Skip to main content

Secondary menu

User menu

  • Join
  • OR
  • Log In

MNN - Mother Nature Network

Sunday, May 19, 2013
SPECIAL FEATURES:
  • Leaderboard
  • Nest
  • TreeHugger
  • Photos
  • Blogs
  • SB 2013
  • Joy of Less

Search form

Social links

Main menu

  • Earth Matters
    • Browse all »
    • Animals
    • Weather
    • Energy
    • Politics
    • Space
    • Translating Uncle Sam
    • Wilderness & Resources
  • Health
    • Browse all »
    • Allergies
    • Fitness & Well-Being
    • Healthy Spaces
  • Lifestyle
    • Browse all »
    • Arts & Culture
    • Travel
    • Natural Beauty & Fashion
    • Recycling
    • Responsible Living
  • Green Tech
    • Browse all »
    • Computers
    • Gadgets & Electronics
    • Research & Innovations
    • Transportation
  • Eco-Biz & Money
    • Browse all »
    • Green Workplace
    • Personal Finance
    • Sustainable Business Practices
  • Food & Drink
    • Browse all »
    • Beverages
    • Healthy Eating
    • Recipes
  • Your Home
    • Browse all »
    • At Home
    • Organic Farming & Gardening
    • Remodeling & Design
  • Family
    • Browse all »
    • Babies & Pregnancy
    • Family Activities
    • Pets
    • Protection & Safety

Breadcrumb Navigation

MNN.COM › MNN BLOGGERS
    x
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Bookmark and ShareShare
  • Earn Points
    What's this?
No trash cans for Google employees
Google’s London office has made several eco-friendly changes, including the removal of trash cans at employees’ desks.
Wed, Jun 03 2009 at 11:53 AM
 14

 

Recently, Google has made several eco-conscious changes at its London office. One of the more creative changes Google implemented is the removal of trash cans from individual employee desks. Instead of simply tossing away garbage without a second thought, employees now have to get up and walk to a centralized disposal and recycling station. This small change has led to an increase in onsite recycling -- if the employee is already walking to the disposal center, it is easy to make the decision to recycle the waste.
 
After an after-hours check of employee computers, Google implemented an educational program to help employees understand the energy benefits of powering down their computers at night. This is a low-cost way to save Google money and reduce the company’s carbon footprint.
 
Google’s removal of employee trash cans is an ingenious idea. It costs nothing for a business to remove the item and direct employees to a centralized disposal/recycling location. This one little step led to a significant increase in recycling rates at the company, 50 percent, and helps Google meet its green initiative goals. 
 
via [Green Inc]
 
Photo by Todd Baker << technowannabe

 

The opinions expressed by MNN Bloggers and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of MNN.com. While we have reviewed their content to make sure it complies with our Terms and Conditions, MNN is not responsible for the accuracy of any of their information.

Previous Post
Note to businesses, go green now
Next Post
Veterans prepared for energy audits

You might also like:

Join the conversation

Comments: 14
Sign in with one of these accounts to add your comment.
Log in or
create an account
  • Sign in using this account:
anonymous
Stephanie B. Jun 29 2011 at 6:24 PM
I gave myself the challenge at home to only use one garbage bag from Easter to Christmas. It's actually easier than it sounds. I use washable tissues, washable puppy pads, washable napkins, washable cleaning cloths and washable baby wipes for toilet paper. I don't use stuff that needs to be thrown away. It was sort of confusing at the beginning but it actually works! Now I don't even go to the bin anymore. I just recycle or compost everything. I did some research and most people in America create
.... More
at least 1 bag of garbage per person per week. That's over 300 million bags of garbage JUST in America alone! I wish more companies would do this, and more households too!
|
  • Log in or register to post comments
  • Report This Post 
anonymous
Landfill Laden ... Jun 12 2009 at 9:12 AM
I live in a town in Michigan that has a landfill that receives waste from local towns and across the state and who knows where else. There is another landfill three times as large not 30 minutes away. So I agree that throwing trash "away" could be in your own backyard if you are unfortunate enough to live near a landfill. From a business and personal standpoint, we should all be looking to reduce and reuse as much as possible without compromising sanitary and healthy living. An added bonus is
.... More
that if you work at a desk/keyboard all day - the break you get by getting up and walking to a recyling area will break the daily grind.
|
  • Log in or register to post comments
  • Report This Post 
anonymous
Dude Jun 05 2009 at 3:41 AM

The majority of us posting comments most liely don't work for Google. My guess is that those who do are free to find other employment, whenever the any down sides ofworking for Google ever outweigh the good points

|
  • Log in or register to post comments
  • Report This Post 
anonymous
Guest Jun 04 2009 at 10:48 PM

Google employees subjected to this idiocy should save a week's worth of snotty tissues, put them in an interoffice envelope, and then send the envelope to the cretin whose idea this was.

|
  • Log in or register to post comments
  • Report This Post 
anonymous
Guest Jun 04 2009 at 7:17 PM

Adobe has done this for a long time. Individual offices have recycling and composting bins (which can take the used kleenexes!) but anything else has to be taken to the trash bin in the break room.

|
  • Log in or register to post comments
  • Report This Post 
anonymous
Guest Googler Jun 04 2009 at 6:28 PM

I work at Google Mountain View, where they reduced the number of garbage cans. A consequence is that used tissues sit on people's desks because they'd have to stop what they're doing and get up to throw them out, rather than being able to immediately discard them in a bin by their desk. I'm all for reducing waste, but it hasn't had that effect for me: just increasing germs and distracting people from work. (It takes a while for a programmer to get in the zone.)

