Smart Ways to Make Your Business Eco-Friendly (and Why You Should Care)

With all the media coverage, most Americans are aware of the fact that landfill sites are full and our oceans are choking with waste. More waste is created every year in the US than any other country in the world, and whether it is domestic or commercial waste, something needs to be done to turn this situation around. We still have time to put things right, and although every household in the country can help, so can each and every business.
Office Stationery
Offices produce more waste than you might think. They tend to use disposal pens, for instance, and it is estimated that over 4 million are thrown away every day in the US. Refillable ones are cheaper in the long run and would not cause so must waste.
Paper is inevitably used in offices, and so are envelopes and other consumables. Recycled paper would mean that fewer trees need to be cut down, and if in this technological age, more work was done electronically that would help even more.
Suppliers
When you are purchasing goods from suppliers, ensure they do not have more wrapping than is necessary and wherever possible that they have been manufactured without any toxic materials that are bad for the environment.
There is a huge movement in the US of consumers who will only buy from eco-friendly businesses. If you can honestly say that the goods you sell are environmentally friendly, you could win your business many new customers.
Utilities
Many businesses are doing their best to embrace renewable energy sources and there are several ways you can do this. For Instance, solar and wind powers are becoming more popular, because, as long as you have the right type of property to handle them, they can provide you with lots of free energy.
You can also do as much as you can to reduce the amount of energy you use. This is not only good for the environment, it will reduce your utility bills as well.
Technology
Technology is one of the things that are making it easier for businesses to be eco-friendly. However, if you have old computers or accessories, you should not just put them in the bin when you replace them with the latest versions. Some of the large companies, such as Dell and HP, have recycling programs in place and you should also check with the supplier of your new ones to see if they do anything similar.
To encourage companies to be more eco-friendly with computers they are disposing of, if they are less than five years old and you donate them to organizations that will refurbish them, you can get some tax relief on the donation.
Recycle Everything
Recycling is an easy way to make a difference. Whether you arrange for your empty gas oil drums back to be collected and reused, provide recycling buns for employees or buy recycled supplies such as paper, doing whatever you can to reuse will make a huge difference to your bottom line and your image.
Going Green
None of these suggestions are difficult to implement, and although it might feel they would not have much impact, if every business in the US were to follow them, the difference to our environment could be significant.