Hey fellow Earthlings, Earth Day is right around the corner!  Sunday, April 22 is dedicated to this giant green and blue sphere we call home. There are many “green” initiatives that companies can take to participate in protecting our environment and reducing our ecological footprint. You and fellow employees can implement most of these practices into a daily routine, replacing a less earth-friendly. In honor of Earth Day, Spectrum Communications, a Chicago based internet marketing company, devised a list of action items your company can take to become a greener business.

  1. Have a water cooler with eco-friendly reusable water bottles or mugs for the staff. Do some self-promotion with company branded water bottles.
  2. Use two, side-by-side computer monitors to reduce the printing of emails/documents and improve efficiency.
  3. Recycle electronics and office equipment such as computers, desks, chairs, printers, copy machines, fax machines, ink cartridges, etc.
  4. Create online media kits or online marketing reports to replace any mailed packets or marketing collateral.
  5. Cut the energy-consuming florescent lights and utilize eco-friendly bulbs in desk lamps.
  6. Have recycling bins in addition to garbage cans throughout the office.
  7. Go greener (literally) by giving everyone a desk plant to care for.
  8. Use Go2Meeting or similar online meeting software avoid excess gas usage and pollution from driving  to face-to-face meetings.
  9. Car pool with fellow employees who live nearby. Better yet, ride your bike to work if possible!
  10. Use eco-friendly modular furniture or cubicles repurposed from other items.
  11. Make use of email.  Email is fast, efficient and, best of all, paper free.
  12. Utilize online sticky notes to avoid using paper Post-Its! (Ex: Windows 7)

Pick one, a few or all of the above green initiatives to celebrate Earth Day the way it was intended: by being nicer to our home, Planet Earth. Who knows, maybe the green trends will stick and your company will be one of the many joining the progressive green movement.

Need more of an incentive? Going green not only reduces harmful waste and eliminates more of your ecological footprint, but it can save your company money. In fact, eco-friendly can be synonymous with budget-friendly! Keep this in mind on Earth Day and every day when you open your business’s doors to the world.

By Chris Lang