The “green” movement is sweeping the country, with many companies making serious moves to reduce their carbon footprint. Several large corporations have been able to effect tremendous change. Dell has become the greenest technology company on the planet with their industry-leading recycling program, energy-efficient product offerings and a 100% green-energy powered headquarters in Round Rock, Texas. General Electric has doubled its research and development budget to $1.5 billion for technology to reduce energy consumption and waste products. Last year, GE’s “Ecomagination” line of products generated $10 billion in revenue and is on track to hit over $20 billion in revenue by 2010.
These examples show what is possible when companies bring together customers, employees and other stakeholders to help the environment.
Companies of all sizes can make a tremendous impact by encouraging employees to run duplexed copies instead of single pages, use energy-efficient bulbs for desk lamps, lower blinds in the summer and power down inactive computers.
Here are some other suggestions to help green up your company:
- Offer a recycling program for office products, including paper, plastic, glass, cans and Styrofoam.
- Install automatic shut-offs for electronic equipment.
- Promote and reward the use of public transportation or carpooling.
- Participate in and/or sponsor community environment activities, such as plant-a-tree day or clean up parks and streets.
- Institute a telecommuting policy for those employees who are eligible.
- Buy coffee mugs for all employees and remove all disposable cups.
- Turn the thermostat down 1-2 degrees.
- Get your employees involved – hold a contest for ideas that can be implemented immediately and reward the best ones.
- Bring in lunch and hire an environmental speaker.
Need more motivation? Here are some eco-statistics that will shock and inspire you:
- The amount of wood and paper we dispose of each year could heat 50 million homes for 20 years.
- Americans throw away about 40 billion soft drink cans and bottles every year. Placed end to end, they would reach the moon and back almost 20 times.
- If every American recycled just one-tenth of their newspapers, we would save about 25 million trees per year.
- If all the cars on U.S. roads had properly inflated tires, it would save nearly 2 billion gallons of gas a year.
Education and life-style changes can positively affect your environment and community. It can also be personally rewarding.