Saving Money While Going Green

Businesses want to save money, and most also care about the environment. So what happens when a company has to make the choice between running a green company and staying profitable? They find ways to go green without spending much money, reports The New York Times.

To begin, Mr. Bramblett said, analyze the business operations with an eye toward reducing energy consumption and waste: “Look at those places where you spend the most money.” Common areas to consider are lighting, powering your equipment, heating, air-conditioning, transportation and water use.

For Estes, the company’s biggest expense after personnel costs was transportation and fleet maintenance. As part of its energy audit, Estes learned that eight of its full-size trucks were assigned to sales people who did not need them to make business calls. The company started to swap out the trucks for Ford Fusion hybrid sedans, increasing gas mileage to 40 miles a gallon from 18 miles a gallon, and saving money in the process.

Look also at the waste produced by the business. Disposing of this material often incurs a cost. For example, Estes typically generates hundreds of pounds of scrap cardboard and metal at each job site. Before starting its green initiative, the company would pay for a Dumpster to hold the waste. This was an expense, and the material generally ended up in a landfill. Now Estes works with a recycling contractor that hauls the material away without charge — saving the company about $1,000 a month, according to Mr. Bramblett’s estimates.

In what areas can your business save some money and the environment?

Photo by epSos .de

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