It’s time to go green in doing business. Not only you save money, you save the environment too! And there are plenty benefits of doing so. Except from the obvious ones, here is just an example: you get legal and tax advantages while distinguishing your company from the competition, in means of getting positive social response. Here are the things you can do right now to get started.
If your business involves the use of paper and printing, then use PCW. You may wonder what does PCW stands for. It means post-consumer waste – products that were recycled and refined to be ready for another use. Recycled paper production, for instance, uses 45% less energy and produces half of the waste of a conventional papermaking process.
Electronic equipment is common in offices and manufacturing plants. But if they happen to lose their effectiveness, owners need to buy new ones. So why not buy their Eco-friendly counterparts instead? For example, appliances with Energy Star labels tell you that this product is “green”, meaning that this particular product has been assessed so it can give cost and energy savings to the buyer once used.
Speaking of electronics, try to reduce the amount of electronic waste by changing the spare parts of the existing equipment, rather than getting the new one too often. You will save some money and end up taking care of the environment.
Lighting is critical in almost all business, especially at night. But they can be costly if they are turned on for the whole night (and day if necessary). Is there a way to be cost-effective with lighting? Absolutely yes! Use Compact-fluorescent (CFL) and Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights save up to $200 in your electricity bills in comparison with the traditional light bulbs. Miniaturization technology has paved the way for the easy production these lighting wonders. With using minimal parts only, a device can produce a big effect without costing users’ wallets that much. CFLs and LEDs are currently priced higher than their traditional counterparts. But if you can afford them, they can greatly cut down your electricity costs. Also, keep in mind that turning off the lights where you don’t need them reduces your bills and reduces the energy waste.
Getting an energy auditing service is a huge advantage to an Eco-business. Some governments around the world have energy auditors that render free check-ups to the owners’ properties. Some of them even pay for the repairs! For example, the sealing of cracks and leaks can greatly minimize your heating or cooling payments by 20%.
Switch the means of transportation to save money over time and decrease the carbon footprint of your business. Get some vehicle that runs on alternative fuel or use public transportation.
When equipping your business, think if you really need the new furniture, or you are willing to go with some of the alternatives, like renting equipment or buying the used one.
If you decide to implement only some of the few given advice, you will cut down your expenses, do a good thing for the environment and stand out from the rest of the companies who are not so eco – friendly, which may give you access to a new range of consumers, so going green in your business is definitely worth more than just being taken into consideration.
