Chances are you already lead a pretty "green" lifestyle in your home. Like other environmental stewards, you likely discard any number of paper and plastic products in your recycle bin on a regular basis, as well as rely on some energy-efficient appliances for everyday cooking and cleaning.
Now it's time to take this same approach to environmental consciousness and apply it to your business. Fortunately, going green at work doesn't have to involve a number of steps. Indeed, you can certainly take a combination platter approach and adopt some small and larger best practices that will all add up to a more eco-friendly company.
Green up your enterprise in 2019
Start By Testing Your Energy-Saving Knowledge
Unsure of how to start adopting some of these best practices off the bat? Then peruse any number of online resources like EnergyStar.gov, which can help business owners like you make their workplaces more eco-friendly.
For instance, to kick off your new energy-saving campaign, make it a point for you and your team to take the Energy IQ Quiz on EnergyStar.gov to uncover your proficiency in energy efficiency. To make this team-building exercise process as fun as possible, offer prizes to employees who get a perfect score on the 10-question quiz and reward them during the next office meeting.
Look for Ways to Consume Less Energy
Beyond learning some quick and easy best practices, though, it's important to take an honest look at your workplace energy usage. Experts recommend conducting an energy audit to quickly identify areas where you can save on energy costs.
Around your office space, make it a point to conserve precious energy by:
- Checking and sealing any drafty doors and windows
- Installing automatic on/off electrical switches
- Replacing any break-room appliances that gobble up electricity
- Asking colleagues to not waste printer paper - and to be mindful of their printing frequency
Move Customer Service to the Cloud
Another great way for your business to create and maintain a positive impact on the environment is by moving your customer service to the cloud. For example, research any number of cloud contact center providers that offer IVR capabilities, which will allow your customers to ask questions and resolve issues via live agent support or automated self-service prompts.
Typically, these live agents work remotely, meaning they won't be commuting to the office and depending on energy usage in the office to run their computers and lights. In addition to these cost-savings, using a cloud contact center for customer service can mean reducing the number of expensive and energy-burning servers in your office building.
Let Your Team Work From Home
Telecommuting is a luxury that not every business can afford to its employees. But if it's possible for your employees to do some or all of their work remotely, providing that incentive can also help create a positive impact on the environment.
Even if some employees work from home a couple days a week, your business is bound to realize, at least at some point, a significant cost-savings by not over-relying on air conditioning, heating and lighting costs.
As it Turns Out, it Can be Easy to be Green
Kermit the Frog may say otherwise, but when it comes to being more eco-friendly in your business, it can be easy - and even fun - to be green. Depending on your budget and enthusiasm for "going green," you can easily mix and match any number of approaches to become a better environmental steward. Before you know it, you'll be reaping great energy savings and playing a bigger role in decreasing the planet's overall carbon footprint.
