Environmental Statement
Operating a green business is not only good for the environment but it is good for your business’s bottom line. Conserving resources and cutting down on waste saves money. No matter whether you run a home-based business or a multi-million dollar business, there are simple things you can do to run an environmentally friendly business.
Recycling is the first thing that comes to mind when we think of being environmentally friendly. Recycling is important but it is only one part of the environmentally friendly business equation. We can also take a large step towards being more environmentally friendly by reducing the amounts of waste in our offices and business operations.
Here are just ten easy-to-implement ideas for running a green business. These are guidelines you can put into practice right now to make your office a more environmentally friendly place:
- Turn off equipment when it's not being used. This can reduce the energy used by 25 percent; turning off the computers at the end of the day can save an additional 50 percent
- Encourage communications by email, and read email messages onscreen to determine whether it’s necessary to print them
- Reduce fax related paper waste by using a fax-modem and by using a fax coversheet only when necessary. Fax- modems allow documents to be sent directly from a computer, without requiring a printed hard copy
- Produce double-sided documents whenever possible.
- Do not leave taps dripping. Always close them tightly after use
- Install displacement toilet dams in toilets.
- Use recycled paper whenever possible.
- Choose suppliers who take back packaging for reuse.
- Instigate an ongoing search for “greener” products and services I your local community. The further your supplies or service providers have to travel, the more energy will be used to get them to you.
- Become a member of the Bay Area Green Business Program. Visit their website at www.greenbiz.ca.gov