Your business can make a positive impact on the environment once you adopt green practices. Going green can help reduce waste and result in a cleaner and safer environment. It can also help bring down your company’s spending so you might as well adopt practices that can help reduce waste and energy. The best part is: you won’t be alone. Here are some big companies that have already taken the initiative to go green.
“Dell – Electronic waste is one of the fastest growing and most dangerous sources of waste. Manufacturer Dell is one of the computer companies going green with a commitment to take responsibility for e-waste.
Burt’s Bees – First, they lowered the total amount of waste by aggressively following the reduce/reuse/recycle mantra. To dispose of the remaining waste, Burt’s Bees partnered with a company that shreds and blends their waste into fuel for cement manufacturers.
Walmart – They earned their spot on the list of influential companies with the introduction of the Walmart Sustainability Index, a detailed questionnaire rolled out to all 100,000 suppliers. With plans to measure the sustainability of all the products on its shelves and offer this information to consumers in an easy format, it has become clear that this could truly be a game-changer.” (Going Green Today)
Here are some green practices you can observe that have the potential to benefit the environment while lessening your business expenses:
Buying Energy-Efficient Lights and Equipment
The more you energy use, the more money you spend. You can greatly reduce your electricity bills by lessening your energy usage. You can’t just stop using some of your equipment and electrical devices to save energy because your business needs them for marketing and production purposes. The best way to save on energy is to use energy-efficient equipment. If you are replacing some of your old company equipment with new units, consider buying equipment that has earned the ENERGY STAR label which signifies that they use less energy. “Products can earn the ENERGY STAR label by meeting the energy efficiency requirements set forth in ENERGY STAR product specifications.” (ENERGY STAR)
Using Paperless Documents
Do you still need printed copies of a document so you can send a message through fax? This method will only succeed in increasing your organization’s waste and spending. You can minimize your paper waste and reduce your expenses by using internet fax. With internet fax, you can send messages without the need to use printed documents, using only a computer. The best phone service providers can help you make the necessary changes so you’ll need just your computer to send fax messages to your business contacts.
Most business houses spend significant amounts of money on paper and ink but it is now possible to spend much less simply by using less paper. Making use of paperless documents is the way to go. Instead of printing hard copies of documents that are deemed important, you can simply store their soft copies or digital files in your computer. You can scan and convert important documents to PDF format which can then be stored in a special folder in your hard drive. You do not have to worry about not having a printed copy of your documents because these digital files can be easily accessed and when needed, you can retrieve them for printing. A word of warning: make sure to back up your files in the event of any crashes or system failures. As an added bonus, you get rid of clutter around the workplace by having less paper and getting rid of bulky filing cabinets.