Saving Green: 10 Quick Ways To Improve The Planet And Your Bottom Line

Being green doesn't have to be complicated or expensive. Here are ten easy ways to make a positive impact on the environment and, in many cases, boost your bottom line.

• Spend fewer greenbacks when purchasing green by patronizing local businesses who have a solid environmental policy and/or provide earth friendly services that also save money, like Atlantic Laser Office Products- a Jacksonville Beach business who recycles printing cartridges and sells eco-friendly office products.
• Replace office kitchen paper and plastic with reusable products. You can purchase branded coffee mugs and ask employees to bring excess cutlery and dishes (we all have those!) from home to donate for staff use. Branded mugs can also be used for business promotion, purchased with part of the savings from the paper and plastic budget.
  
• Switch to cleaning product with fewer toxins, or request that your janitorial service does. Check out the EPA's Green Cleaning Pollution Prevention Calculator at www.ofee.gov/janitor/buildinginfo.asp.
• Fax paperless. Internet-based fax services or computer-based software that turn traditional faxes into e-mails reduces energy usage and significantly cuts paper consumption, as users only print the pages they choose rather than each page of every fax.
• If your business has vending machines, ask the provider to install energy-efficient machines with features such as low-energy lighting systems, motion sensor lighting controls and variable temperature settings.
• Incorporate telecommuting. Allowing employees to work from home just half of the time will reduce greenhouse gases, road wear and tear and gas consumption. Not to mention saving on the office electricity bill.
• Make learning about the environment fun. Why not a quarterly movie night- with popcorn and treats- where staff members are invited to gather and watch educational films followed by discussion? How about starting a book club along the same lines?
  
• Reward green behavior. Encourage staff to take alternative transportation to work, champion an eco-task force or coordinate recycling pickups by offering green incentives or rewards such as gift certificates to local eco-retailers or giving them green merchandise decorated with the company logo.
• Create a culture of sustainability. Help dispel the myths that sustainability costs more by educating them via conferences, staff meetings, magazine articles and links to blogs.
• Involve employees in the process. Ask staff to brainstorm on all of the above ideas and consistently monitor feedback. You may even want to chart your company's energy consumption, water use, recycled material quantities and generated waste and display your progress for all to see.

With all that we are learning about reducing our ecological footprint, it's easy to feel overwhelmed. But if each of us can implement these very small changes in our business, the collective impact will make a difference in a big way. The bonus will be improved employee morale and a more efficient office.