Going green can help protect the environment, boost your brand and save you money. However, just starting to think about how your business can go green can be daunting. With huge companies like Google spending billions on green initiatives, it can seem as though going green is well out of your reach. Fortunately, going green doesn't require an unlimited budget. Let's take a look at how your business can go green on a budget:
Implement green practices in your office
When asking yourself "how can businesses go green?" this should be one of the first things that you do: turn things off. Leaving lights, computers and other electronics powered up will waste a lot of energy. Avoid this by educating your employees about the importance of turning things off when they are done. Simply switching a light off on the way out of a room could save you a lot of money.
Harness the power of the sun
The sun is constantly bombarding us with light and heat, making it the perfect energy source. Your business can tap into this power, giving you access to FREE energy. There are two ways that you can do this:
Invest in solar power
With a typical cost in the thousands, a solar panel system for your business is well within your reach. In addition to the money you will save on power and heat, you'll gain a six-figure tax credit just for having a solar panel system.
Find ways to benefit from natural light
Turn off a few light bulbs and still keep your office bright by opening up windows more often. Also, the next time you renovate your office, consider getting larger windows and skylighting.
Invest in a good scanner
The average office employee used about 10,000 sheets of paper per year – that's over 9,700 feet of paper! Cutting back on this will save the trees and your budget. All you need to do is invest in a high-quality scanner that converts your incoming documents into digital files. This way, instead of wastefully distributing paper documents, everyone will be able to access it from your computer system.
Don't forget about your scanning software
Using scanned documents shouldn't force your employees to waste time on manually organizing and copying data. Get scanning software that automatically extracts and indexes everything.
Note: If you don't know what to do with your old archived documents, there is no need to worry. These can easily be converted into digital files by a professional service.
Find and fix your energy leaks
Energy leaks are causing your company to throw away money right now. Cut back on this by identifying and plugging these holes. The most common sources of energy leaks affect your heating and cooling system, which comprises a large portion of your energy bill. Take the following steps to reduce energy leaks:
- Find and plug leaks in your air ducts
- Insulate your building
- Have your heating and cooling system inspected and have them repaired or replaced as needed
Also find ways to plug leaks in your waterworks. Leaks in your toilets, pipes and sinks will cost you tens of thousands of gallons of water each year.
Don't make your employees go to the office if they don't need to
Fewer employees in the office means that you can have a smaller office space and use less electricity. If any of your employees have jobs that can be performed from home, create work from home opportunities.
Your office can go green
Now that you can answer the question "how can businesses go green on a budget?" its' time for you to get started!
