The Advocate Capital team also wants to make sure that we are doing our part to help our clients make an impact. Every time that we add a new client, we will donate 10 trees to the Arbor Day Foundation’s Replanting Our Nation's Forests program in our client’s honor. Total Tree Count: 9,215.
The Green Initiative was developed by Advocate Capital’s Management Team to not only eliminate waste but to live up to a higher caliber of how our business does business. Advocate Capital’s CEO, Michael J. Swanson, commented, “We believe that we have the opportunity and responsibility to do great things. Being a responsible corporate citizen includes doing our part to care for the environment.”
In 2010, we became a 100% paperless company for all internal operations. And we also eliminated the need to mail paper invoices. By emailing our clients’ invoices we estimate that they save about 15,000 sheets of paper annually, not to mention the printer ink, postage, and labor savings! The decision was also made to turn our internal operations into a paperless system. Not only did this make good financial and business sense but it sparked what is now the Advocate Capital, Inc. Green Initiative.
The 3 R’s…
Reduce — Packaging is a big part in day-to-day operation for many companies. However, more packaging results in more waste. Our goal is to purchase items with little packaging required and use packaging that’s reusable.
When we need additional office furniture, we usually opt for used furniture that looks and works just as good as new. We also have opted to only buy and use recycled paper. Lastly, the lunchroom is equipped with dishes, glasses, and utensils to eliminate the need for disposable items like water bottles and paper plates.
Regulate — To eliminate unnecessary usage the Advocate Capital team turns off lights when leaving rooms for extended periods of time. We also maximize computer efficiency by setting all of their computers to go to sleep automatically when not in use. And we are also pleased to announce that our building now has solar panels in an effort to reduce energy consumption from the power grid.
Recycle — Did you know that recycling one soda can produce enough energy to light a 100 watt light bulb for 4 hours? That being said, Advocate Capital is careful to recycle aluminum cans. We also have paper recycling buckets in every employee’s office.