Whatever your business, you’re making an impact when it comes to serving your customers, but are you also serving the planet? The steps you take as a business can have a lasting impact beyond your service or product offerings. Here are five creative ways for your business to include eco-conscious practices in the workplace and take steps toward “going green.”
1. Have your Power Company do a free energy inventory to assess your energy use and waste.
2. Purchase sustainable, locally sourced products. We can help coordinate a sustainability inventory of your business.
3. Reduce, reuse and recycle paper, plastics, and metals. There are specific dump days and equipment drop points for computers and electronics. In addition, here are some quick easy ways to reduce your footprint and costs:
a. Set computers to sleep after 5 minutes
b. Hang small signs on or near light switches to prompt staff to turn off lights when rooms or areas are not in use
c. Set thermostats to 74-75 degrees and get a timer thermostat to set it to run only during office hours
d. Set all printers to default to print double-sided
e. Set log-ins for staff printers and give awards to those who print the least
f. Draw shades in the summer or purchase UV tint for windows in order to decrease AC usage
4. Purchase water, air and power optimization systems:
a. Cistern water collection
b. Low flow faucets and toilets
c. Solar panels
d. Evaporative cooling systems or natural ac systems
5. Have a contest to determine the greenest staff member. Your team knows your business inside and out; gamification is always a fun team building strategy. For larger organizations, assign team leaders and have teams compete against each other.
Need more tips and resource? We’re happy to help!