As a B Corp, we have boldly stated within our articles of incorporation our commitment to being socially, environmentally and fiscally responsible in all our business activities.

To spread the word, the nonprofit B Lab which certifies B Corps, is running their first B Corporation National Advertising Campaign to share the great things B Corporations are doing for people like you all over the country.

The ads demonstrate why it is important to support a better way to do business by making B Corps like Greenerprinter a part of your business and home sustainability practices.

So, what’s a B Corp?  It’s a rigorous certification process that goes beyond looking at just our products — it looks at our whole company and the impact we have on our workforce, suppliers, community and the environment.

Think of a B Corporation as a certification for sustainable business like Fair Trade is for coffee or LEED is for green buildings.

You can learn more about the business practices that stand behind our products by checking out our B Corp Impact Report. B Lab publishes these reports for all certified B Corporations. Use the B Corp Impact Reports as a reference tool when looking for responsible businesses or to learn more about the hundreds of companies that meet the same rigorous, independent and transparent standards of social and environmental performance as we do.

By supporting these B Corps, you’re supporting a better way to do business!

You’ll be seeing the B Corp campaign in online communities like Care2.com and in magazines like Mother Earth News, Natural Home, Herb Companion, Utne Reader and Sustainable Industries.  And we hope you’ll tell your friends!

Bioneers is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that “brings together social and scientific innovators from all walks of life and disciplines.” Acting as a social hub, Bioneers creates a space for cutting-edge ideas on environmental conservation, social justice, the urban green movement and more to pass from person to person, and to flourish.

Greenerprinter is no stranger to the Bioneers community. 2010 marked the third year that we supported Bioneers through sustainable and eco-friendly printing. And this supportive relationship couldn’t be a better fit. Greenerprinter CEO Mario Assadi’s vision of “business is personal” is an ideal expression of one of the core beliefs of the Bioneers community, which is: the solutions to the problems posed in science and business can be found in the perfectly balanced systems of nature.

To find out more, watch this six minute video that begins to capture the spirit of Bioneers.

A highlight of every Bioneers event are the plenary sessions featuring master speakers. This year, just a few of the plenary speakers included:

• Dr. Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey – award-winning filmmaker, anthropologist and National Geographic Fellow who was named Hawaii’s “Woman of the Year”
  
• Dr. James Hansen – climate researcher and head of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York
• Lynne Twist – co-founder of the Pachamama Alliance, an organization dedicated to protecting tropical rainforests by empowering the indigenous people
• Dr. Jane Goodall -founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, a non-profit that seeks to improve the treatment and preservation of great apes

In between the keynote speakers and other exciting activities this weekend, we hope you had an opportunity to visit the Greenerprinter booth in the Bioneers exhibit hall and meet your friends at Greenerprinter!

What does this mean for you?

As you can imagine, the largest portion of a printer’s environmental footprint is the paper they use. This is why printers – and the entrepreneurs and other businesses that support them – have a responsibility to maximize the market for recycled content and FSC certified virgin fiber papers.

Each time you support Greenerprinter, you can be certain that you are helping to transition the paper market from brown to green – so to speak – one job at a time. The “Ancient Forest Friendly” logo is an easy way to know that you’re choosing to work with businesses that use 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper and/or virgin paper fiber that is FSC certified.

About Canopy

Canopy has more than ten years of expertise helping companies develop strong environmental policies. Canopy works hard to increase the demand for green paper products by shifting heavy paper consuming sectors away from unsustainable sources.

We are thrilled to join Canopy in their mission to ensure that the world’s forests “remain strong and standing, our species abundant, our ecosystems healthy and our climate protected.” In fact, we wouldn’t have it any other way!

In the coming months, keep an eye out for the Ancient Forest Friendly logo on the Greenerprinter website or other company collateral.

Drawing on the experience of B Corporation, GCC member businesses will find it easier to build sustainability into their business practices from day one (or day 1,001, as the case may be). And the B Corporation Impact Rating System will help the GCC to promote corporate accountability and transparency as they work to expand nationally.

Just exactly who – or what – are the GCC and B Corporation? The Green Chamber of Commerce is a diverse business network dedicated to providing its members with “promotional opportunities, discounts, hosted events, a voice in national policy and tools to become more environmentally and socially responsible.”

B Corporations are a new type of corporation which uses the power of business to solve social and environmental problems. According to bcorporation.net, unlike traditional responsible businesses, certified B Corporations:

• Meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards.
• Institutionalize stakeholder interests.
• Build collective voice through the power of a unifying brand.

