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As you conduct business, don’t forget about the community and environment that surrounds it. No person or company operates in a vacuum, and the things you do affect your surroundings one way or another. That’s why it’s vital for you and your company to adopt greener and more ecologically sound habits. Take the time to engage in the following four simple ways your company can go greener. It won’t just protect the environment; it will reflect well on your company while creating a better world overall.
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Go Paperless
Papermaking is a messy and destructive process. A sure way to save money and the environment at the same time is to switch to a paperless office. Plus, it’s easier than ever to create and send invoices, bills, alerts, and information to employees and customers alike through email, texts, and other forms of e-communication. Cutting back on printing out and mailing such information puts less of a strain on trees and other natural resources. It will also save money that you’d usually spend on stocking up paper, replacing toner and printer ink, and purchasing postage and envelopes for single-use communications.
Switch to Renewable Energy
How much does your company spend on gasoline, natural gas, electricity, and other nonrenewable energy sources every month? It’s worth taking stock and seeing how much money and fuel you’re burning. Reduce your carbon emissions wherever you can. If you have a company fleet and the budget to do so, choose more eco-friendly vehicles such as hybrid or electric cars, vans, and/or trucks. You can also benefit from renewable energy by installing solar panels on the roof of your building can supplement whatever you take in through the power lines. The changes you make to how your business operates may also qualify you for credits and incentives from the federal or state governments.
Greener Transportation
Create a program that encourages employees to use public transportation, bicycles, and other means of transportation to and from work that use less or no fuel. Offering to cover part or all the expenses for bus and train passes puts you in good stead with your employees as well as the community at large. Bike sharing and encouraging employees to form pelotons of cyclists to and from work is healthier, safer, and better for the air we all breathe.
Do Business with Other Green Companies
Look at your vendors and the other companies you do business with. As hard as you work to maintain a greener world, are the businesses you work with negating your efforts? Support companies who try to make less of a dent in the ecosystem and let the ones who don’t know what they need to do to regain your business. Additionally, supporting local companies reduces the impact made by transporting goods over long distances.
Those are just four simple ways your company can go greener. If you’re looking to make significant changes to how your business affects the environment, make the Environmental Protection Agency your ally. After all, the EPA works to protect the environment every day.
