Is Your Company As Green As it Should Be?

It is a fact that companies who take a clean and green approach to the way that they operate are more trusted by customers, and the public in general, and also incur fewer costs, which are both objectives that all companies have.

Lots of companies try all kind of public relations tricks, and complicated cost cutting schemes, when all they need to do is to go back to basics by becoming more environmentally friendly.

What then can be done to become an environmentally friendly company?

Reduce wastage – Assess your company processes to see where waste could be reduced. For example, can invoices be sent electronically and goods ordered in bulk to reduce packaging waste? Waste reduction should be the top priority of any waste management scheme as this is where the most cost effective and positive and environmental changes can be achieved.

Recycle Printer Cartridges – Printer cartridges that are thrown away are a real problem for the environment, and are also the cause of unnecessary extra costs being incurred for companies. Once a printer cartridge has run out, the best and cheapest option is to just refill it yourself, alternatively though, you can send it back to the supplier, who will then sell you a recycled one, that works as good as a new one, for as little as half the price.

Re-Use Paper – Paper is often the highest volume waste stream in the workplace and, even if a recycling system can not be set up, simply reducing and re-using paper can result in significant waste and cost savings. So, Print documents double-sided and keep a tray of scrap paper next to the printer for use with internal documents etc. Better still try to avoid printing where possible.

Purchase Recycled Paper – Purchasing recycled paper is no more expensive than buying virgin paper, and the quality is the same. Therefore, there really is no excuse for continuing to buy virgin paper, which not only requires more trees to be cut down, but also uses up substantially more water and energy to make.

Recycle Aluminum – Aluminum can be recycled indefinitely, and the production of a recycled aluminum product emits just 5% of the amount of CO2 that is emitted when a brand new aluminum product is produced. So, considering the benefits, surely setting up an aluminum collection point next to vending machines, and in canteen areas, is the right thing to do.

Re-Use Cups – Around 8% of global annual oil production is currently used in the manufacturing of plastics and the process of production uses harmful chemicals. (Waste Online, 2008) Plastics are non-biodegradable and may take hundreds of years to decompose. So, if an office has a vending machine, employees can re-use a plastic cup throughout the day or perhaps keep their own mug at their desk.

So, there you have it, six simple environmentally friendly ideas that almost every company can implement. They may require a little effort and organization to begin with, but it is clear that the long-term benefits, both to the environment, and to the company itself, make the extra effort and organization worthwhile.

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