10 Things Businesses Can Do To Go Green Right Now

In today’s environmentally conscious social environment, building and operating a business that implements as many green practices as reasonably possible is not only healthy for the environment, it’s also a case of excellent PR. Numerous companies have actually boosted their sales revenues and client retention rates by through implementing eco-friendly practices and publicizing this fact.

In some cases, clients are even willing to accept slightly higher costs of doing business if they’re made aware of the fact that your company is honestly attempting to ease the footprint it leaves on the environment.

Given these benefits and the fact that you will be leaving a small but important mark on the world, there is no reason not to adapt at least a few key green strategies in your own start-up or established business. Let’s cover a few.

1. Use Video Conferencing and Lower Your Carbon Footprint

Video conferencing technology lets you communicate with partners, employees, outsourcing providers and even clients anywhere in the world without all of the associated physical travel costs. There is no simpler, quicker and cheaper way to dramatically decrease just how much resource use you and your partners contribute to.

2. Implement Paper Free Policies

Using cloud storage, USB sticks, email, digital signatures and a whole plethora of digital data sharing mediums, you have almost no reason to print physical paper documents on a regular basis. Implement this as a general policy that’s used whenever is reasonably possible in your company and you’re sure to save more than a few trees somewhere down the supply chain.

3. Turn Off Unused Equipment

By turning off all equipment that won’t be used for awhile and turning off all of your office computers at the end of the day instead of letting them run will garner energy savings of as much as 50%. Good for the planet and good for your wallet when the power bill comes.

4. Buy Used Office Equipment

Some of your business tools will definitely have to be new, but wherever possible, opt for carefully used alternatives; especially when it comes to furnishings and basic office technology.

5. Recycle Office Waste

Even the cleanest office is going to produce some paper waste and trash. Instead of tossing it, recycle as much as possible. Also, encourage your staff to buy only from suppliers of recycled goods wherever possible.

6. Create Your Own Sustainable Power

This may sound crazy to some people, but why not? If your business is located in an area where natural sources of sustainable energy like wind and sunlight are plentiful, why not invest a bit of extra money in solar cells or wind turbines outside your office location? Even if you don’t leave the grid entirely, you’ll at least be reducing your resource use and with the added benefit of making your office more resistant against power outages in which the competition suffers.

7. Change from Incandescent Bulbs to CFL Lights

Want a quick way of spending 75% less energy on lighting your office? Use CFL lights instead of regular light bulbs. They’re more expensive, but the power savings and longer lifetime work to your advantage.

8. Avoid Toxic Cleaning Materials

For those moments where you need to clean the office, do it with non toxic alternative cleaning substances. Some of these can even be made at home, saving you some money in addition to saving a bit of the environment.

9. Encourage BYOU

Bring Your Own Utensils: instead of wasting plastic on cups, plates and spoons or forks in the office kitchen, simply ask your staff to bring their own real utensils in, and wash them regularly.

10. Create a Location Free Office Through Telecommuting

In our wired world of powerful digital communications, there might not be any reason for your employees to physically show up to work. Help them save money and resources by letting them do their jobs from home whenever possible; create a delocalized office!

About the author: Stephan Jukic is a freelance writer who generally covers a variety of subjects relating to the latest changes in white hat SEO, marketing, marketing tech and brand promotion. He also loves to read and write about subjects as varied as location-free business, portable business management and anything to do with advertising or strategic marketing tricks. When not busy writing or consulting on marketing and digital optimization for Intercall, he spends his days enjoying life’s adventures either in Canada or Mexico, where he spends part of the year.