Going Green without Compromising Quality in Business

It’s a tricky issue to going green without compromising quality or success in business. The vast majority of businesses want to cut their carbon footprint to help protect the environment, but they just don’t feel they have the budget to make a meaningful impact or the resources to dedicate to ensuring the quality of output is not compromised.

But going green doesn’t have to mean going into the red. Quite the opposite – if you are intent on reducing the negative impact your business has on the environment, you’ll invariably end up trimming your costs.

Even the smallest companies can benefit the planet as well as their bottom line. Here’s how you can make a start.

Drive greener

More and more companies are improving their safety standards on the road. From training drivers to installing safety tech such as this reversing camera and even as far as forming road standards committees to prevent accidents. Better driving has two huge positive impacts. First, it reduces the dangers posed to company drivers and the public, thus cutting down on costly accident repairs. Second, it improves a company’s image – if a company is known for safe driving, public trust increases.

The same effects can be had by pushing for more environmentally-friendly driving. Smarter vehicle use will save your business money – you’ll use less fuel and spend less on servicing and repairs. Install GPS units on your vehicles to help your employees plan better journey routes, while a carpool scheme will save on parking space and, of course, emissions.

All the while your business’s reputation as a greener organization will rise.

Know how much you use

Before you can start saving on energy costs in the workplace, you need to know how much you’re using, to begin with. And as Climate Works points out, if you don’t know how much you’re using, you’re probably spending too much. There are a number of links in the Climate Works article to help you to get an accurate idea of your energy spends.

Raid your paper bins

Although much of our output these days is digital, there is still a big need for paper. One way to ease the burden on the world’s forests is to run post-consumer waste (PCW) paper through your printer. It’s paper made entirely from the reams taken from office paper recycling bins, which requires less energy and causes less waste in the papermaking process.

Turn off when you clock off

Leaving computers, monitors and other electrical appliances on standby instead of turning them off entirely can cost you about £80 a year at home, according to uSwitch. So imagine how that expense would multiply in an office full of PCs and plug points.

See the (LED) light

Although LED and compact-fluorescent light fittings cost more than standard equivalents, the savings they will make in the long term are significant – they last longer than incandescent bulbs and use less energy. You’ll consign those flickering fluoro-tubes to history and save money in the process.

The key to going green without compromising quality is first knowing what kind of impact your business has on the environment and then setting initiatives to help reduce the negative impact in ways that can save you money in the long run – which can also increase your customer base and loyalty, making it a win-win for everyone.

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