If the millions of used laser toner cartridges in landfills are retrieved, a bridge can be built from the earth to the moon, a distance of about 223,000 miles. Every year, 275 mn used toner cartridges are disposed of-a weight equal to the weight of 30,500 adult African elephants. That's just the peripherals part. Japan, the largest producer of electronic goods, has an Electronic and Consumer Goods Appliances Act that lays down the law as far as disposal of e-waste is concerned: the producer is responsible for arranging disposal. In the US, almost all Fortune 500 companies are working consciously on a green approach with a timeframe.

Highlights

• Natural resource-intense companies (manufacturing, for example) are working on reduction of resources consumed, as well as saving on consumption, thus making themselves greener.
• Product companies are launching and promoting more and more green products in their portfolio.
• Most of these companies now have a "Green Business Council" to offer strategic direction to the company on the green approach.
• Earlier, the stock market used to see "shareholder value", then came "shareholder and societal value". Now, it's the age of the "triple bottomline": shareholder value, societal value and environmental value.
• On the Nasdaq, companies without green programs or approach have 15% of their market capitalizations at risk.
• In US, people pay 15% premium on "green electricity"
• The Green Building Council has done a survey and found out that "green building or energy-efficient buildings" increase employee productivity by 6%.
• Walmart's retail sales increased by 40% on introduction of a green light bulb called "DayLight".
• Green buildings have already captured a 4% of the US commercial building market in the last three years.

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Chokepoints to Green Manufacturing

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