5 approaches to a greener business

Being green is an excellent way to help the environment as well as save some money. Fortunately, turning your office into a green one is not very hard to do. Here are some simple tips for making your office greener.

1.    Use double-sided printing whenever possible

Set your printer or copier’s default setting to double-sided printing to automatically cut down on paper use. This is a simple step and if anyone needs single-sided printing they can easily change the settings.

2.    Use a water delivery service

Bottled water is incredibly wasteful, and unfortunately is prevalent in most offices. Using a water delivery service gives your employees the option to drink clean water without wasting all that plastic and suffering from the possible health effects of bottled water.

3.    Turn lights and machines off when they’re not being used

Although this may seem like an obvious way to be eco-friendly, many people overlook its necessity. Some people think that it’s more efficient to leave computers and other machines on overnight, but it’s far more wasteful than anything else. If you can afford to install motion sensors, they are always a great option as well.

4.    Use recycled and recyclable products when you can

Almost any paper product is available in recycled versions at major office supply retailers. While they’re much better for the environment, they are generally comparable in price to non-recycled versions.

Also, if you must use disposable plates and cups, try to find recyclable or compostable options. It’s not enough to simply buy recyclable products, it’s important to have an easy-to-follow recycling program. Stress to your employees the importance of recycling those products, otherwise there’s a good chance they’ll end up in the trash.

5.    Cut down on commuting

Organizing carpools is rather easy to do. Simply match people up based on where they live. If you can, offer parking incentives to those who carpool. If your town has public transportation systems, try offering a bus or train pass to employees who can use those systems.

These are all simple and inexpensive ways to make your office greener and to ensure that your business has less of an impact on the environment.