Going green can be the best strategy to make your company unique. Even if your actions don’t land you on the top ten greenest companies in the world, going green can assist your bottom line. With countless products and services in the market, it has never been essential to differentiate your business from the competition. Here are ten ways to help you achieve that.
Employ Biodegradable Cleaners
If you think hiring a green office cleaning company only makes you clean, think again. You also need to make sure that they use natural and biodegradable products. These products minimize your exposure to harmful chemicals and other toxins, and also reduce the chances of reintroducing these substances into the environment.
Similarly, the next time you’re in the market for soap, laundry detergent or shampoo, switch to a greener option. Most stores today sell green products in large quantities.
Use LED Or Compact-Fluorescent (CFL) Lights
Although LED and CFL lights are more expensive upfront than incandescent bulbs, they last longer and save more energy. Replacing all your bulbs with LED and CFL can save you about $200 per bulb in the long run.
Replace Outmoded Appliances
Some appliances, like Energy Star products, come with labels to help you assess their energy consumption over time. This can help you calculate how much money you will pay in the long run when using the appliance. It also helps you to know the best time to replace it. And if you have an outdated appliance in your company, please replace it with a greener counterpart to save money and the environment.
Get An Energy Audit
Sealing cracks and leaks can save nearly 20% of energy costs arising from heating and cooling, reports the U.S Department of Energy. Therefore, it is prudent to get an energy audit on your business premises and make simple changes around your office. Most companies will offer to perform a free energy audit, so take advantage of such offers to save some bucks.
Power Your Business With Green Energy
In most countries, you can sign up to buy green power from your utility provider. Green electricity is produced from renewable sources of energy, such as plant matter, solar power, hydropower, wind power, and geothermal.
In some instances, buying green energy can increase your electricity bill by a small fraction. Nonetheless, you will be making your business unique and saving the plant.
Recycle Electronics
Americans throw nearly 5 billion pounds of electronics every year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. These result in the reintroduction of millions of pounds of heavy metals and chemicals that end up in the ground. So instead of tossing old computers, monitors, phones, and printers find a recycling resource center in your area.
Recycle Outside The Box
When recycling, think outside the box, particularly when replacing or buying items. Consider buying vintage or used office furniture rather than buying brand new pieces. Fortunately, you can get great deals from many sources such as Craigslist and eBay.
Use Energy Efficient Transportation
Approximately 150 million Americans live in areas that don’t meet federal air quality standards. Vehicles, particularly heavy-duty trucks, and passenger automobiles are major culprits of this pollution, which includes particles, ozone and other smog-forming pollutants.
Apart from damaging the environment, air pollution can increase respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and asthma. Therefore, whenever possible use public transportation, bike, hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, and public transportation.
Use Post-Consumer Waste Paper
Strive to entirely skip using paper, and if you can’t use eco-friendly paper. Businesses that value green initiatives often look for recycling symbol when buying papers. Some recycled papers may not have this symbol because it is an unregulated designation.
So when buying, look for post-consumer waste (PCW) paper symbol because it is made entirely from the papers discarded and collected in the recycle bins. These papers use 45% less energy to manufacture, and generates half the waste as compared to the traditional papermaking process.
Furthermore, remember to recycle all your paper scraps whenever possible instead of sending them to the landfill.
Employ Green Web Hosts
Companies that participate in activities like buying carbon offsets, planting trees and using renewable energy to mitigate the environmental effects of running their infrastructure and servers are known as green web hosts. Most of these companies charge the same or even less than those running their servers using nonrenewable energy sources. As such, work with them to reduce the general effects of pollution and make the world a better place.
These tips can help you save thousands of dollars and make your business more attractive to eco-conscious customers. Always tell your clients what you do for the environment on your website.
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