Yesterday’s Advisor presented the first five tips about how to green your company; today’s issue presents the final five.
 |
By Lauron Lewis
- Get an energy audit.
There are many energy-consuming quirks to office spaces that can be easily fixed. An energy audit can uncover many of them. These are especially useful for older buildings that were constructed when energy costs were a minimal concern. Furthermore, as more people are working from home, some enlightened businesses are offering home energy audits as an employee benefit. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, sealing leaks and cracks and conducting other simple fixes can cut up to 20 percent off heating and cooling costs for homes.
- Use alternative energy.
In many areas of the country, you can sign up to purchase “green power” from your current utility provider. Green power is generated from renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, geothermal, hydropower, and plant matter. Purchasing green power increases your electric bill by a small percentage, which is used to purchase clean energy that is fed into the electrical grid. To see if this is possible in your state, visit your state’s official website.
- Encourage public transportation.
Some enlightened companies encourage their employees to use public transportation or to carpool not only to ease the stress on the environment but also to ease traffic congestion on roadways. Some will even reimburse a portion of these costs to increase the incentive to do so. Businesses that are primarily located in dense urban areas do their hosting cities a service by doing so; they also help save their employees money since driving solo back and forth to work is almost always more expensive than using public transportation.
- Recycle whenever possible.
In addition to recycling everything that can be recycled, think green when buying or replacing items. Consider purchasing used or vintage office furniture instead of brand-new pieces. You can find great deals on barely used office furniture on eBay and Craigslist.
- Use green Web hosting.
Green Web hosts are companies that take part in a variety of activities, such as using renewable energy, planting trees, or buying carbon offsets and renewable energy certificates to reduce or mitigate the environmental cost of running their servers and infrastructure. Most green companies cost the same or less than companies running servers using fossil fuels.
By following the simple tips above, you can cut thousands of dollars off your bills and make yourself more attractive to eco-conscious consumers. No matter which of these steps you have taken, make sure to tell clients—and your employees—about what you are doing by creating an environmental mission statement or green practices section on your website and by including any badges or certificates you earn on your site as well. Your stakeholder will appreciate your commitment to the communities in which you operate, and your employees will be proud to work for a company that cares about the environment.