BusinessFinance

Best Sustainable Business Practices

Sustainable business practices are easy to implement into any company. Not only does it improve reputation, but it could also give your business the chance to access federal tax breaks. These are some of the best ways your company can go green.

Go Paperless

Plenty of technology is available to help your company go paperless and turn all your documents into digital files. Adobe Acrobat Professional allows you to sign PDF files digitally, and you can use companies like PayPal to send digital invoices. Sometimes, going completely paperless isn’t an option, but printing less can be one of the easiest ways to create a green and sustainable business. Encourage others not to print emails and, instead, make backups of important files on an external drive.

Pull Plugs

Most companies operate from 8 AM to 5 PM but leave their computers on overnight for the next work day. If you aren’t working, you can turn your computer off and decrease the amount of electricity your company uses. One of the easiest ways to lower your business’s carbon footprint is to plug everything into a power strip and unplug it at the end of the day.

Reduce Waste

Throwing something away is a lot easier than recycling something. But placing a paper recycling bin in convenient locations around the office is an easy way to encourage employees to recycle. Mailboxes, copiers, and printers are some of the best locations to place a bin. If something prints off incorrectly, a person can toss the papers into the recycling bin. Ideally, everywhere there’s a trash can, you can put a recycling bin.

Recycle Electronics

One of the biggest pollutants is electronics because many people aren’t sure where to toss their old phones, computers, and other equipment. A company-wide recycling program can decrease the amount of electronic waste in your area. Some charities are specifically designed to handle this type of recycling. Some companies even offer incentives when you bring in old electronics.

Decrease Junk Mail

Junk mail is currently one of the most wasteful business practices. It may seem impossible to get rid of all the junk mail your company receives, but you can do something about it. You could contact the companies directly, or you can remove your name from the Direct Marketing Association’s member prospect list. Doing this is a small but great way of practicing business sustainability.

Use Renewable Energy

As mentioned before, you can get tax breaks if you incorporate renewable energy into your business. The tax credits are available depending on which state you reside, but you can check what your state offers at Energy.gov. Here, you can see all the rebate programs you have access to that can help increase savings. The rebates can be quite substantial and cover commercial and industrial businesses.

Practice Water Conservation

Water conservation may sound complicated, but it’s actually very easy to practice. Your company can easily work toward conserving water by repairing leaking pipes, fixtures, and seals or by installing water-efficient appliances. Rather than creating a large landscape that will consume a lot of water, you could use plants that only need to be watered every now and then. These moves can help reduce the amount of water your company consumes on a daily basis, and it will undoubtedly help the environment.

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