More than ever, business owners are searching for ways to make their companies eco-friendly. Not only are you doing your part for the environment, but you also end up saving a bit of money in the long-run. In addition, consumers and clients will begin to take notice of these green changes and respect the business for their environmental responsibility.

Keep reading to learn ways you can make your business green.

• Only print if you have to. While there is some debate over whether sending files digitally is just as bad as using paper, your employees should be encouraged to reduce printing when possible. For instance, if you receive an important memo via email that you absolutely do not want to lose, save it in a special folder so you can easily access it. Another great way to cut back on paper usage is to try to print double-sided when you absolutely have to print multiple sheets of paper.
• Switch out your bulbs. Ditch your traditional incandescent light bulbs and replace them with energy efficient products; which include halogen incandescent, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and light emitting diodes (LEDs). By switching to these energy-efficient bulbs, you will be omitting less energy, which is great for the environment. You’ll also save you money on your electric bill, plus on the cost of replacing the bulbs themselves – you won’t have to replace them as frequently as traditional bulbs.
• Ditch the paper towels. Since they can’t be recycled, paper towels take up an excessive amount of space in landfills. Luckily, there is an easy sustainable solution – fast, low-wattage hand dryers. There are many eco-friendly electric hand dryers on the market that only produce an impressive 500-300 watts, making for a much more green hand-drying experience than traditional wasteful paper towel products.
• Encourage carpooling. We all know that our cars emit an excessive amount of carbon dioxide, so why not try to eliminate as much as we possibly can? Figure out the most popular areas that employees live in, and strike up the idea of a carpooling system. Suggest that employees take turns driving the others to and from work, or designate a schedule that works best for everybody. This way, everybody is spending the same amount of money on gasoline and nobody is stuck driving more than the others.
• Power off the electronics. Encourage your employees to get in the habit of unplugging their electronic devices before leaving work at the end of the day. Or, if they have all of their devices plugged into one power strip, remind them to simply turn it off on their way out. Another easy way to conserve energy is to program computers to turn off or go to sleep after a certain period of time.

Follow these tips for promoting a greener work environment!