Bay photo lab

GP: How green is your business - what green business practices do you embrace?

BPL: As a company, Bay Photo Lab is very aware of our responsibilities within the environment in which we do business.  To ensure that we are doing things right we sought and received our Green Business Certification Award "For Exceeding Environmental Regulatory Requirements, Preventing Pollution, and Conserving Natural Resources!"

The Monterey Bay Area Green Business Program recognized Bay Photo Lab for voluntarily taking steps to conserve natural resources and prevent pollution:

•  Reducing water consumption
•  Retrofitting lights and other equipment to conserve energy
•  Reducing solid waste going to landfill by minimizing waste and recycling
•  Implementing practices that reduce pollution and protect worker safety, such as using less toxic  products
•  Complying with all environmental regulations

The Monterey Bay Area Green Business Program is a successful partnership of environmental agencies, utilities and nonprofit organizations.  To be certified "green," participants must be in compliance with all regulations and meet program standards for conserving resources, preventing pollution and minimizing waste.

When photographers send orders to Bay Photo Lab, they'll not only feel good about getting the best prints and photo products available, they'll also be making a great choice for our environment!

GP: How green are your products - what green products/components do you offer?

BPL: Here are a few good examples!  Bay Photo's Press Printed products, such as Cards (flat, folding, business, holiday, etc.), Calendars, Brochures, and Bookmarks, as well as Photo and Preview Books, are all available using a number of different paper stocks.  We want your press printed items to look great, but we also want to keep our environment looking great, so our options include a number of papers which are created using recycled materials, responsible forestry, and wind-power.

We offer a 110# Smooth Matte "Green" Paper, which allows our customers to be environmentally conscious AND offer stunning products! This smooth paper is beautiful, 100% recycled, and is ideal for press printed products from cards to calendars. We also have an 80# Art Linen "Green" Paper that has a fine linen texture that adds a feeling of quality to cards. This paper contains recycled fibers and is created using wind-power.   There's also an 80# Art Stipple "Green" Paper choice, which is a finely textured, uncoated specialty paper. This paper is great for folding cards, and contains recycled fibers.

Another example is our Presentation Gift Boxes, made with a base of recycled board and wrapped with responsibly forested papers.

GP: Why did you choose to offer green products and implement green business practices?

BPL: Bay Photo Lab is located 2 blocks from the beach in Santa Cruz, California-an area that is extremely health and environment conscious, and has been for many years.  We work and live everyday with an awareness of our environment that is almost second nature.  Being “Green” is not something that we question or debate, it's a way of doing business and living that comes naturally in this part of the world, because it's simply better for everyone!

GP: How has offering green products and implementing green business practices affected your company?

BPL: Bay Photo has always been on the cutting edge of technology.  With most of our transactions now being web-enabled and software driven, we have eliminated the bulk of the order forms and materials needed previously, and our use of paper and other resources in our office environment has been reduced dramatically over the years.  Many Bay Photo employees walk, ride bicycles, or take public transportation to work each day, and our deliveries are frequently done with lowered emission, hybrid powered vehicles. Being conscious of our environment and the impact we have on our surroundings has helped Bay Photo Lab develop an enhanced sense of teamwork. This has resulted in a better working environment, improved efficiency, and controlled or even lowered costs.

The drive to be a Green Business came from members of the Bay Photo Lab team, who live the Green lifestyle themselves and who wanted the company they work for to reflect their values.  Our employees remind us on a regular basis how important it is for them to be part of Green enterprise, and we strive to keep our focus on their behalf.

GP: What are your hopes for a greener photographic industry?

BPL: Outstanding photographic images can take your breath away, inspire and amaze.  In today's digitally-minded culture there is a tendency to think of images as merely a form of visual communication. However, professional photographic images can very much be a treat for our visual, tactile, and emotional senses.  Quality printed and “packaged” photographic presentations look good to the eye, feel good to the touch, and can heighten the viewer's overall experience.

One hope is that the photographic industry will continue to develop improved long term, high-value views of imaging and create self-sustaining practices that allow us to renew our resources, so we can continue to produce imaging presentations that do not deplete our resources or surroundings, but contribute instead to improving everyone’s life experience.

GP: What is your favorite eco website or eco-product that we may not have heard of?The

BPL: Sustainability Ninja - http://www.sustainabilityninja.com/

       The Sustainable Forestry Initiative - http://www.sfiprogram.org/

Products: High quality sports apparel items made from recycled plastic bottles that are melted down and spun into the polyester yarn. Making recycled polyester from the bottles takes 30% less energy than creating new “virgin” polyester.  Could “Green” photographer clothing and camera bags be far behind?

Another is the The Bottle Cap Tripod, which is a small swivel tripod head built into a cap that can screw onto any standard size plastic bottle.  Pack it in your pocket when you're on the go and with a bottle of water you're ready for your next time exposure or self-portrait.

GP: Thanks so much to Bay Photo Lab for taking the time to answer our questions!

Special Offer: 30% Off Press Printed Cards printed on "Green" Papers for GP members through August 31st! May not be combined with any other offer.  All of our disocunt codes are on-line at the bottom of the page and only visable if you are logged in.

**Bay Photo Clients a 30% off GP certification with code Bay Photo til August 31, 2010.**

If you have an idea for a spotlight feature or interview, let us know!