of offices do this, so good for us!

We also use green cleaning products, or at least we try to use them. Our cleaning crew likes to install their own version of products behind our backs, but we do our best to keep the products environmentally safe. We also use natural scents to keep our bathroom smelling fresh (which is a MAJOR feat since unfortunately it appears something may have died in there before we arrived—it’s an ongoing source of frustration for an office that looks super fab). Plus, we have a chocolate brown sea grass carpet throughout the office that doesn’t require cleaning with chemicals (and absorbs any stain, thank goodness!) AND WE ALWAYS TURN OFF THE LIGHTS and generally keep them off during the day (yeah for big windows and sunshine!).

So, I guess there is a greener element to our office than I thought. Not as green as it could be, maybe. But here’s what the BBC staff said to me: Every little bit counts… Ok, so we’re doing our little itty bitty part. It’s definitely motivation to do more.