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“There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed.” ~Mohandas K. Gandhi Going green is becoming the trend amongst businesses in the United States. Small and large companies continue to find initiatives to reach a higher level of savings while others are joining this race. And it’s much more than merely the concept of global warming. So, what does going green exactly mean? It concerns the initiatives of adapting your lifestyle in order to incur lesser damages to the environment and making your work-place eco-friendly and environmentally-responsible. With increasing energy prices and fighting for profits, industrial companies are looking for alternatives to save money, and going green is one of the easiest techniques. There are various ways to save-up on costs, here are just a few: Manage energy consumption:
The potential of energy savings are unimaginable. Industrial companies consume about one-third of the entire consumed energy in the U.S. and by saving on just 20 percent of that consumption, businesses could save an approximate of $20 billion per year. As superiors, you must encourage and maintain energy-conservation throughout the company.
• Set your company’s air-conditioning a few degrees higher in the summer and a few degrees lower in the winter to save up on cooling and heating costs • Turn off the lights, computers and other equipments when they are not being used. • Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) instead of older incandescent bulbs. • Upgrade your existing equipments, especially computers, instead of buying entirely new ones. • Install the right size of refrigerators or else you will have to pay to cool empty spaces! Make sure they are located away from sources of heat, especially sunlight and also ensure adequate airflow for the compressors. Travel green:
Before taking that necessary business trip, your company must enquire if a tele or a video conference is possible instead of meeting in person. It saves you time, energy and a considerable amount of money. • Initiate methods of telecommuting in your company, especially for employees who live far away.
• Consider travelling by train or bus instead of flying to places, to save up on fuel costs and overall expenditure. • If you travel with colleagues, travel at the same time, to share cabs or rented-cars, eventually saving up on individual-costs and also burning of fuel. Recycle:
Recycling is basically processing used materials into new ones, to prevent them from going to waste, which eventually decrease the consumption of raw materials, and also prevents pollution of the earth.
• Avoid purchasing bottled water on a regular basis and instead carry a bottle from home. It is not only expensive but results in large amounts of container-waste. Install water coolers for the staff and also provide recyclable bins for soda tins and other recyclable matter. • Encourage use of recyclable carry-bags. • Don’t waste paper. Use the backside of old-printed and unnecessary paper for notes and rough-work. Use digital means to transfer documents, in order to prevent excessive printing. • Prefer buying or selling only green products.
Going green certainly saves you a lot of green. All members of the industry can contribute in many ways to contribute in saving money. With implementing to such techniques of going green, you not only help preserve the environment but also save some cash for yourself and the company. You save more, you grow more. These are just a few tips to get you started. Keep yourself informed by reading and collecting information from the web and also discuss with colleagues for further inputs and motivation. Happy going green!
- THE IWD TEAM
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