Save the Planet and Your Bottom Line

Written by: Kristy Kwan, Benefits and Retirement Plan Administrator

With Earth Day just behind us and the new trend of “going green,” there’s no better time than now to start eco-modernizing your office. The up and coming generation has been raised on curbside recycling in the age of the Prius. Consumers and even employees will begin demanding eco-accountability. The bonus is that many earth-friendly adjustments you can make will also help cut overhead costs; so essentially, it’s a win-win for the planet and for your business.

MMC, Inc. has already made many of the changes we list below to our own corporate offices, and we’ve seen substantial reductions in our energy consumption and the cost of office supplies. In fact, our corporate energy bill has been reduced by 15% due to the installation of light timers in our bathrooms and kitchens, and a conscious effort by our employees to turn off the lights at the end of the day. We hope these solutions will help improve your company as much as they’ve helped us here at MMC.

Paper saving tips

• Instead of paper files, scan and save things electronically. Request electronic bills and pay them online (saves a stamp, too!).
• Double-siding copies is a quick and easy way to cut paper consumption in half. Printing things in black and white instead of color will save money – color is expensive!
• Ask recipients if you can skip the fax cover. Tell senders they don’t need one. If it’s pertinent that a name is on the fax, see if it can be written onto the first page or if a fax post-it note can be used.
• Use recycled paper products – the ones that state “post-consumer” are the most eco-friendly.
• Advertise and send reminders via email, the internet, or the radio instead of using mailers. You’ll save trees and save on postage.

Energy saving tips

• Install light timers in the bathrooms, kitchens, and copy rooms. Lights don’t need to be on if no one’s in the room. Lights use 44% of a building’s electricity consumption.
• Replace old bulbs with CFC bulbs. They can last for up to 10 years and use less than half the energy. Nowadays they even have “instant on” CFC bulbs that don’t require any “warm up” time like the old CFC bulbs do.
• Allow employees to dress more casually in the hot summer months (more conservative offices can implement a “short sleeved, collared, button down” rule, or place specific restrictions), which allows you to set the temperature a little higher, thereby reducing air conditioning consumption.
• Install a programmable thermostat. Air conditioning/heat only needs to be on while employees are in the office. At night, it should be shut off or reduced.
• Turn off computers, which utilize energy even when on idle.
• Unplug appliances. Toasters, coffee machines, TVs, etc., even if not in use, still draw electricity. You can reduce your energy bill by up to 2% just by unplugging these “freeloading” appliances, and plugging them in only when needed. Using a power strip can help – just one pulled plug takes care of everything!

Go beyond…

Use paper instead of Styrofoam. Purchasing paper cups and plates for the office, instead of Styrofoam, will cut down on pollution (from the production of Styrofoam) and waste (paper biodegrades, Styrofoam does not).

Utilize eco-friendly cleaning products. “Green” cleaning products are now available at all major stores (even Costco) and are less costly than before. It’s safer for you and for your employees and doesn’t expose you to highly toxic chemicals.

Buy Local. Try to purchase supplies and other products for your business from local sources. The less distance it had to travel, the less gas was consumed.

Update your toilets. Toilet flushing is the largest water usage in buildings nationwide, using up to 4.8 billion gallons a day. Installing a low-flow toilet can cut the standard 8 gallons per flush to a paltry 1.6 gallons per flush, says TIME magazine.

Giving your company a green makeover has wonderful consequences that can spill over into other areas. Customers appreciate a company that has made that extra effort to be eco-conscious. It shows a willingness to be a part of the community and implies that your company thinks about more than just the bottom line. And if it happens to help that bottom line? Even better. 

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