At Hughes, we aim to inspire, promote and enable companies to go green and reduce their environmental impact as much as possible. We deliver Green and Eco Friendly solutions for your packaging and shipping needs. So, in the spirit of the New Year’ Resolutions, we’ve provided a couple tips for how you and your business can make 2015 a greener (and better) year!
Become Biodegradable
Traditional loose fill packing Styrofoam peanuts, composed of polystyrene, a plastic polymer, are difficult to decompose. After disposal, they can end up in a landfill or floating around the ocean for many, many years. Biodegradable packing peanuts, however, are made from natural, nontoxic sources, such as wheat and corn starch. They dissolve in water and can be thrown into compost piles after a single use. In addition, biodegradable foam peanuts do not have an electrostatic charge, meaning they will not stick to clothes. Our goal at Hughes is to find the optimal environmental approach with each of our packing materials. Safe and efficient, Storopack’s all-natural, completely biodegradable PELASPAN™ BIO loose-fill is becoming the product of choice for more and more packers. PELASPAN™ BIO brings you all the best features of loose-fill and corrects concerns shippers have had about static and customer animosity. It’s made from annually renewable resources and is completely biodegradable!
Green Your Cleaning Supplies
Cleaning products are necessary for maintaining attractive and healthful conditions in the workplace. In addition to the obvious aesthetic benefits of cleaning, the removal of dust, allergens, and infectious agents is crucial to maintaining a healthful indoor environment for employees. But cleaning products can present several health and environmental concerns. They may contain chemicals associated with eye, skin, or respiratory irritation, or other human health issues. Additionally, the concentrated forms of some commercial cleaning products are classified as hazardous, creating potential handling, storage, and disposal issues for users. According the EPA.gov, choosing less hazardous products that have positive environmental attributes (e.g., biodegradability, low toxicity, low volatile organic compound (VOC) content, reduced packaging, low life cycle energy use) and taking steps to reduce exposure can minimize harmful impacts to custodial workers and building occupants, improve indoor air quality, and reduce water and ambient air pollution while also ensuring the effectiveness of cleaning in removing biological and other contaminants from the building’s interior. Hughes Enterprises has partnered with Enviro-Solutions to offer your business a safer product line of over 70 products for your building and the environment including green floor care, carpet care, odor control, hand soap, hand cleaner, bio products and more.
Freshen Up
Reduce the number of harmful Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in your building’s air. VOCs are emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids and include a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects. Create a healthier workplace by bringing in office plants. Plants act as natural air-filters, and not only improve the office atmosphere but also promote employee health, attendance, and overall work productivity. Clean air is green air and is better air for all! NASA actually did a study to find out which plants were best to filter the air of the space station. Below is a list of plants that are best to filter the air (not only producing oxygen from CO2, but also absorbing benzene, formaldehyde and/or trichloroethylene.)
• English ivy (Hedera helix)
• Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
• Golden pothos or Devil’s ivy (Scindapsus aures or Epipremnum aureum)
• Peace lily (Spathiphyllum ‘Mauna Loa’)
• Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestum)
• Bamboo palm or reed palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii)
• Snake plant or mother-in-law’s tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata’Laurentii’)
• Heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron oxycardium, syn.Philodendron cordatum)
• Selloum philodendron (Philodendron bipinnatifidum, syn.Philodendron selloum)
• Elephant ear philodendron (Philodendron domesticum)
• Red-edged dracaena (Dracaena marginata)
• Cornstalk dracaena (Dracaena fragans ‘Massangeana’)
• Janet Craig dracaena (Dracaena deremensis ‘Janet Craig’)
• Warneck dracaena (Dracaena deremensis ‘Warneckii’)
• Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina)
• Gerbera daisy or Barberton daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)
• Pot mum or florist’s chrysanthemum (Chrysantheium morifolium)
• Rubber plant (Ficus elastica)
For more information on greening your cleaning supplies, switching to biodegradable loose fill packaging peanuts and other sustainable packaging solutions, contact a Hughes Sales Representative today. Hughes, we’re moving you forward to a healthier (and greener) New Year!