A Contributed Post: How to Make Your Startup Law Firm More Green

Climate change is a prominent concern for all of us. Our attitude towards the environment has changed dramatically in recent times and there is now a widespread awareness of the threat posed by climate change and the scramble to keep global temperature rises below the critical threshold, beyond which the effects will be disastrous.

Going green isn’t just a good idea to save the planet, however, there are a number of sound business reasons for investing in a greener future. There are a number of ways of going green, which allow businesses to greatly reduce their energy consumption and therefore the amount that they spend on energy bills every month.

It is also much easier than many people realize to start working towards a greener work environment. The trick is to use small and gradual changes rather than trying to completely overhaul the way you operate overnight.

Go Paperless

Of course, any law firm is inevitably going to end up having to deal with lots of paper, and for certain legal documents and forms, a physical version is required. However, when it comes to things like e-mail and other forms of internal and external communications, you should only use paper when absolutely necessary.

Printing out communications and other documents needlessly wastes paper, time, and money. In addition to being bad for the environment, allowing paper to build up means that you lose precious storage space, which could be better utilized. You also make it harder to search through papers when there is a specific document that you wish to locate.

Use Biodegradable Cleaning Products

This is a great example of the kind of small change that we can make to achieve big results. Most of us never think twice about the cleaning products we use. We go to the store and we pick the most reasonably priced brand. So long as it works, we never question our decision.

However, you might be surprised to find out just how much choice there is when it comes to choosing cleaning products. Not only do you have the various brands who produce their own chemically-based versions; there is an ever-growing number of biodegradable or organic cleaners appearing on the market.

Some of the suggested options include easily obtainable substances such as vinegar or baking soda. Because of this, you can often make your own eco-friendly cleaning products.

Encourage Your Staff

Impress upon your staff the importance of taking a greener approach and encourage them to play an active role in making it happen. For other advice on how to effectively manage and train new staff once you’ve made the decision to start a law firm, check out the series of podcasts available from Lawbiz.

There are numerous benefits to going green in your business. Always be on the lookout for more opportunities to make your business as eco-friendly as it can be. You won’t just save the environment; you will also save you and your business money.