From Guest Blogger Brooke Chaplain: A Guide to Greening-up Your Business by Minimizing Costs
To many people, a “green business” might only exist in the form of mega successful tech companies like Google and Microsoft. The truth is, any business can help save the Earth, and they certainly should. Reducing waste and recycling does wonders for the planet, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to greening up your business. Follow these suggestions and you’ll not only be well on your way to making the Earth a cleaner and healthier place to live, but you’ll save tons of money as well.
Reduce the Use
One of the most tried, true, and effective methods of reducing emissions is to simply cut energy usage. Trade in your power hungry incandescent bulbs for greener fluorescent ones, or even LEDs. Doing so will allow you to save the Earth and save money on the electricity bill. Also be sure to switch to a natural gas boiler to heat your business in the most efficient and environmentally-friendly way possible, while also saving valuable space. Some companies, like Nationwide Boiler, know that outdated practices like burning coal is inefficient and not sustainable. Reducing paper usage will also benefit the environment and your budget. The average office in America uses a humongous amount of paper at around 350 pounds per employee every year, which has devastating effects on the Earth. Just by keeping all possible documents on backed up computers and making sure to print on both sides of every sheet, every business can easily reduce their carbon footprint while saving money on expensive printer ink.
Encourage Green Employees
Employees who do their part to save the planet are every bit as important in the fight for a green Earth as the businesses they work for. Giving your employees incentives to carpool to work can reduce emissions by an enormous amount. If possible, allow them to work from home as well. Even if it’s only a few days a week, this will completely eliminate any greenhouse gases that may have otherwise been emitted from their commute. The way you communicate with your employees can have a profound effect on the environment as well. Encourage employees to do their part by providing rewards to the most environmentally conscious members of your team or even by throwing a party on Earth Day.
Though turning your business into a “green business” may seem like a daunting task, it can be made easy by going step by step. Start by reducing your carbon footprint in one aspect of your business, which will most definitely bring reduced costs and reduced environmental impact. Pretty soon you will find your business going completely green, and the planet will thank you.
From the article:
” Giving your employees incentives to carpool to work can reduce emissions by an enormous amount.”
Yes, that’s a good idea and should be implemented. However, it may not reduce emissions by as much as one would expect.
Many employees do not go directly home from work. Instead, they may do their grocery shopping on the way home, or go the the gym for a workout, or pick their children up from a day care place, take courses to complete their degrees, etc. But car pooling would work for at least a few employees.
In the long run, a more effective approach would be for employers to locate their businesses on public transportation lines. In earlier times they usually did that, but now they expect all employees to have a car.