On September 8, nearly 100 people came together to celebrate the synergy at The Hub’s San Francisco office. This ideal location represented the spirit of the new partnership: The Hub is a community of innovative thinkers, value-driven entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, activists, investors and freelancers who share space to work, meet and accelerate solutions to today’s complex problems.

Greenerprinter is both a certified B Corporation and a long-standing supporter of the GCC. So in addition to our table at the event, Exygy and SF Green Dentist could be spotted at tables, while several Green MBA alumni were mingling in the crowd.

The evening’s presentation included inspirational stories from Sustainable Industries, Dharma Merchant Services, BetterWorld Telecom and New Resource Bank — all GCC members and/or Certified B Corporations. An assortment of memorable organic appetizers and drinks were provided by Mendocino Wine Company, Social Kitchen & Brewery and Organic Chef Catering.

The full press release can be found on the GCC blog archive.

Caltopia gives over 30,000 University of California Berkeley students, administrators and campus supporters a chance to experience the latest products, services and programs from local and national exhibitors. This year, the two-day event was held on Sunday, Aug. 22 and Monday, Aug. 23.

Where does sustainable printing come in? Greenerprinter is the exclusive printer for Cal Recreational Sports (the campus resource that also created and hosts Caltopia) and our green signage and printed products were displayed throughout the event. And for this year’s festival, Greenerprinter sponsored the Caltopia and printed a QR Scavenger hunt in an effort to raise awareness for the use of QR (Quick Response) codes on campus.

Like Greenerprinter, UC Berkeley has a history of evolving in bright, new directions to support environmental endeavors. In fact, in November, 2007 UC Berkeley’s Office of Sustainability formalized a “Statement of Our Commitment to the Environment.” By July of 2008, the office had mapped out nearly 200 campus energy efficiency projects.

It’s clear that UC Berkeley intends to be a leader on environmental issues, and partnering with Greenerprinter for eco-friendly signage and printed materials is a strong step in changing business practices.

Many caring, passionate people have assumed that Do Not Mail registries are a good idea since they aim to reduce the use of paper, which in turn would protect Earth’s quickly-dwindling natural resources. Although there may be some truth to this, it does not capture the complexity of the issue.

For example, imagine the devastating effects of broad Do Not Mail bills on jobs and small businesses (particularly during a down economy). And the option of doing business online of course requires the use of servers powered with energy from coal.

The Direct Marketing Association has gathered an impressive array of statistics pointing to the long-lasting effects of adopting Do Not Mail registries. Consider the following:

• Lots of small businesses rely on direct mail since it is a cost-effective way for them to advertise locally. Since businesses are already hurting due to the economic slowdown, depriving them of a key means of advertising could result in further loss of business — and jobs.
• Do Not Mail will result in a loss of jobs that will have a ripple effect, from the designer who designs printed pieces to the printer who prints them to the mail carrier that delivers them.
• Small businesses produce between 60 to 80 percent of all new jobs. Many U. S. businesses relied on local mail advertising campaigns that helped them to grow and eventually employ hundreds or even thousands. Today’s start-up business could be tomorrow’s Cliff Bar, Annie’s Natural or New Leaf Paper.

In 2008, 12 state legislatures, including California, Connecticut, Florida, New York, Washington and New Jersey, had Do Not Mail bills under consideration. Since then, two bills were introduced and one major U.S. city was considering a non-binding resolution. Yet it’s clear that sweeping legislation to ban bulk mailing is not in-line with principles of a green economy.

So if Do Not Mail registries do not provide an environmentally AND socially sustainable solution, where do we go from here?

For a start, thousands of concerned citizens are helping environmental organizations work collaboratively with for-profits to green their direct mail practices. Since 2006, ForestEthics has been creating “transformation through collaboration” in the office supply industry and with large corporations like FedEx, Crate&Barrel, and Victoria’s Secret. As an individual, you could get involved with ForestEthics and others to pressure big corporations to green their printing practices.

If you are responsible for the printing decisions at your company, own a home-based business or are planning a wedding (or know someone who is), one of the most powerful actions you can take is to support the mission of sustainable printers like Greenerprinter. It it far better to explore more eco-friendly options rather than trying to stop direct mail altogether.

By supporting green printing, direct mail can be done in an environmentally responsible way while preserving jobs today and creating new jobs tomorrow.

