From the Intern’s Desk – Reflections on Sustainability as a Way of Doing Business

Posted by Isabella Boschetti on February 1, 2013 | Sustainability
Reflections on sustainability as a way of doing business

Reflections on sustainability as a way of doing business

Isabella Boschetti completed a three-month internship at REfficient as a Business Analyst. Here she reflects on her experience, as well as what she has learned regarding sustainability.

Almost all of my background has been in the banking industry, not at all related to the concepts of sustainability and recycling. When the internship opportunity at REfficient was presented to me, I was interested by the innovative concepts I discovered about the company, but most of all by the company awareness on sustainability and recycling processes.

I felt instantaneously intrigued in the company as someone coming from Venezuela, a country in which “recycling” is an unknown word and waste disposal and handling is in its very early stages of development. In fact, waste management is becoming more and more of a challenge everyday there. Continue reading →

Why you should think again when saying “we don’t buy recycled equipment”

Posted by Stephanie McLarty on January 18, 2013 | Sustainability
DCT6416 III

Previously-owned equipment is often new or refurbished, such as these Motorola DCT6416.

Have you ever had a preconceived notion about something, and realized later that you were wrong? And you wish you’d known sooner?

We see the same thing when it comes to surplus equipment. If you have ever caught yourself saying “We don’t buy recycled equipment” or “We don’t buy as-is”, read on. It’s probably not what you think.

The next time you say those statements, consider these realities.  

Over 50% of what is on our website is new, never used surplus

Over half of what is listed on the REfficient marketplace is new, never used equipment that was simply surplus to another company. Continue reading →

3 Ways Sustainable Lighting Brightens Up Your Business

Posted by Megan Webb-Morgan on January 11, 2013 | Sustainability
Lighting plays an important role in employee health and energy costs.

Lighting plays an important role in employee health and energy costs.

Though it may not seem like a significant change, there are two ways that your business can improve its carbon footprint and sustainable energy usage through lighting. Regardless of whether you’re renting out a commercial space or operating in the den of your home, you can take better advantage of natural light through the installation of windows and skylights, and replace inefficient bulbs and fixtures with Energy Star rated models. 

Even better, the benefits exceed environmental; these improvements will have a significant impact on your employees’ health and productivity, as well. 

Better Health

According to a study by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, “Daylighting has been associated with improved mood, enhanced morale, lower fatigue, and reduced eyestrain…. Continue reading →

Our Achievements & Lessons Learned in 2012

Posted by Stephanie McLarty on December 21, 2012 | Entrepreneurship & Start-up, Sustainability, Women in Business
REfficient wins silver at Lion's Lair

REfficient won silver at Lion’s Lair, Hamilton’s premier business competition.

As I reflect back on our year at REfficient, there are so many things to be thankful for on many different levels. It has been a tremendous year full of lessons learned, discovery and growth.

We wanted to share with you some of these achievements, but also what we have learned as a company and some of the insight I’ve gotten as an entrepreneur.

Some Achievements – by the Numbers

Here is a sampling of some of our numbers which we are proud of.

  • 10 Canadian provinces/territories where our customers reside and make a difference, as well as
  • 24 US states and
  • 6 other countries on Continue reading →

Six Reasons Why We Are Offsetting Our Shimple Shipments

Posted by Stephanie McLarty on December 14, 2012 | Uncategorized
REfficient Shimple Shipping

Starting January 1, 2013, emissions from all Shimple shipments will be offset.

Since the first day of REfficient, we started calculating the carbon footprint of our shipments. We felt that this was important information to capture and share with our clients. After all, there is an environmental impact when shipping product around, even if you are reducing impact by encouraging reuse.

As we have been preparing for our reporting for the Hamilton Climate Change Action Charter and Sustainable Hamilton, we realized that we wanted to offset all of our shipments under the “reduce, then offset” motto. Then we had a question occur to us – why wait? So we are taking action.

Starting January 1, 2013, emissions generated from all of REfficient’s Shimple – Simple Ship – shipments will be offset. The purchase of carbon offsets goes to funding projects dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Continue reading →