Economical and Environmentally Sound Business Practices
Sometimes environmentally sound (or green as they are often called) business practices are expensive, meaning they cost more than alternative non-green or marginally green business practices.
Often businesses think "green" always means more cost and less convenience.
Often this is true but sometimes green practices can be convenient and economical and here are three to consider.
They just may work for your business.
1) The paperless office is something we have long heard about and it may never happen, or at least not for a very long time.
However the office that needs and uses less paper is certainly here today.
Saving paper not only saves the paper itself but ink also as well as wear and tear on the printers.
Also many printers have a draft mode that uses less ink that can be used for drafts.
Drafts can be recycled as well of course.
With modern monitors and screens on ereaders and ebooks like the Nook and the Amazon Kindle, reading on screen is more convenient so fewer things may be printed out.
Also important documents can be scanned instead of storing the paper copy, and then that paper can be recycled.
Even critical documents can be shredded and recycled.
2) Working from home, also known as telecommuting or having a home office, cuts down considerably on travel and related environmental issues such as fuel for cars etc.
and employees like it as well.
More and more companies are having some employees work from home a least a few days a week and the savings, both environmentally related and other, can add up very quickly.
And for the few days employees do drive in, car pooling may be more likely as it is not a daily occurrence, and needing to sync your schedules with those of others maybe be more feasible.
3) Setting up office supply reuse areas can have a very high and positive impact, both environmentally as well as financially.
Many office supplies are thrown out after one light use when they could easily be used again several times.
For example that 3 ring binder that was used once for a week might have years of life left ahead of it if allowed too.
Normally it would not! Now for some uses, like a 3 ring binder for client and partner reports, you may want a brand new binder but for most uses it doesn't matter.
The same applies to a great variety of office supplies.
Some of these ideas just may work for your office if you are not making use of them already!
Often businesses think "green" always means more cost and less convenience.
Often this is true but sometimes green practices can be convenient and economical and here are three to consider.
They just may work for your business.
1) The paperless office is something we have long heard about and it may never happen, or at least not for a very long time.
However the office that needs and uses less paper is certainly here today.
Saving paper not only saves the paper itself but ink also as well as wear and tear on the printers.
Also many printers have a draft mode that uses less ink that can be used for drafts.
Drafts can be recycled as well of course.
With modern monitors and screens on ereaders and ebooks like the Nook and the Amazon Kindle, reading on screen is more convenient so fewer things may be printed out.
Also important documents can be scanned instead of storing the paper copy, and then that paper can be recycled.
Even critical documents can be shredded and recycled.
2) Working from home, also known as telecommuting or having a home office, cuts down considerably on travel and related environmental issues such as fuel for cars etc.
and employees like it as well.
More and more companies are having some employees work from home a least a few days a week and the savings, both environmentally related and other, can add up very quickly.
And for the few days employees do drive in, car pooling may be more likely as it is not a daily occurrence, and needing to sync your schedules with those of others maybe be more feasible.
3) Setting up office supply reuse areas can have a very high and positive impact, both environmentally as well as financially.
Many office supplies are thrown out after one light use when they could easily be used again several times.
For example that 3 ring binder that was used once for a week might have years of life left ahead of it if allowed too.
Normally it would not! Now for some uses, like a 3 ring binder for client and partner reports, you may want a brand new binder but for most uses it doesn't matter.
The same applies to a great variety of office supplies.
Some of these ideas just may work for your office if you are not making use of them already!
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