Greenerprinter has taken the work out of finding some of the top green mobile applications available today. Start leveraging the power of mobile technology for your triple bottom-line business. Take a quick look at this review of 12 free apps for the tech savvy, eco-conscious business owner or employee.

1. Do you need to set up carpooling for yourself or your staff? Carticipate is a network of participating members interested in carpooling to save gas. Simply input your destination and Carticipate helps you find others in your social network who are headed in the same direction. Currently available for iPhones.
2. Whether it’s a quick trip to the office supply store or a cross-country conference in New York, Clear Standards Carbon Tracker allows you to calculate your carbon footprint. Your phone’s built-in GPS keeps track of your travel, so there is no guessing involved! Currently available for iPhones.
3. Craigsphone connects you to the well-known and much loved Craig’s List. Use Craigsphone to swap gently-used office items, find new office space in green buildings, drum up new clientele and much more. Currently available for iPhones and Droids.
4. Ecofinder helps Bay Area residents recycle and dispose of just about any unwanted materials, including old office machinery and unusable desk furniture. The data feed is provided courtesy of SF Environment. Currently available for iPhones.
5. Are you looking to discover new ways to conserve gas on the company vehicle? After it’s installed, Ecorio runs in the background to track your carbon footprint as you travel. Ecorio then gives you personalized ideas for actions to reduce your overall footprint, including purchasing carbon offsets. Currently available for iPhones.
6. Find Green is a location-based app that helps you find healthy living and sustainable businesses quickly and easily, including organic lunch spots! The reviewers at Treehugger say, “Think of it like a green Yelp on your phone.” Find Green was created by 3rdWhale, the first mobile app developer to join 1% for the Planet. Currently available for iPhones and Droids.
7. Why use fossil fuel to make your next meeting when there is Fuze Meeting? Fuze Meeting extends web-based conferencing capability to your phone. Start, host and attend web conferences, plus view multimedia and chat with colleagues in real time. (The meeting presenter, however, must be on a desktop.) Currently available for iPhones and Blackberries.
8. GreenDrive by Road-Guard helps you increase business car fuel efficiency based on road conditions and real-time driving directions (to provide the shortest route possible). Following GreenDrive’s tips, you could see an average fuel savings of 15-25 percent! Currently available for iPhones.
9. Once you use GreenDrive to reach your business destination, Green Explorer Widget will help you learn and share new tips on eco-friendly travel and lifestyle. Created by Nokia and is currently available in the Ovi Store.
10. Make your mobile device more sustainable! Green Phone by MobiMonster 2.0 aims to increase mobile battery life by monitoring the backlight, WLAN, Bluetooth and charger and will alert the user when a feature is not in use. Currently available for devices running Symbian OS.
11. The Greenpeace Recycled Tissue and Toilet Paper Guide, also produced by 3rdWhale, will help you choose the greenest paper products for your business break room or home office. Currently available for iPhones and Droids.
12. Without a doubt, LinkedIn has become the top online business networking site. So although this is not a green app per se, it is a great way to connect with like-minded eco-entrepreneurs, green business employees or Green MBA alumni. Currently available for Palms, Blackberries and iPhones.

It’s clear that there are many mobile applications in the market today and that many more are being added each month. In fact, a 2009 report issued by Juniper Research found that downloads of green mobile applications could exceed 400 million by 2014.

With this level of demand, it’s only a matter of time before you find the perfect new eco-friendly app for your Blackberry, Windows Mobile, Symbian, Droid or iPhone.

The IGAEA is a partnership between educators and industry professions who are dedicated to sharing the theories, principles, processes and techniques behind graphic communications and imaging technology.

The theme of this year’s IGAEA conference was “Sustainability: Our Discipline, Our Programs, Our Future.” The weekend’s discussions revolved around understanding the trends shaping the discipline. And according to IGAEA, also on “building and maintaining viable, lasting graphic communications 5479 programs.” On Monday, July 26, Mario addressed the concept of triple bottom line of business sustainability and how graphic arts students can help champion a campus greening effort.

So who is Mario Assadi? Mario holds a degree in Engineering and became involved in the prepress industry during the very early stages of desktop publishing.  In 1988, he founded Tulip Graphics, one of the first digital service bureaus in California. Nearly a decade later, he moved into digital printing and then conventional offset printing. In 2004 Mario launched Greenerprinter, the first online print provider to offer recycled paper and green printing exclusively.

