As an eco-conscious business owner, you are always on the lookout for ways to lower your company’s impact on the environment. You want to set a good example for your employees with your commitment to being green and you are pleased when you see everyone being careful about turning off lights, recycling and other earth-friendly practices.
In addition to the practices you already have in place, here are a few more to consider for your company’s green initiative.
Reward Your Team for Lowering Their Amount of Trash
Let’s face it: we live in a throwaway society. This attitude can extend to the company break room, which is often stocked with paper plates, Styrofoam cups, bottled water and coffee machines that use small plastic cups of grounds to brew java, one mug at a time. As Athgo.org notes, let your team know that you will be phasing out all disposables in the office, and encourage them to bring their own coffee cups from home, along with refillable water bottles. If you wish, you can purchase either or both of these items with your company name and logo on them and give them to your team. Also, switch to a traditional coffee maker that brews a pot of coffee with a reusable filter. As your garbage bill goes down and you see that people are making an effort to stop using disposable everything at work, reward your employees with lunch or ice cream.
Plug Up Leaks and Cracks
If your company is located in an older building, chances are good you have some leaks or cracks around windows, doors or maybe in the foundation. As Green Business Bureau notes, devote a couple of hours to looking for these issues in your building and fix them promptly. You may unwittingly be paying good money to run the A/C more than you should because you have gaps around your office windows that are letting the cool air out. If you are a DIYer at heart, you can tackle these often simple repairs on your own, or call in a handyman to help.
If Possible, Allow Telecommuting
Another great way for your company to reduce its impact on the environment is to allow your team to telecommute as much as possible. As The Balance Small Business notes, thanks to tech like smartphones and online video conferencing, it is easier than ever to “meet†with clients from remote locations. Also, depending on what type of business you own, your team may be able to do a great deal of work from their home computers. Even if you can swing one telecommute day a week, that means you and your team will not be using their cars to get to work for that day, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Also, you can leave everything electronic switched off at your office for the day, including the heat or A/C.
Go Green When You Clean
Whether you clean your own office building yourself or hire a cleaning crew to come in and do it, you can reduce your environmental impact by switching to “green†cleaning supplies. You can ask the cleaning service to please use products made by companies like Simple Green and Ecos, or even provide the cleaners for them if need be.
The Earth Appreciates Your Efforts
As you can see, reducing your company’s environmental footprint is not terribly difficult it just requires making some relatively small changes that, taken together, can have a positive impact on the Earth. Speak with your team, get them on board with your green ways of doing things and enjoy lower bills and the knowledge that you are all doing your part to protect Mother Nature.
Green Jobs
How to Apply for a Green Job With the demand for green jobs skyrocketing so far in 2017, giving yourself a unique edge can be difficult—yet absolutely necessary—in order for you to become a proud worker for Mother Earth. Follow these steps to successfully claim your next environmentally friendly employment opportunity. 1. Resume: Make sure … Continue reading..
