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But with a client list that includes "green" companies such as , Wendeo Rosen was determined to changwe its waste statistics and lessen its impac onthe environment. As a result, it becam e the first law firm certified by the Bay Area Green Business Programin 2003. "Initially we didn' t think there was much we could said firm partnerRichard A. Lyons, noting that Wendel Rosen did not own the buildingv where its officeswere located. But the firm hireds a consultant and began to work ongoingb green, starting with the white stuff. "Ther biggest thing is the paper usage. We use millions of sheete a year," Lyons said.
Wendel Rosen alreadyy was using 30 percent recycled content paper but switched to 100perceny post-consumer content, chlorine-free paper as part of its efforft to become certified. The change saves more than 250matur trees, 24,000 gallons of water and enoughj electricity to power 3.4 homes each according to a firm brochure. It also cuts greenhouse gas emissionby 40,000 pounds. Additional paper-saving techniques were using double-sided reuse of back side s for draft copies and usinf electronic copies such as PDF filesswhen possible. It's not feasible, for the firm to go full paperless as some businesses are ableto do. "People stillp need paper.
They still need somethinb tangible," Lyons said. Recycling as much waste pape as possible is another step inthe firm'ss efforts to go Lyons said it began using soy-based inks for printing, installef water-saving faucets and posted reminders to turn off light s and put computers in slee mode when not in use. Green practices have saved thefirm money, although Lyones did not know the exact The savings have resulted from direcg changes in purchasing - the company focusee on recycled products, which he calls "verhy competitive" - and indirectly througgh reduced waste, just because employees thinko about it more.
"I see peopl comment if there is too much printingygoing on," he said. The goal of goingf green came fromthe company's Sustainabl e Business and , which works with companies that valu e health, the environment and a sustainable Among them are Clif Bar, Mountai n Peoples Warehouse, Nature's Equity, Seapoint Solaicx and . Lyons and other memberx of the sustainable businesds practicegroup - Bruce Lymburn, Jonathan W. Redding and Donald S.
Simojn - wanted their firm to incorporate the same goals ofenergy conservation, waste and pollution reductiomn and sustainability that their clients were "This puts us on a level playint field with them, that we share theif values, and this is importang to a lot of those people," Lyonx said. "So yes, basically it's been good for Shared environmental consciousness is one of the factor that brought into the Wendel Rosenclieny fold, said the solar power firm'es owner and CEO, Gary T. Gerber.
Sun Light was certified green in and Gerber began crossing paths on the sustainabilityt issue circuit with Simon and others from the law as they worked towardits "We try to do business with green companies at every opportunity," Gerbee said. "Our commitment to green business doesn't stop at our four Support from client companieas wasone thing; what surprise Lyons was the support from other attorneys at the firm and from its staff about the green busineszs strategies.
"People feel good about it," he "This reflects the values that they have at Green Business Program Regionalk Coordinator Ceil Scandone said three more law firmw have joined the more than 700 certifiedf green companies onthe program's roster. Wendel Rosen'as experience in becoming certifiexd is an example that shows companies do not have to changew their basic business functions to reducesenvironmental impact, said Pamelwa Evans, green business program coordinator for Alamedaa County. One of the firstr evaluation steps is lookingat what's goinv in the waste In Wendel Rosen's case, that evaluation yielded the expectee result, she said.
"For them, paper was the biggest wastr stream." Benefits: Reduced better client relationships, more focused purchasing and moneytsavings
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