5 ways you can make your business greener

Building a greener office is a fantastic way to simultaneously save money and help the environment. Some small businesses assume that going green takes too much effort, but that’s hardly the case. Here are a handful of quick and simple ways to make your office greener.


1.    Use double-sided printing whenever possible

Setting your printer and/or copier’s default mode to double-sided printing automatically cuts down on the amount of paper used in your office.  This is an incredibly simple step. And if anybody ever needs to utilize the one-sided printing feature, he or she can simply change the setting.

2.    Use a water delivery service

Getting rid of bottled water in your office can have a massive impact. Consuming bottled water is not only wasteful it can also be unhealthy. Plastic is made using Bisphenol A (BPA) which contains dangerous levels of estrogen and has been declared a toxic substance by some countries. Cutting back on that habit eliminates both waste and potential health risks.

3.    Turn lights and machines off when they’re not being used

This may seem obvious, but many people do not turn off lights and machines when they’re not in the office. Failing to do so can result in a lot of wasted energy and can cost your company funds. Encourage employees to turn off lights, computers and printers to automatically reduce energy use.

4.    Use recycled and recyclable products when you can

You can get recycled versions of nearly any paper product at popular office supply retailers. The recycled versions are often comparable in price to their non-recycled counterparts.


Also, if you must use disposable plates and cups, try to find recyclable or compostable options. It’s not enough to simply buy recyclable products, it’s vital to have an easy-to-follow recycling program. Stress to your employees the necessity of recycling those products, otherwise there’s a good chance they’ll end up in the trash.

5.    Cut down on commuting


Organizing carpools is rather easy to do. Simply match people up based on where they live. If you can, offer parking incentives to those who carpool. If your town has public transportation systems, try offering a bus or train pass to employees who can utilize those systems.


As you can see, these are simple and inexpensive ways to make your office greener. If you’re interested in even more green ideas, take a look at this article.