Tips For Reducing Your Business’ Costs & Carbon Emissions

In recent years there have been calls for the reduction of carbon emissions. Often entrepreneurs are solely concerned with making profit and the mere thought of carbon emissions does not count in their profitability analysis. The widespread use of computers has resulted in higher demand for electricity and equipment and the energy emissions from this equipment obviously significantly increases a business’ carbon footprint.

Here are some tips on how you can reduce the carbon footprint of your business:

Reduce Printing Of Documents

Printing paper is made of recycled material. Paper manufacturers do not have to go on cutting trees and decimating the world’s forest cover. However, you should reduce paper waste by minimizing on its usage. Make a point of being a smart paper user. You do not have to print every document or email. Instead, keep such documents in the hard disc of your computer.

Digitialise Your Office

This goes hand in hand with paper usage. You could consider making your office highly digitized. For example you could try using electronic signatures to approve contracts and other official documents which will save you printing high volumes of paper. In the process, you will also save on the electric power needed to power your printer.

Switch Off At Night

This is a very simple but much ignored point. Every day, employees go home in the evening leaving office lights on. The majority of them do not switch off their computers. The result is an extremely high electricity bill. All it takes to reduce your electricity costs is for you to ensure that you have switched off and unplugged all of your appliances from their power sources and advise and encourage everyone else to do the same.

More Fuel Efficieny

If you run a home or office delivery business, you need trucks to help you out. Assess whether you can cut down on motor vehicle usage. For example, you could combine delivery boxes going to destinations along the same route. This way, you use less vehicles, less fuel and emit less carbon.

Network

There are rewards for going green. You can attain certifications by working with other firms and governmental bodies in implementing carbon reduction practices.  When certified your business will benefit from greater recognition and you could get cash rewards too.

Recycle

No matter what, look for and use any opportunities to recycle. Printer paper is a great opportunity to recycle, flip already used printing paper and use the side that is still not printed. Reserve printing for documents going out to customers.

These cost management techniques should not only help you to reduce your carbon footprint but also reduce your business expenditures.