5 Ways to Make Your Workplace Eco-Friendly

Coming off the heels of Earth Day, there's no better time than the present to make Eco-friendly chances to your business's workplace. Doing so can lower your monthly utility costs, improve your business's brand image, reduce environmental waste and pollution, and more. So, what steps can you take to create a more Eco-friendly workplace?

#1) Energy-Efficient Lighting

Consider replacing the traditional light bulbs in your workplace with newer, more energy-efficient models. Incandescent bulbs are the least efficient, resulting in a higher cost over time. By replacing them with compact fluorescent lighting (CFL) or light-emitting diode (LED), you'll save money in the long run. CFL and LED bulbs cost more than incandescent, but they last longer and consume less energy, making them a smart investment.

#2) Recycle

There's no substitution for recycling when creating an Eco-friendly workplace. Unfortunately, this is something that many business owners and employers overlook, believing it offers little or no benefit. It on ly takes a few minutes to set up recycling bins, however. And once set up, it will reduce the amount of waste your business creates.

#3) Encourage Carpooling

Another way to create an Eco-friendly workplace is to encourage carpooling. If two or more workers live in the same neighborhood, there's really no reason why both should drive to and from your business's workplace. Encouraging workers to carpool promotes a more Eco-friendly method of transportation while lowering the cost of gas, auto maintenance and other related expenses in the process.

#4) Choose Materials Wisely

Whether you're buying printer paper, stationary, boxes or any other item for your business, choose it wisely. Look to see where the material came from and what, specifically, it's made of. Ideally, you should choose materials that are made primarily of recyclable materials. Printer paper that's made of recycled paper, for instance, it better for the environment because it's been reused.

#5) Go Paperless

Finally, try to eliminate paper in your workplace by switching to digital media. Rather than sending paper notes or memos to workers, for instance, perhaps you can send emails. It does the job just the same but doesn't contribute to unnecessary waste.

These are just a few ways to create an Eco-friendly workplace. Feel free to explore other ways to promote a healthy environment and reduce your business's carbon footprint.