|
  • Log in or register to post comments
  • Report This Post 
anonymous
Guest Jun 08 2009 at 8:22 AM

I used to have my own recycle bin right at my desk, no snotty napkins for me, and I did recycle much more from doing that. Very simple and easy, and a constant reminder to recycle, as it was so close.

|
  • Log in or register to post comments
  • Report This Post 
anonymous
Guest Jun 04 2009 at 1:23 PM

Wow, that last comment was sarcastic and uncalled for. I think it's a great thing. I am continually unnerved by the amount of trash that is wasted in our office. All my efforts to nudge "the boss" into printing less and throwing away less has been to no avail. Very frustrating.

|
  • Log in or register to post comments
  • Report This Post 
anonymous
Guest Jun 04 2009 at 12:30 PM

Most of the waste offices generate is paper. If you can put the paper straight in a recycling bin at your desk it saves time and trees.

|
  • Log in or register to post comments
  • Report This Post 
anonymous
Mrs Green Jun 04 2009 at 12:19 PM

Yep, definitely a no brainer idea that makes a huge difference. It would be good if all homes and offices could adopt a similar idea to take away the 'convenience' of throwing things away (to a place that doesn't actually exist - have you ever stopped to think where 'away' is?!)
We've written about this several times on our site about reducing landfill waste:

http://myzerowaste.com/2009/05/one-simple-step-to-reduce-your-household-...

|
  • Log in or register to post comments
  • Report This Post 
anonymous
Douglas Stoddard Jun 04 2009 at 11:39 AM

This is old news for Google as in our 3 Santa Monica offices, We have been doing this for over a year now!

|
  • Log in or register to post comments
  • Report This Post 
anonymous
Wesley Joseph Jun 04 2009 at 10:01 AM

This is great for raising awareness about the volume of garbage each of us produces, as well as improving that part of our environuman impact. I wonder if Google should couple the program with health tests to see if there is any measurable difference in this group of employees' health from the extra exercise over the course of a year.

|
  • Log in or register to post comments
  • Report This Post 
anonymous
Guest Jun 04 2009 at 9:13 AM

Just imagine.

|
  • Log in or register to post comments
  • Report This Post 
anonymous
Guest Jun 03 2009 at 3:32 PM

Next thing you know, Google will remove the toilets from their buildings, as an effort to reduce water consumption. Employees will then have to either wait until they get home to go to the bathroom, wander outside and find a tree, or use their supervisor's desk as a urine and fecal receptical.

|
  • Log in or register to post comments
  • Report This Post 

EDITORS' PICKS

tease kids in woods

line

tease stargazing

line

tease hand

Advertisement

TODAY'S MOST POPULAR ON

  1. 20 ways to reuse coffee grounds, tea leaves
  2. 13 natural remedies for the ant invasion
  3. 5 ingredients that make any meal healthier
  4. 15 famous people who mysteriously disappeared
  5. How much money do you save when baking your own bread?
  6. Jon Stewart explains the ‘Monsanto Protection Act’
  7. 10 false facts most people think are true
  8. Stone Age people may have battled against a zombie apocalypse
  9. Men and women literally see the world differently
  10. 9 habits that may do more harm than good
+ Add this to my site
From our sponsor
UPS partners with CARE to aid in disaster relief efforts
Donations, volunteering and logistics expertise from UPS help CARE carry out humanitarian relief more...
UPS The New Logistics
What can 1 million trees do? [infographic]
UPS is working with organizations to plant 1 million trees on five continents as part of its more...
UPS The New Logistics
UPS carbon neutral shipping is easy [infographic]
The Carbon neutral shipping option from UPS allows you to offset the carbon emissions from the more...
UPS The New Logistics
Logistics at the core: UPS delivers social responsibility
Sustainability and environmental stewardship is always top of mind for UPS, from fuel-saving more...
UPS The New Logistics
Ways to benefit from logistics: UPS solutions for businesses
Logistics is the most powerful force in business today, and UPS wants to help businesses use it to more...
UPS The New Logistics

NEWSLETTER

Mother Nature. Delivered

ABOUT Melissa Hincha-Ownby

Business guru blogs about the latest in green biz.

More about Melissa RSS feed

Recent Posts

  • Prisoners participate in startup accelerator [Video]
  • 38% of men only pay minimum credit card payments [Infographic]
  • Manheim solar project includes educational trail
+ Add this to my site
Advertisement
Advertisement
Google Profile

Footer menu

  • Quick Links
    • Joy of Less
    • About Us
    • Advisory Board
    • Editors' Blog
    • Press
    • Privacy
    • Sitemap
    • Terms of Service
  • MNN Tools
    • Advice
    • Blogs
    • Day in History
    • Eco-glossary
    • Infographics
    • Lists
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Connect
    • The Nest
    • Contact Us
    • Mixed Greens
    • Newsletters
    • RSS
    • Social
    • TreeHugger
    • Mobile
  • Channels
    • Earth Matters
    • Health
    • Lifestyle
    • Green Tech
    • Eco-Biz & Money
    • Your Home
    • Family
    • State Reports
  • Follow MNN
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Tumblr
    • Google+
    • StumbleUpon

Copyright © 2013 MNN Holdings, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Website by GLICK INTERACTIVE | Powered by CIRRACORE

SPONSORS