One of the main deterrents to profitability in today's business is waste, plain and simple. If you are looking to increase your bottom line while doing something positive about your company's culture, you might want to consider going green. Believe it or not, an eco-conscious business spends less money which, in turn, increases profits overall. Here are just four ways going green can improve your company's financial health.

1. Eco-Friendly Lighting

While most developed countries have banned incandescent lighting, fluorescent and halogen lights are still very much in use and are not very much more energy efficient than their older counterparts. Unless your company has made the transition to energy efficient LEDs, you may be wasting a lot of money on your power bill. Why not let a service like Conservergy conduct an audit to see just how much energy you are wasting on your current lighting scheme and then compare that to what you could be saving by switching completely over to LEDs? If you want to improve your bottom line, you must stop wasting money.

2. Recycled and/or Sustainable Furniture

Furniture that has been manufactured with sustainable/recycled materials is always going to be an eco-friendly solution. Typically, furniture crafted with sustainable materials is less expensive, however, there is an even cheaper route to go. Have you considered shopping for used office furniture available at auctions or when companies are having a “Going Out of Business” sale? While the amount of savings you can realise may not be immediately significant, the real impact will be going forward. As many of the world’s natural resources such as forests are being depleted, the cost of furniture will continue rising. It is important to plan for the future as well as finding ways to save money today.

3. Water Conservation

What kinds of toilets do you provide for your workers? There are a number of water saving toilets on the market and unless you have one that’s rated with at least 4 stars, you aren’t conserving much water. Without going into the various types on the market, it is sufficient to say that you can cut your water bill by at least half when using a low water volume flush. 

4. Recycled Paper or Better Yet – Go Paperless!

Here again, recycled paper is often a bit cheaper than that freshly milled from wood products, but the best solution for saving money is to go paperless as often as possible. With advances in digital signage equipment, even your customers can receive paperless receipts in their email and all those forms you are currently printing daily, couldn’t they be better stored on your mainframe? Not only will you be saving money on the cost of paper, but it will be much easier to file them for quick reference as needed. Looking for that one file is akin to looking for a needle in the haystack as they are often misfiled due to clerical error or simply not filed at all! Time is money so waste not, want not.

These four ways to save money by going green should put you on the right path towards greater profitability, but why stop here? Take time to look at other ways your company is contributing to waste, such as fossil fuel vehicles in your motor pool instead of electric or hybrid cars, and you will see that you can save money while working to save the planet. Isn’t that a lovely way to go green?