subject: Making Your Business Greener [print this page] Making your business operate in an eco friendly manner is important not only for the environment, but good for the profit margin of your company. Streamlining resources and processes as well as cutting down on waste are likely to save your company money. From multi-national corporations to home working professionals, time and energy can be conserved by running your business in a green way.
So how can you operate an effective, yet environmentally sustainable business, whilst equipping your staff with all the tools they need to generate income?
Recycling - when thinking of the green agenda, recycling is top of most people's lists. Simply installing a paper recycling bin rather than throwing waste away can save tonnes of paper each year, making everyone feel they are making a real difference to the environment and championing your business as a key recycler.
The paperless office - Encourage email communications in the office and if it is cardinal to print, ensure staff print double-sided and use any old paper for scrap drafts.
Turn off technology - Whilst it's highly important to stay connected throughout the working day, make sure staffs are reminded to turn their PC's off at the end of the day. Turning off computers, photocopiers and other office equipment during non-working hours can save up to 25 per cent of energy bills per year, as well as reducing your company's carbon footprint.
Embrace video conferencing - Rather than funding staff to attend business trips across the country or even abroad, why not implement video conference software in your workplace. Instead of wasting time waiting at train stations and airports, your staff can stay in the comfort of the office, with work-amenities easily to hand. Video conferencing allows for face-to-face meetings with clients thousands of miles away, negating the need to travel, reducing your carbon footprint and increasing the time workers' can dedicate to their role.
Encourage car sharing - Many workers live in the same areas, so set up a ''car-pooling'' type scheme, encouraging staff to give each other lifts. More staff car-sharing means less vehicles on the roads and thus less traffic to contend with in the morning. Moreover, less cars coming to the office means that you won't have to provide quite so many parking facilities.
Buy green products - Whether it is merchandise or stationary, ask suppliers to provide you with recycled or eco-friendly merchandise. You can buy everything from pens made from old tyres to mousemats made from recycled CD covers! Putting your brand on a sustainable product will re-enforce your company as a leading eco-warrior at a time when the 'green' couldn't be higher on the government agenda.
Get staff involved - Set up a staff led eco-friendly scheme, where workers can participate in commuter challenges, measure the company's green efforts and bolster morale.
by: Stephen Smith
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