Today, all businesses large and small are looking for ways to go green but the problem is that most businesses do not have a large enough budget to do major changes. The good news is that you can actually help your business go green even with a small budget.
The following tips can help you quite a bit and will in most cases do not cost at all.
Recycle
Learn what items you use all the time and place them to be recycled. Various companies actually take old computers, fax machines, and other office equipment items to recycle. Some electronic vendors will even take their products back when they are no longer usable so they can dispose of them properly.
Turn off electronics and appliances not in use
If you reduce the amount of electricity, your business uses you will be saving money as well as the environment. According to GreenIT in the United States, computers used around 64 billion kilowatt hours of energy in 2005, which cost more than $6 billion. Using the sleep settings on computers for those that idle will save money and energy.
Turn off lights in the store room when you leave. Too many times employees leave lights on in the bathroom, store room, and conference rooms even when they are not being used. Turning off lights will greatly help your business go green. Unplug your office equipment when it is not being used or when you leave for the evening, which also includes the coffee pot.
Suggest car pooling or telecommute
When possible discuss telecommuting with your boss. If you are the boss and you have a few employees that can do the majority of their work at home, allow them to telecommute. You can also give a ride to other employees or start up a car pooling group.
Use wireless devices that reduces power requirements and cabling
All those cables scattered everywhere across the room can be avoided by going wireless. Providing all your employees with wireless devices will reduce the amount of power your business.
Go paperless
You may not be able to go completely paperless according to the type of business you have and if customers can or will receive emails and invoices via computers.
For the office, going paperless may be easier than you think. Instead of office memos, email your employees. Start a weekly online newsletter that will keep everyone up to date, use skype or other online chat programs for sending information instead of memos. Have your employees use online office products for all the things they use paper for such as Microsoft word, Google docs, or other programs. This will save you money on purchasing paper as well as save a few trees.
Purchase plants
A few green plants and flowers will help your business go green and as well, as give your office a much better atmosphere to work. Plants absorb airborne pollutants along with negative ions that are emitted from computers while providing your office with more oxygen.
Author Bio: This article was written by Charles Henry who blogs at RentersInsurance.net. Charles lives a green lifestyle and likes to help educate others.
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