Among all the perplexities of running a business, going green can be something difficult to prioritize. Especially if you’ve got a lot going on, it can be difficult to know how or what elements of sustainability to push to the top of your priorities list. Not to mention, prioritizing eco-friendliness in your business is believed to be a very financially-taxing move to make.
Let us let you in on a little secret, though: Going green can actually save your bandwidth some stress in the long run. Where’s the evidence to support that though? Look no further.
Everybody is familiar with solar panels, right? Well, if you make the move of installing them, it could decrease your taxes by a third of the installation cost. Even better, it could cut your energy bill in half (NerdWallet).
Additionally, this 2012 report reveals that hospitals that make smart moves in regards to energy consumption ended up projecting their savings as nearly $15 billion over the course of a decade.
Still not convinced? UCLA collaborated with the University of Paris-Dauphine and found that productivity was up by 16 percent for employees working at eco-conscious companies. This study revealed that the employees found more motivation, better training practices, and formed more meaningful interpersonal relationships with their peers. These three factors alone had the power to increase efficiency overall.
Here are five ways to make your company an eco-conscious one, one step at a time:
1. If able, encourage your employees to work from home.
It’s daunting at first thought, we know, but fear not.
Let’s think about this: if your employees work remotely, how does this benefit you? It’s simple; your costs to maintain the work environment goes way down. Heating, cooling, lighting, water usage, and paper waste are all examples of elements that can be saved over time. Your overall carbon footprint will decrease as well, go you!
In addition, your employees’ carbon footprint will decrease too! Since they’re not commuting to work five days a week, they’re not emitting emissions nearly as often as they would otherwise.
Remote work benefits you, them, and your company’s budget. How? According to Global Workplace Analytics, real estate costs were cut by nearly $50 million, and the average annual savings for a single full-time remote employee turned out to be roughly $10,000.
2. Start using eco-friendly paper, or get rid of it altogether.
Gone are the times of unnecessary paper usage in the workplace.
$250,000 to $10 billion were saved solely by digitizing things like manuals or guides, according to this report.
In a pinch, recycled paper can come in handy too. The good news is it’s roughly the same cost as traditional paper. Printing double-sided or onto pieces of scrap paper are also ways you can take it easy on paper consumption.
3. Illuminate sustainably.
That’s right, switching details as easy-missed as lighting can make quite the difference in your business’s carbon footprint. The Department of Energy projects that LEDs could save the United States over $30 billion by 2027 through widespread usage.
In fact, Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) have been proven to save your band width by emitting 25 to 30 percent less energy when compared to incandescent light.
They are indeed more expensive than your typical incandescent lights, though much like many other investments you’ll make, this one saves you money in the long run by lasting over 20 years.
4. Run your water mindfully.
There are many ways to conserve water by making some tweaks here and there. Let’s dive in:
Bad news first: According to NASA, more than 25% of all water usage in city areas is consumed by companies’ inefficient appliances.
Here’s the good news: According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, you can save your small office nearly $300 annually by switching to water-efficient appliances.
5. We’re here for you. Furnish your space with second-life products from Reseat.
That’s right, we’re here to help.
When you’re ready to refurbish your office space with high-quality second-life furniture, we’ll be here to get you started on your furniture’s second life cycle journey.
