In light of St. Patrick’s Day, we thought we would discuss the topic of how your small business can be more green. You know, ways to make your business practices more sustainable in an effort to save the environment, curb global warming, and make the planet a better place for all of us. Just take a look at this infographic to see just how big of a deal waste is — and more importantly, what can be done about it if we all do our part.
There’s lots of ways to help your workplace reduce its carbon footprint. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
Electronics recycling. Today’s desktop computer, office printer, or cell phone becomes yesterday’s model in record speed; thanks to the technology advancing like wildfire. If you’re constantly updated your office equipment and electronic gadgets for the latest and greatest, consider donating or recycling your old equipment. Websites such as Earth 911, Consumer Electronics Association, and EqoSuid help you to donate, recycle or sell old electronics. In addition, many of the big-box electronics, office supplies, and cell phone retailers offer recycling options, often exchanging cash or gift cards for the old electronic product. Gazelle and Glyde are websites growing in popularity to receive cash for selling your old electronics.
Reduce printing. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average office employee generates about two pounds of paper products each day. The EPA further reports that much of this paper is wasted due to bad copies, outdated reports, and mistakes. With this much paper going to waste, offices are an ideal place for recycling. Specific ways your business can recycle paper include making an effort to utilizing electronic documents more, printing on both sides of the paper, printing on recycled paper, and placing a paper recycling bin near every printer.
Ink reduction and recycling. Did you know there was such a thing as ecofont? Well there is, and the font’s creators indicate it can reduce ink usage by up to 28 percent. Not only is this eco-friendly, but since ink is so costly, it can help save money. You can also save on ink by adjusting your printer’s settings. Many printers allow you to choose a “draft” options, which will produce a lower resolution, “lighter” document that is just find for internal office documents. As an added benefit, documents will print faster. Lastly, consider using refurbished ink cartridges — and be sure to reuse your cartridges when they’re empty. Most ink manufacturers and office supply companies offer ink refilling.
Promote recycling. When sending out brochures or posting flyers, place a note that states the document is recyclable. When sending out emails, consider adding a standard end note in green font, such as “Please consider the environment before printing this message.”
Other ways. Of course, there are countless other ways for your small business to be more green including using reusable lunch bags, carpooling, riding bike to work, share documents online, use green cleaning products, use compact fluorescent light (CFL) light bulbs,
By taking steps to make your small business more green, you can not only operate more sustainably, but improve your business’s bottom line.
