Is your claim office green? In former days, calling an adjuster “green” was no compliment. Rather, it suggested a neophyte, an untrained claim professional. When I finished a TPA's adjuster boot camp in the late 1970s, newbies were called “pedods.” Nowadays, though, being a “green” adjuster or “green” claim office is not so bad. There is a difference between green and greenhorn.

Even if you think that global warming is an urban myth — or that sitting through An Inconvenient Truth was as dull as screening an Al Gore instructional dating tape — you will see that the green conservation movement will impact today's adjuster and claim manager. Amid growing environmental consciousness and rising energy costs, businesses are striving to reduce their carbon footprints, recycle, and conserve resources. Insurance is no exception, and within the insurance sector, the claim industry can do its part to minimize the impact on the environment.

It is certain that environmental and financial imperatives will increasingly challenge claim managers, departments, and operations to conserve, recycle, and trim costs. Claim units can await the edicts or choose to be proactive. So, how can claim managers achieve these environmentally friendly goals? How can a claim office “go green”? Let's look at some specific tips and techniques: