Standing out from the competition has never been more important. Startups are being launched every day, businesses are giving their best to flourish, thus the market has never been so competitive. One of the ways to stand out of the crowd and get the consumers’ attention is going green. Besides the point of standing out, being environmentally friendly is a “noble” way of doing business and, according to Independent.co.uk, we’ve spent more natural resources than our planet can renew throughout 2017. Go green, save the planet, and save your business some money in the following ways.
- Use reusable products
Consider using reusable products, like insulated and reusable shopping bags (if you’re a retail company). Promote the business by adding your company motto or logo on the bags. Reusable reduce the amount of waste being disposed of in landfills, while consumers are more likely to use green options that are available for purchase at a minimal cost or are given to them.
- Power up with alternative energy
Contact your utility provider and see if there’s an option to sign up and purchase “green power”. It is generated from solar and wind power, hydropower, and geothermal power (renewable energy sources). Your electric bill will be increased by a small percentage if you purchase green power. That extra money is then used to purchase clean energy that’s fed to the electrical grid.
- Lower utility costs
If you can’t purchase it, switch to green power. You can lower your utility costs which can go up to thousands of dollars per month for large businesses. Do it by changing your light fixtures with LED light bulbs (energy-efficient rated fixtures). These bulbs use less energy to work, can last for about 20 years, and provide a better source of light. Also, with a sonnenFlat battery system, you can even get a set amount of free electricity per year.
- Landscape around the company property
By landscaping around your company’s property, you can replace the unhealthy carbon dioxide out of the air with clean oxygen. This means your employees will enjoy cleaner air on their breaks and they’ll return refreshed to their duties. This can decrease sick days and increase your employees’ productivity. With a greener exterior around your office spaces, you can help filter out certain toxins that can trigger airborne illness or allergies from the atmosphere.
- Decrease paper product purchases
Go green by implementing paperless working operations. Use cloud networks and scan important documents into cloud systems to reduce the amount of paper waste and other items you have to purchase for printed documents. By switching to a paperless working option, you copy paper purchases can be cut by at least half over the course of one year.
- Commuting and telecommuting
Park your car in the garage and advise your employees to do the same. Ride a bike to work, drive a hybrid or an alternative fuel vehicle, or use public transportation. Any of these transportation methods will highlight your environmental commitment and reduce the carbon footprint, saving you money over time.
The benefits of telecommuting or working from home is that there’s no need for some employees to come to work in the office because they can do it via screen sharing and video conference call technology. When employees work from home, they’re using their own equipment and utilities, which reduces the company’s expenses.
- Filter tap water
Stop offering your customers bottled water as a courtesy, because not all plastic bottles are sent for recycling or are even recyclable. By installing a water dispensing system, you’ll have filtered tap water that’s healthy and you’ll help the environment by reducing waste, and save money.
Businesses can get many advantages from going green, from reducing operations cost to making their brand appear revolutionary with improved green standards. In the end, green company culture and standards improve the productivity and efficiency of the business overall.