Going green adds stylish touch to office

Producing the electricity needed to illuminate, power, and cool and heat a square foot of office space in Arizona emits 27 pounds of carbon dioxide every year, according to the government conservation agency Energy Star.

That means a smallish office of 10,000 square feet adds a whopping 270,000 pounds of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere annually - as much as the Environmental Protection Agency estimates would result from burning nearly 14,000 gallons of gasoline.

Here are some fun, stylish (and work-related) things you can do to lower your harmful emissions.

In business

These business-card cases are made out of recycled circuit boards. Very cool.

The case holds 10 to 15 cards, depending on card thickness. They're $25 each and can be found at Natural Territory, a green home-furnishings store with a Crate and Barrel feel.

Owners Praneeta and Santosh Rao's passion for saving the environment led to the opening of the 8,000-square-foot store. You'll find office furniture such as chairs and desks made of natural hardwoods from sustainably managed forests, natural-fiber carpeting, cork flooring, and eco-friendly countertops, cabinets and accessories.

Another way to go green: Santosh recommends using zero-VOC paint. For $35 to $42 a gallon, you can choose from a variety of colors for the office.

Where to buy: Natural Territory, 15816 N. Greenway-Hayden Loop, Suite 300, Scottsdale; naturalterritory.com.

Desktop cool

We have a colleague who sits in a "cold corner" and wraps herself in a blanket even in the summer. So when the C2 Climate Control from Herman Miller came in the mail, we knew exactly who should try it.

The plug-in desktop unit is designed to heat (or cool) an area 16 to 18 inches in front of it, and it has a nifty air filter, too. Overall, our colleague liked the product, saying it did the job and was easy to use.

Why should businesses care? According to the U.S. Department of Energy, easing off the heat or the air-conditioning just one degree can shave 3 percent off the electricity bill.

Kari Luther, showroom manager for Goodmans Interior Structures, the company that sells the C2 in Phoenix, says they set the air conditioner a few degrees warmer over the summer at their Indian School Road store. Now, instead of turning air conditioning and heat up or down based on worker complaints, Luther says, "I just hand them a C2 and tell them, 'Please try this and see if it changes anything,' and I don't change the AC anymore."

Where to buy: $197 at Goodmans Interior Structures, 1400 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix; 602-263-1110.

Class project

Terracycle started in a Princeton University dorm room seven years ago with one product: plant fertilizer made with composted trash and worms. Since then, the company has added office supplies and accessories to its earth-friendly lineup.

Their binders, non-toxic cleaners, pencils and "paper pens" are made from 100 percent recycled materials.

Our favorite products, though, are the messenger bags ($14.99) made from old drink pouches and billboard vinyl, neither of which can be broken down to recycle.

"There are times when we literally just sit around in our boardroom with piles of trash to see what we can do with it," says Albe Zakes, Terracycle's vice president of media relations.

About 3.6 billion non-biodegradable drink containers are produced every year, according to the Container Recycling Institute, so products made from them are not only indestructible (ever tried to jam a straw into a Capri Sun?), they make a difference.

Schools and community groups can get in on the act. Terracycle pays for drink pouches and other wrappers sent to their plant in New Jersey. Details: terracycle.net.

Where to buy: Select Walgreens, Target and Walmart stores.

This article appears in the current issue of bizAZ magazine.

Santosh Rao, owner of Natural Territory in Scottsdale sells ecologically conscious furniture and home furnishings.