| Creating a "green" business or transforming an | | | | newer 1 inch tubes and solid-state electronic ballasts. |
| established business into an eco-friendly environment, | | | | - Install displacement toilet dams in toilet reservoirs. |
| may seem like a very overwhelming task. Yet, in | | | | Placing one or two plastic containers filled with stones |
| today's era of escalating energy costs and climate | | | | [not bricks] in the toilet's reservoir will displace about |
| change, energy efficiency is the most important | | | | 4 liters of water per flush - a huge reduction of |
| aspect of greening your business. You can reap | | | | water use over the course of a year. |
| immediate savings by lowering your overall energy | | | | * Reduce unnecessary waste. Any waste that your |
| use and doing so will automatically reduce your | | | | company generates is an unnecessary cost. Waste is |
| business's carbon emission footprint. You can also | | | | simply inefficient. Implement a recycling program and |
| save money in the areas of waste reduction, | | | | have a meeting on how to eliminate the items that |
| equipment use, transportation, and building design. | | | | are not recyclable. Setting up recycling in your |
| Operating a green business is not only good for the | | | | workplace is something that is simple and invites your |
| environment, but good for your business's bottom | | | | employees to become a part of the movement, |
| line. Conserving resources and cutting down on waste | | | | giving them a sense of purpose. |
| saves money. The good news is that regardless of | | | | - Encourage communications by email and read email |
| the type of business you run, there are simple things | | | | messages on screen to determine whether it's |
| you can do, to run an environmentally friendly | | | | necessary to print them. If it's not, then don't. If you |
| business. | | | | need to keep a copy for legal reasons, or for various |
| * Save Energy with Existing Equipment. Make it a | | | | other reasons, there are online storage sites that |
| company policy to turn off all lights, equipment and | | | | may be utilized for this reason. |
| machinery when it is not being used, especially nights | | | | - Purchase recyclable products for your office, there |
| and weekends. | | | | are now many different vendors that supply not only |
| - Much equipment is idle and unused for up to 90 | | | | recycled paper, but sell "green" cleaners, standard or |
| percent of its life. | | | | not so standard, office supplies. These vendors will |
| - Turning off the computers at the end of the day | | | | typically provide a recycling program of their own. A |
| can save an additional 50 percent. | | | | word of advice, if you are needing new office |
| * Save energy by installing new or replacing existing | | | | furniture, before investing money in purchasing it |
| equipment. | | | | new, find out if your existing furniture can be |
| - Install low-cost energy monitors that can provide an | | | | refurbished. |
| accurate display of the cost and energy use of | | | | Going green not only helps a business to do their part |
| individual equipment. Research shows that this step | | | | in minimizing their eco-foot print. The savings, |
| alone can lead to energy savings of up to 40 | | | | especially at times like these, help everyone. If that's |
| percent. | | | | not enough, there has never been a better time than |
| - Lighting can often account for up to 40 percent of | | | | now to tap into a laundry list of tax credits, rebates |
| energy costs for many businesses. Installing | | | | and other financial incentives designed to encourage |
| motion-sensor or automatic dimmers helps to ensure, | | | | individuals and businesses to go the greener mile. At |
| that you are efficiently shutting down lights in areas | | | | the federal level in the U.S., individuals can reap the |
| when no one is present. | | | | rewards of no less than eight different financial |
| - A very cost-effective upgrade is to replace all of | | | | incentives. Besides these federal incentives, nearly |
| your incandescent lighting with new compact | | | | every U.S. state has additional state or local |
| fluorescent bulbs. Your older 1.5 inch diameter | | | | incentives available. |
| fluorescent tube lighting should also be replaced with | | | | |