Businesses of all sizes and industries across the world are deciding to go green in what has proven to be much more than just a fad over the last few years. In fact, sustainable practices in the world of business, manufacturing, and agriculture are at an all-time high and are showing no signs of stopping in the near future. But why exactly is environmentalism suddenly at the core of so many commercial entities and the products and services they offer? The answer is simple: recent technological advancements have made it much cheaper, easier, and more practical for businesses of all kinds to go green — plus, customers love supporting companies that do their part to protect the Earth.
As it turns out, making your business green isn’t as difficult as it may seem — and the possibilities for reducing your company’s carbon footprint are almost endless these days. From all of us at Premier Renewables in San Francisco, here are some steps you can take to “green your business” beyond having us develop commercial solar panels to harness solar power for your property.
Go Paperless
One of the quickest and easiest ways a company can begin its transition toward sustainability is by opting to go paperless. Things like billing, orders, paperwork, scheduling, calendars, and payroll can all be done online in a much quicker and more efficient manner with less clutter and confusion. Plus, just think of all the time, energy, and space you’ll save by sending an email attachment rather than printing out documents for your entire staff, only for them to be discarded moments after they have been read.
All it takes to go paperless is a little initiative from the business owner or upper management and the willingness to set aside some time to train employees on eco-friendly online alternatives. Contrary to what you might think, spending a little extra time upfront to spearhead this adjustment will save you a great deal of time down the road since completing work online is far quicker than it is on paper. Of course, not everything has to be done online, but simply minimizing your company’s paper consumption and recycling the rest is a major first step toward green business.
Recycle
Hand in hand with going paperless is adding a recycling service to your current waste removal plan. Often what prevents people from recycling paper, cardboard boxes, and plastic bottles is the fact that they have nowhere to dispose of them other than in the garbage. However, recycling is a critical piece of green business, and it is easier than you’d think. In fact, most commercial waste removal companies offer package prices on plans that include both trash and recycling bins. Plus, the EPA also states that many businesses qualify for tax deductions, grants, or tax-subsidy combinations (deposit-refund systems) for recycling industrial and commercial products such as “lead-acid batteries, automobile parts, pesticide containers, propane gas containers, large paper drums, and beer kegs.”
In California specifically, there is a Mandatory Commercial Recycling Law that requires businesses to use recycling services if they produce at least four cubic yards of commercial waste per week. According to the California Apartment Association, the state hopes to “reduce solid waste disposal by no less than 75 percent through recycling or composting by the year 2020.” Of course, this is contingent on commercial, industrial, and agricultural entities doing their part to protect the environment in big cities like San Francisco.
Buy Sustainable Office Supplies
All too often, office managers and procurement officers neglect to make sustainable choices when ordering office supplies and end up going with cheaper options like disposable pens and single-use plastics. Over time, the impact of these office supplies grows exponentially, especially when they arrive in an excessive amount of bubble wrap, packing peanuts, twisty ties, rubber bands, packaging tape, and other wasteful materials.
To combat this, be mindful about where you get your office supplies from, whether that be a national supplier that uses minimal packaging or a local vendor that sells office supplies made from recycled materials. Sustainable Supply and The Green Office are great examples of nationwide office supply companies that carry eco-friendly products, and Green Home is based right here in San Francisco, CA. Every little decision matters when transforming your company with green business practices and often this starts with small changes like sustainable office supplies.
Establish Green Business Practices With Premier Renewables
We hope that this post has given you a better idea of how to go green in the world of business and that you will continue on to part two of this blog series for more tips about establishing green business practices. Until then, contact Premier Renewables in San Francisco to learn about commercial solar panels and why it’s worth it to switch to solar energy in terms of sustainability, tax breaks, lower utility bills, an improved reputation, and more.