Going Green Adds Up Big

A wide variety of simple practices can dramatically reduce business costs and earthly impacts, as well. The top contenders include:

—Recycling for real. Even a small office with 15 people can generate 2.5 tons of waste paper each year. Paper reduction (double-side printing, relying on electronic files instead of printing them out) is always a good policy. By coupling those paper cutbacks with recycling programs,businesses can reduce disposal costs and save trees by heaps and bounds. According to Greenbiz, Bank of America’s recycling program has saved as much as $483,000 in trash hauling fees. Hewlett Packard has recycled as much as 43 million pounds of paper— equivalent to more than 367,000 trees.

—Playing it cool. Even a one-degree increase on that thermostat bumps up heating costs by about 8 percent. For optimal savings and comfort, businesses are advised to dial in at 68 degrees Fahrenheit or less.

—Getting shut-eye. Every single PC that runs day and night—and there are untold millions of them—cause 1,000 extra pounds of greenhouse gases each year. Smart businesses reduce the sorry waste by making sure employees shut down their computers when they leave work (no, it won’t hurt the computers). Computers should also be set to go into sleep mode when not in use.

—Running with the pack. According to a survey conducted for Microsoft Corp., nearly 70 percent of small firms believe eco-practices are important for their success, and 60 percent say they save money by using sustainable technologies. Small or large, at home or abroad: when businesses go green, they’re in good company.

Going Green Generates Buzz

Another benefit of going green is the media attention—of the to-die-for variety. Legitimate eco-friendliness often gets free, positive news coverage, one of the most potent sales tools on earth.

Whole Foods measured $1.4 million in favorable publicity (read: earned media) after deciding to use 100 percent renewable energy to power its stores, according to EarthPeople, a green strategy consultant. Harbec Plastics, a tool- and mold-maker in Ontario, N.Y., won mention in USA Today for its use of wind and natural gas turbines, state-of-the-art water-cooling system, and hybrid vehicles. Company founder Robert Bechtold said sustainability practices saved him $1.2 million in recent years and reduced annual CO2 emissions by 750,000 pounds.

Small businesses can get a slice of the action, too. Hot Lips Pizza in Portland and the Fort Lauderdale-based Pizza Fusion made national news by using locally grown organic ingredients and delivering pies in eco-friendly vehicles. (Pizza Fusion also builds stores according to LEED standards, uses 100 percent wind energy, and encourages customers to return pizza boxes for recycling.)

Businesses in general get good press by:

—Being carbon careful. This includes using organic or reused materials or going carbon neutral and offsetting the business’s carbon dioxide emissions.
—Being generous. Allotting a percentage of sales to green causes creates attention and good will. Plus, the news coverage often helps build customer loyalty—without the expense of a publicist.

Tips For Green Living This Summer

That big old round orange-yellow thing becomes much more active in our lives during the summer, making us yearn for the beach and the surf, for barbeques and playing in the sprinklers, but it can also be an ally in the pursuit of going green.

Hanging your laundry out to dry can have multiple advantages. It’s much easier on the material, making it last longer, you get a naturally fresh smelling material and it saves not only energy, but money as well. Have a bush that has a particularly wonderful smell that you enjoy? Lay your damp wash stretched out over it and let the sun not only dry it but also permeate the material with the lovely scent. The sun also has a bleaching power of its own so if you have whites that aren’t so white anymore, put them out in the sun and give them new life. Any materials that have a musty or funny smell to them can be freshened up by some time in direct sunlight.

Rather than brewing tea, take a glass container and put some tea bags in it (the number of bags depends on how strong you like your tea). The sun will heat the water and create the most divinely smooth tea, you won’t want to go back to brewed tea when summer is over. If you want, add your sweetener and any other flavors you enjoy before you set the container out in the sun. The sun will blend it for you, creating a taste that is out of this world. The summer is a wonderful time to take advantage of eating outdoors. Find a nice tree or a shade umbrella and relax, enjoy your meal in the fresh air and beautiful sunlight, enjoy the sounds of nature around you rather than the sound of the air conditioner humming away your money in the background.

Get Your Grandparents Green

There are many ways to get your grandparents to go green without really even feeling much of a difference. One of the easiest and most effective ways to be environmentally green is to recycle and to buy items in bulk so there is less container waste. Check with the city for their recycling services, they may supply the containers you need. Along the same lines, when they are purchasing paper products, urge them to use recycled, and recycle those when they are finished.

Batteries are still in high usage, however rechargeable batteries are becoming more and more common. Rechargeable batteries allow you to use them over and over again without creating waste and when they are no longer able to hold a charge, they themselves can be recycled.

Many companies have made it possible to pay your bills online. Paying your bills online not only saves you postage money but also saves you time and saves on paper. Teaching your grandparents to pay online will make it much easier for them in the long run because they don’t have to travel anywhere to do it.

Lastly if they turn off lights as they leave rooms, turn their air conditioner up a few degrees and their heater down a few degrees, they will save on their energy bill, reduce their ecological footprint and have little effect on their comfort.