As employees get excited about their contributions to green, more ways to go green emerge.
People at the office have gotten on board with the green ‘thing’ by recycling, reusing and reducing. It has become a part of many work cultures. Everyone feels good about contributing to green and many seem ready to take the next step. How can small business take the green movement to a higher level while continuing to keep it simple and easy?
Ten Ways to Go Even Greener
- Continue to reduce the amount of electric used in the office. One way is to shop online for the latest in eco-friendly office products such as LED desk lamps that use 90 percent less power than lamps using incandescent bulbs.
- Implement new software products like GreenPrint that can eliminate unnecessary pages before printing from the web or Surveyor which automatically powers down all company computers at night. Both programs will ensure reducing while making it even easier for employees to participate.
- Implement green education for employees by sending maintenance, quality control, engineering, supervisors and managers to seminars and conferences showcasing green building and construction materials, products, services or processes.
- Implement Lean and Six Sigma throughout the company. Lean and Six Sigma are two disciplines that teach companies how to eliminate waste (Lean) and reduce mistakes (Six Sigma). Both of these effective quality control programs lend themselves well to reducing.
- Review the company’s IT equipment closely. Many of the computer companies, IBM in particular, are offering green solutions to reduce power usage and to help trade up old equipment.
- Create a green corner or information center to provide employees with information on living and working and having fun in eco-ways. New items are hitting the shelves everyday made of organic materials including clothing. Organic clothing labels are becoming more mainstream and more widely available. There are small businesses opening up everywhere are 100 percent green by producing and selling all green products.
- Implement green events throughout the year such as ride-a-bike-to-work day or pickup litter in the local park day.
- Attach company-sponsored scholarships to finding ways to recycle, reduce and reuse projects.
- Look for and do business with green vendors.
- Develop incentive programs to encourage employees to find ways to go green at the office.
Go Green Commitment
When volatile business and economic environments dominate the news and boardroom, initiatives like going green sometimes get pushed aside. Keeping a commitment to green has become harder to maintain.
On the other hand, keeping the green movement alive and well inside a small company may be just the distraction needed.
The copyright of the article New Ways Small Business Can Go Green in Small/Home Business is owned by Patricia Faulhaber. Permission to republish New Ways Small Business Can Go Green in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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