From Guest Blogger Ana: How Businesses Can Save Money by Going Green
Many companies both large and small have been successfully saving money after becoming more environmentally friendly, and, in today’s uneasy and somewhat lean economic times, being a little more financially responsible will do wonders for the inherent success of your business. Although people may typically imagine that doing this will involve a large amount of stress and turmoil for all concerned, businesses are gradually becoming both eco-friendly and fiscally accountable, and all with no huge company-wide headaches. It is therefore somewhat of a misnomer to categorize any “going green” transformation throughout various industries around the world as time-consuming or ineffective.
Instead, many environmentally friendly elements that members of staff around the workplace can put into practice are straightforward and do not disturb day-to-day business, although they will still have a positive impact (and save you money in the meantime). Here are some basic tips that you and your team members can carry out in a concerted effort to decrease spending and economize.
1. Reducing the amount of energy your business uses on a monthly basis is by and large an easy process to put into practice with a little patience and persistence. Obviously almost all offices run a large amount of electrical appliances everyday, be it the many desks and conference rooms filled with desktop computers and laptops, as well as their accompanying monitors, smartphone chargers, desk lamps, ceiling lights, and so on. However, by turning off any equipment that is not being used, just think of how much energy you can cut down on using, as well as how much money you will save over time.
2. Reducing the amount of paper-based printouts you distribute around your building will save you more money than you think over the span of a single year. Today’s workplace tends to do the majority of its work meetings on a computer hooked up to a projector or via numerous tablet interfaces using data cloud-sharing resources (Google Drive for example), and digital storage solutions, such as USB thumb sticks, will extensively help to reduce paper clutter. Also, TurboScan is a handy iPhone app where you can use your smartphone’s camera to scan and convert images into PDF files that are email-ready. Therefore, establish whether the information you are looking at will need to be printed out as a hardcopy, or whether you can keep a digital version instead: think before you print.
3. Whenever you need to print documents out, utilize the double-sided mode to halve the amount of paper you use. If you have to contact customers, prioritize communication by email whenever possible. In addition, since “approximately 1 billion trees worth of paper are thrown away every year in the U.S.,”[1] you should try to find a reliable supplier that offers recycled paper products.
4. Switch to green cleaning products and services. Natural, biodegradable goods reduce the amount of potentially detrimental chemical toxins found in many store-bought cleaning products, and, as well as being better for your health, they are much less expensive too.
5. Many companies are now becoming more aware of the benefits of adopting renewable energy practices, such as having solar panels installed on top of their office buildings to help reduce or offset utility costs, which is especially true in sunny states such as Texas, Arizona and California. And it is not only in the U.S. that renewable energy resources are being implemented. In the U.K., there has been a gradual increase in the amount of renewable energy used: the “there was a significant growth in the contribution of renewable electricity… renewables contribution to UK electricity generation was 11.3% in 2012, 1.9% higher than 2011”[2]
6. Switch the lighting throughout your entire building to Compact-Fluorescent Lighting (CFL) or Light-Emitting Diode (LED) lights. Although they are a little more expensive, their purchase is offset by the fact that they last longer than standard light bulbs, as well as using less energy overall.
7. Make sure that you tighten kitchen and bathroom faucets so that they do not leak. After all, as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that “a leaky faucet that drips at the rate of one drip per second can waste more than 3,000 gallons per year.”[3] This final point might seem a little trivial, but keep in mind that lessening the combined amount of water, electricity and paper that every business uses up on an everyday basis will make a significant impact to your bottom line, as well as helping out the environment.
This simple list is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to easy-to-employ ideas that every company can introduce to make their business a more eco-friendly place. Operating a business that encourages and operates their own green practices will help to conserve resources while also decreasing the presence of waste and increasing the amount of money your company will save in due course.
Serving residents living in Vancouver, Delta, Surrey, Burnaby, Langley and Richmond, Anago Canada specializes in janitorial cleaning services relating to car dealerships, schools, daycares, country clubs, medical and healthcare facilities, places of worship, financial institutions, restaurants, movie theaters and office buildings. Please visit us online at Anago Vancouver if you would like more information about our professional cleaning services, or call 604-639-4419 for a free cleaning quote today.
