Going Green for Business

Just about everybody I know, knows that I am a knitter.  I took it up as a hobby about five years ago and since then have turned out more shawls, scarves, socks and sweaters than I, or my checkbook, care to admit.  My most recent project is another sweater…but this time I’m making it from an eco-friendly combination of hemp and cotton.   Which got me to thinking…what are some of the things we can do in our work lives to promote eco-friendliness?  Here are few ideas.

Think Before You Print

In addition to being a great benefit to the environment, going paperless is also a benefit to a company’s bottom line.  While it’s certainly not the end all, cutting back on the office paper maze can be a huge start.  Instead of printing a document, create folders/subfolders for key documents on your computer.  If you find something online you’d like to save, choose the “Print to PDF” option.  No “Print to PDF” option?  The CutePDF writer is available as a free download.  

The fact most people download PDFs of brochures, datasheets and catalogs has also saved a lot of trees from the paper mill.  If you aren’t doing so, encourage users to download your materials instead of requesting a printed piece.  Monitor usage and adjust your print quantities accordingly.  In addition to living green, you’ll be freeing up budget for other marketing initiatives.  Finally, instead of bringing individual catalogs on sales calls, provide your team with company-branded USB jump drives containing all your literature.

Work with Environmentally-minded Printers

If you do have to print, start by choosing a printer that offers recycled paper and soy-based inks at no additional cost.  While there’s no official standard for “green printing”, you’ll be able to determine if a printer is eco-friendly by asking about the advantages of different types of recycled papers, whether the inks they use are low-polluting and if there is anything that can be done to improve the recyclability of your print project.

Encourage Telecommuting

It’s a known fact that telecommuting increases employee productivity.  But one of the biggest eco-friendly benefits of telecommuting is the carbon footprint savings – found in reduced office energy, paper usage, roadway repairs, etc. 

Invest in Videoconferencing

Like telecommuting, used effectively, video conferencing is one more way to be environmentally responsible.  Installing a video conferencing system to conduct point-to-point communications is the best green alternative there is to business travel.

Well, who knew an eco-friendly sweater could be the impetus for bringing environment-saving initiatives into our daily work lives…how cool is that?