XavierMedia.org

Going green is quite the buzzword these days. However, the benefits of going green are not limited to lower cost. Instead, lower costs are translating to revenue generation and are attracting value and customers. The customers these days are very aware and are socially responsible. They want to spend their money on products that are useful as well as are ecologically healthy. Increasingly, businesses are getting acquainted with this and are adopting methods that make their processes green and environment friendly. If you are looking for steps to begin your journey as a socially responsible business, here are 5 must follow steps.

Invest in green products

When you buy equipment and stationary for the office, make sure you are spending your money on environmentally friendly products. While buying electrical equipment, be aware of the Energy Star rating it has, as the energy stars will tell you how energy efficient the equipment is. Energy efficient products can cut down your electricity consumption and save a large percentage of your electricity bill. Apart from this, when buying stationary for the office, make sure you buy products made of recycled materials. Post-consumer recycled (PCR) paper and Remanufactured ink are examples of the products you should look for.

Opt for smart power strips

We all are aware that appliances and equipment must be turned off when not in use. At workplace, it can be quite tedious to follow the trail and go about turning off switches that are not in use. Sometimes, giving instructions are also failing and you cannot ensure they are complied with. This is where smart power strips come into the picture. Smart power strips are one time investments and smartly sense when the equipment is not in use and turn off the switch. There goes the headache of remembering to turn off switches after use. These strips also intuitively sense when they are needed to be turned on and do so on their own. You end up saving electricity and your money too stays in your pocket!

Arrange a carpool

Carpooling is one the best ways to reduce fuel consumption, reduce your carbon footprint and cut down the number of cars on the road leading to traffic. Send a mail across the entire office and encourage building a carpool. Go ahead and arrange one and you will surely be surprised by the turnout and reaction. The basics need to be chalked out so that there is no confusion. Decide on the pick-up and drop off time and who will be driving and how many times in the week there will be a carpool. Not only will you be doing something environment friendly, but this will also increase the cohesiveness in your employees.

Packaging material

In a product based industry, packaging is a process that leads to waste creation. Social responsibility, consumer awareness and in a few countries, regulations have made it imperative for businesses to resort to sustainable packaging materials. Recycled paper and cardboard are available in the market for almost the same costs as non-recycled ones. This must act as an additional reason to opt for green packaging. Recycled packaging products available in the market are corrugated boxes, packaging papers and mailer, papers used for cushioning etc. If recycled products are used, the amount of packaging that goes into landfills can be cut down to a great extent.

Durable packing

Another important point, packaging is susceptible to wear and tear as it is thrown, shaken, jostled etc. Make sure you invest in durable material as, if the packaging comes off; the product can get damaged and will have to be resent. This would in turn mean more packaging material and money.  For cushioning, in place of bubble wrap, use shredded paper and waste material. Bubble wrap is made of plastic and takes a long time to degrade, while the other materials are much more environment safe.

These 5 steps if adopted by every company can reduce ecological damage to a great extent. It really takes small steps to make a change and if many small steps come together then we can have quite the paradigm shift. All the effort is worth it as it leads to a creation of a better earth. Let’s stop taking the planet for granted and do our bit, it is the only one we have got!

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source 
•  License: Creative Commons image source 
•  License: Creative Commons image source 
•  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://pixabay.com/en/computer-outline-power-electrical-33132/
•  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://pixabay.com/en/carpooling-carpool-32719/

The author of this post is Tim Carrey, an employee at Kockums Bulk Systems, leading suppliers of bagging machines.

About the author
Andreas co-founded Xavier Media® in 1996 and has since been involved in all kinds of development, marketing and making money online.