Thanks in part to Mario’s deep commitment to sustainable printing practices,  IGAEA conference attendees went home better equipped to teach sustainable technologies today, and to become a driving force in the green campus movement.

This week I had the pleasure of attending one of B Corp’s periodic social gathering in the stylish SOMA neighborhood of San Francisco, CA. Meet-ups and networking events are an ideal way to put a face on B Corp as an organization, but more importantly, to synergize with other certified B Corporation businesses.

Certified B Corporations run the gambit from web services to sporting goods retailers. Just a few of my personal favorites include Numi Organic Tea, New Leaf Paper, and of course Greenerprinter! Explore the entire list of certified B Corporations through B Corp’s online directory.

What are the benefits of joining the network of B Corporations? By becoming a B Corporation, a green company differentiates itself from other companies by truly walking the talk. As B Corp phrases it, it can exercise “its leadership, influencing the market beyond its own individual success.” The business also ensures that the values of the business survive through every phase of growth. And finally, a business can take advantage of discounts on business products and services, including Salesforce’s Enterprise Edition.

Through the course of the evening as I exchanged stories with my fellow B Corps, I learned that no matter what type of industry you served or how long ago you completed the certification process, we all shared hope and enthusiasm around the positive power of business.

Is your business – or the business you work for – a certified B Corporation? Why or why not? Add your comments below.

To quote the deeply inspirational Mahatma Gandhi, “It’s not too late at all. You just don’t yet know what you are capable of.”

In that vein, here are 10 every-day ways you can lessen your consumption of crude and lead a more sustainable life:

1. Skip the meat. Compared with plant crops, meat requires eight time the fossil fuels to produce. Following our current path, world meat consumption is expected to double by 2050. Imagine the impact this will have on oil demand if we don’t act today.
2. Drive less than 65 (or 60). In most cars, gas mileage drops off above 60 mph. Lower gas mileage translates to higher overall gas consumption. Try using cruise control when possible, which also helps to use your car’s overdrive gears, saving even more fuel.
3. Pack away plastic bags for good. Roughly 430,000 gallons of oil are used to produce 100 million plastic bags. And each year, 500 billion to 1 trillion of these bags are dispensed globally! Most bags are used only once and only a tiny fraction of them are recycled. Each bag counts.
4. Leave aggressive driving to someone else. Your car’s gas mileage can drop 33 percent on highways and 5 percent on city streets through swerving, sudden acceleration and braking. Revving your engine while stopped will cause your oil use to climb even more.
5. Live like a localvore. Since packaging and shipping food long distances requires lots of fossil fuel, buy locally grown food. What’s more, patronizing local businesses (like Greenerprinter!) keeps $0.43 of every $1.00 spent in the community, compared to only $0.13 out of $1.00 when you shop at a national chains!
6. Take the train. Most people fly or even drive across country at least once a year, yet few realize that trains have higher fuel efficiency per passenger than hybrid cars. Instead of the air or roads, choose rail for business shipping or personal travel when possible.
   
7. Don’t get hot under the collar. Wash your clothes on the cold or warm setting. Washing every load on the hot/warm cycle in a top loading machine (using an electric water heater) for just one year is equivalent to burning over 180 extra gallons of gas when you drive. Avoid the hot water cycle – your close will be just as clean and bright.
8. Wave goodbye to water bottles. Did you know that 17.6 million barrels of oil are used to produce the 28.6 billion PET water bottles manufactured in the U.S.? Or that roughly 86 percent of empty plastic water bottles (about two million tons of PET) lands in landfills instead of new plastic products?  Learn more through Food & Water Watch’s Take Back the Tap campaign.
   
9. Avoid idling. According to the Hinkle Charitable Foundation, the average driver wastes half a cup of gas per day for a small car or one cup for an eight-cylinder engine through five minutes of unnecessary idling. This works out to 10 gallons of gas for a small car or 20 gallons for a larger vehicle per year. If you need to idle longer than 10 seconds, cut the engine and cut your oil consumption.
10. Clean the old-fashioned way. Many commercial cleaning products (and many other every-day items, for that matter) are derived from petroleum. You don’t need oil to take grease out of your way. Use cleaning products made from natural materials such as vinegar, soap powder or baking soda. A quick web search will uncover many home-made cleanser recipes.

To round off this list, take one more step by sending a petition letter to your senator. Ask her or him to pass energy legislation that will prevent future oil spills. Big oil companies have a strong voice in the government. But through our collective voice and daily actions, we can all do right by the planet.