Green Living Part 2

The second R in the Green Business formula stands for Re-use. Or as I saw recently on one of the Cable TV design shows, “repurpose”. Don’t you hate it when someone has to re-invent an already complicated language?

Re-use is a pretty straight forward process. At Munro Graphics we re-use in one fashion or another all packaging that we receive. Boxes are saved and re-used either for storage or as delivery containers. Ream wrappers are often not recyclable so we flatten them and reuse them as packaging material to keep odd size bundles from bouncing around in the carton on the UPS truck. To be honest I really hate to get a package that is full of styrofoam peanuts, especially at this time of year. There is so much static in the air that when you open the box those things stick to everything so we just pack them up and send them along like a chain letter to the next unsuspecting recipient. They say styrofoam lasts forever so there is no good reason to use it just once.

Re-using doesn’t just apply to the printing business. Remember the 70’s when every family room was paneled in Barn Board? Well real barn board comes from real barns! It may have gone out of style but the principle is the same. Many people want to remodel their homes and have perfectly good appliances and fixtures. These costly items can be re-used by others. I have become a great advocate for buying used. It’s good for your wallet and good for the planet. When you buy  used appliances, construction material or furniture, you are saving money, saving space in your local landfill and just think about the energy that is saved by manufacturing one less big bulky item. Check out Craigslist, Freecycle and your local Salvation Army Store or maybe your local charity has a thrift store as well.

We’re on the move!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That’s right! After 22 years in Methuen at the same location we are moving to Lawrence Massachusetts. As of March 1 we will be located on the fifth floor of 60 Island Street. The building was actually built as a textile mill in the 1800’s and most recently was the Majestic Shoe factory. It’s owned by two really visionary developers, Chet and Gary Sidell. They have a website for the building if you want to see it.

Lawrence was my hometown. For many years it was frankly in a state of serious decline but thanks to many hard working people it is coming back better than ever. There is a diverse business and residential community. New jobs are coming and people from the burbs are moving into newly renovated loft space. I see it as the Cambridge of the Merrimack Valley.

We are really excited about this move. We outgrew our existing space awhile ago and we will be nearly doubling our space but even more importantly it will be wide open and much better for our work.

Please if you are in the area come visit so we can give you a tour of our new home and city.