6 Benefits of Greening Your Business

You know that environmentally friendly business practices can help save the planet. But did you know that they can also benefit your business?

Here are six advantages of going green.

1. You’ll save money.
   Some green practices save money upfront; others require an initial investment, such as purchasing a more environmentally friendly printer. Ultimately, however, your green practices should pay off in savings.
   
   Here are some easy ways to cut costs:
• Use natural lighting whenever possible. You’ll save on electricity and make your team more creative. Swap incandescent light bulbs for energy-efficient lighting, and install sensors that automatically turn lights on and off.
• Buy pre-owned or remanufactured equipment, such as Xerox refurbished printers. They’re inspected by Xerox technicians and warrantied so you can feel confident they’re reliable.
• Buy energy-efficient equipment like Xerox printers and multifunction printers. Look for the EPA Energy Star or EPEAT labels. Both certify energy efficiency and fewer emissions; the EPEAT label certifies that the equipment was made with minimal environmental impact across its lifecycle, from design and manufacture to disposal.
2. You’ll reduce waste.
   Reducing paper waste is one of the easiest and most satisfying changes you can make. Digitize your documents and data, and you’ll eliminate file cabinets full of folders, wastebaskets full of discarded paper, and the hassle of securely shredding documents before discarding them. Take the Xerox Efficient Printing Test to see how efficient your printing process is.
   
   Then implement these simple steps to use less paper:
• Xerox multifunction printers feature document security options that restrict who can print. Secure printing holds print jobs until the user actually inputs their PIN code; if too much time passes, the print job is deleted without printing.
• Use pre-designed templates to eliminate guesswork and multiple print passes. Xerox has professional business templates you can use to create everything from marketing brochures and sales flyers to greeting cards.
• Choose printers that offer duplex (double-sided) printing and set that as your default.
• Recycle used toner cartridges. Xerox’s Green World Alliance program makes it simple to return your used cartridges.

Xerox Green World Alliance – Xerox customers return more than 2.5 million cartridges and toner containers annually through the Green World Alliance recycling program. Together, we’ve kept more than 145 million pounds of waste out of landfills over the past 20 years.

3. You’ll save time.
   Storing your information in the cloud instead of printing everything out means your key data is accessible to your employees whenever they need it. No more digging through file cabinets for that missing piece of paper, or leaving an important report back at the office in your rush to make your flight.
   
   Start digitizing your documents with Xerox printers using ConnectKey technology. They make it easy to scan documents directly to popular cloud storage apps such as Microsoft 365, Google Drive and Dropbox.
4. You’ll attract more customers.
   More than three-fourths (76 percent) of consumers expect companies to take action against climate change and are willing to support those actions with their purchases, according to a study by Cone Communications. chases But consumers aren’t the only ones who care about environmental responsibility. Many government agencies and other public sector organizations prefer to do business with environmentally friendly companies.
   
   To help attract new customers, be sure to spread the word about your company’s environmentally friendly practices. Share what you’re doing on your website and social media. Use Xerox press release templates to tell your story to the media.

6 reasons why going green isn’t just good for the planet-- it’s also good for your business
5. You’ll be more successful at attracting and retaining employees.
   More than three-fourths of millennials consider a company’s social and environmental impact when deciding where to work, reports Cone Communications. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) won’t take a job with a company unless it has strong corporate social responsibility practices, and 75 percent would take a pay cut in order to work for an environmentally responsible business.
   
   Build engagement with your policies by getting your employees involved in greening your business. Some 89 percent of millennials expect their employers to provide hands-on ways for them to get involved with environmental activities at work. Start by asking for suggestions to make your business more environmentally friendly; then create an employee task force to implement the changes.
6. Your employees will be more productive.
   Engaged employees work harder and are more dedicated to their jobs, but in addition to the psychological benefits of working for a green company, there are physical benefits as well. For example, one study by Harvard researchers found that working in green buildings reduces employees’ healthcare costs—and increases productivity by $6,000-$7,000 per worker annually.

Wondering where to get started? The six most popular sustainable business practices among U.S. businesses are recycling, reducing waste, using less paper, implementing energy-efficient technologies, conserving water and adopting energy-efficient building design.

On Sunday, April 22, Earth Day 2018 will be celebrated with events across 193 c0untries. Now that you know the benefits of greening your business, you can celebrate in your own office, too. Watch for Monday’s Small Business Solutions post on 5 Ways to Make Your Business More Sustainable and start taking advantage of the benefits of going green.

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Tweet: Celebrate #EarthDay by greening your business – and putting some more green in your pocket: https://ctt.ec/ZEdJy+ by @Rieva

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