From Guest Blogger Jake Fisher: What Every Business Needs to Know About Going Green

Going green could improve your business’s public image and, in some cases, help you lower costs. Every business needs to know these 5 important aspects about going green.

Solar Panels are a Long-Term Investment

Today’s solar panels are significantly more effective than those made during the 2000s and 1990s. Expect those manufactured in the future to generate even more energy.

Still, solar panels can take several years to pay for themselves. A lot of factors, such as how much sun your area gets and what models you choose, will affect how long it takes to recoup equipment, installation, and maintenance expenses.

Eventually, solar panels should pay for themselves, but it’s important to make sure your business can afford the upfront costs.

Reduce Your Energy Waste

Your company probably wastes energy in ways you’ve never considered. Depending on the size of your company, you could blow thousands or even millions of dollars a year just because your building’s HVAC system hasn’t been inspected for inefficiencies.

If you want to find more wastefulness, get an energy audit. Most cities have companies that specialize in auditing businesses. You can also contact your energy company to learn more about professional energy auditors near you.

Make Recycling Easier for Employees

Paperless offices don’t exist, at least not in any significant number. Reducing the amount of paper products used by your company will definitely make you greener, but you also need to create a recycling program that makes it easy for your employees to recycle a variety of materials.

An effective recycling program needs:

• Education that keeps employees informed
• Clearly labeled or color-coded receptacles for each material
• Someone to oversee the program

Without those three features, your company’s recycling program probably won’t work.

Don’t Focus on EPA or State Standards

Meeting standards set by your state or the EPA doesn’t make your company green. It just means you’re complying with the law. You have to do better than those standards before you even start to think of your business as “one of the good guys.” Until then, don’t try to promote yourself as a pro-environment company. Some environmentalist will out you in no time.

Re-Use As Much as Possible

Your company generates wastes. That’s, okay. Every company generates waste. The question is, what do you do with it?

Look for ways to re-use your business’s waste as much as possible. For instance, Sierra Nevada, the beer brewing company, turns its organic waste into compost that it uses to grow hops and barley for its beers.

Take a close look at your waste and think of ways that you could put it back into your business. If you can’t do that, then try to find other businesses in your area that can use your byproducts and waste. You might even end up making some money by selling it to them.

If you own a company that has initiated green programs, let other entrepreneurs know what successes and failures you encountered? Would you do something differently if you could start from scratch?