Looking to Go Green? Here's How It Can Work for Your Firm
As another Earth Day arrives, environmental consciousness is on the minds of many in the legal industry, and despite a number of challenges, going green is not only a possibility but an opportunity as well.
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“There is a mindset that we’re still a business and we always need to be mindful of cost,” said Kevin J. Bruno, a Blank Rome LLP partner involved in the firm’s sustainability efforts. “Years ago that was certainly something that needed to be overcome. I do think over these last few years the ability to identify projects that in the short term and certainly in the long term will save money has greatly assisted any of us who have been promoting sustainability.”
With respect to short-term solutions, there are a number of policies that can help law firms not only become more sustainable, but can help save money as well.
One method already employed by a number of firms is switching a computer’s default printing setting to double-sided, which cuts down on paper consumption across the board. Less paper use overall has clear financial and environmental benefits, and by making double-sided the automatic setting, adoption of this policy is easier.
In the same vein, a move to recycled paper is another sustainability-conscious switch that won’t break the bank.
“Ten years ago [recycled paper] was a lot more expensive,” Bruno said. “What’s happened is the cost difference between the two is negligible at best.”
Kitchens are another area where short-term solutions are possible with minimal cost, or even as a way to implement cost-saving measures. Firms like Blank Rome have for the most part done away with the expense and environmental issues associated with single-use plastic straws, while Fried Frank Harris Shriver & Jacobson LLP in 2018 provided reusable “keep cups” for lawyers and personnel in all of its offices, in addition to providing some glassware and other dishes to use.
"Looking to Go Green? Here's How It Can Work for Your Firm," by Matthew Guarnaccia was published in Law360 on April 19, 2019.