Businesses, as well as individuals, are continually making more of an effort to follow environmentally friendly practices. Recycling paper was one of the first green practices to be commonly used in homes and businesses. Eventually, this practice led to businesses going paperless in an effort to reduce paper use and save trees.
Whether an individual runs a one-person operation or heads a large corporation, choosing to go paperless is an excellent way to give back to the world by conserving a valuable resource. Online payment options offer business owners an additional way to save paper, while also making transactions easier and more convenient for the consumer.
Online payments and other green practices benefit businesses and their customers.
Benefits of Online Payments
Contribute Toward Paper Use Reduction.
As recently as 2007, 84 million tons of solid municipal waste in the United States came from paper. It's hard to fathom this amount of paper, or the trees it all came from, lying in a landfill somewhere. But that's exactly what happens. While we haven't yet reached zero waste from paper (which doesn't include paper that's recycled), every business that chooses online payment options helps get us closer to that goal.... read more
Are you in the market for a new watch? I recently found out about these neat eco-friendly watches called SpringBreak Wood Watches. They've got a real unique look to them and the main material for the watch is sustainable, maple wood.
This eco-friendly start-up was created by a recent veteran and recent MBA graduate, who were also fraternity brothers in North Carolina.
Explained co-founder K. Andrews: "We felt the watch industry was lacking originality and wanted to create a watch that would appeal to self-expressive individuals and watch enthusiasts, with the added benefit of not negatively impacting the environment."... read more
Green issues have been at the center of affairs in recent years. As climate change continues, we’re looking for more ways to reduce our carbon footprint. Did you know the average Google search requires the same amount of energy needed to boil a small cup of water?
You can contribute to green living through your website. The way you build your website defines how ecofriendly it is.
Here are five handy tips you can use to build a more ecofriendly website and simultaneously contribute to the healing of the environment.... read more
Whether your office is old-school or cutting-edge with respect to its technology, there’s a good chance that there are more opportunities to recycle than you’re currently using. EPA estimates that up to 90 percent of office waste is recyclable, but it starts with your employees’ good recycling habits. The first step is to let your coworkers know exactly what is and is not recyclable. The second is to evaluate those items that you use regularly that are not recyclable and perhaps find environmentally-friendly alternatives.
What you recycle may depend on your city’s recycling program. Your municipality likely has a section of its website that sets forth what items are recyclable. If your municipality or landlord doesn’t provide recycling, you’ll need to contact your waste disposal company to arrange for pickup of your recycling. If you have to hire an outside service, consider partnering with other nearby businesses if your own office’s recyclable goods don’t meet its volume criteria for what it will haul.
Let’s take a look at some common office items. Again, whether you have single-stream recycling (which would allow you to place all recyclable materials in a single bin) or they have to be separated will depend on your waste removal company. These items can and should be recycled:... read more
Many people are truly very conscious of damages related to the human ecological footprint. More than just a trend, for many people, living an eco-friendly existence is a natural lifestyle. With that said, it is only natural that they would want to work for companies that are also interested in being kind to the environment in whatever way possible.
The same is true for consumers. They want to ensure purchases are made from companies that use eco-friendly manufacturing processes. The problem is, businesses have a goal to make money. They have a tendency to publicly promote the positive things they do, which includes green initiatives, while glossing over some of the practices that are perhaps not so earth-friendly.
It’s trendy to be green – remember, actions speak louder than words!
Green Is In
Obviously, businesses know that there is a definite trend to go green. Most companies have made changes in the way they manufacture products and conduct business. But this does not mean that every business is a green business. In fact, just because a business boasts that they are environmentally friendly in one way does not mean they are in other ways.
Green is in, and that has marketing value. This point has not been missed by businesses.
So how can you find out if a company is really green? Do some investigative work – begin by checking the business’s online reputation.... read more
Interest among businesses in being green has decreased as the economic situation has worsened (source), but with over 60,000 tons of CO2 emitted in 2009 from UK conferences and exhibitions, this is definitely an industry which can become greener.
With all the planning involved, the extra stress of considering the carbon footprint and wider environmental implications of your attendance isn’t necessarily welcomed! Luckily there are a few techniques that let you do this without the stress:
Number one: Go green for the right reasons!
There’s an upsetting trend at the moment of companies greenwashing their business practices – bringing attention to their green activities with the sole purpose of gaining positive PR. This sets a dangerous precedent as green responsibility should be taken seriously! If you’re enthusiastic about your green efforts, this will rub off on visitors to your stand, and will hopefully lead to them taking an interest too.... read more
I grew up in the Northeast with Dunkin Donuts all over the place. Not gonna lie, I enjoy the occasional chocolate donut and I love their iced tea on a warm day. But, each time I set foot in a Dunkin Donuts I feel my blood boil whenever I see their cups. It's disheartening that they still haven't made strides to phasing out those cups.
Well, over the past few weeks, I teamed up with the good people at Causes.com to create a petition urging Dunkin Donuts to STOP using Styrofoam cups.
Increased awareness of the environmental challenges facing the world mean that more and more business owners are searching for ways to reduce the environmental impact of their businesses. For many, the desire to improve their environmental performance goes hand in hand with the pressure to save money – energy-efficiency is the key both to reducing carbon emissions and to keeping electricity bills manageable in an era of rising costs.
For businesses with public lavatories, such as restaurants, pubs or theatres, hand drying can be a major source of carbon emissions. The same is true for office buildings or public spaces, where high traffic in lavatories means many users drying their hands throughout the day. Although traditional hand-drying methods can have a significant environmental impact, recent advances in technology now offer businesses a chance to cut down on their carbon footprint, as well as saving on energy bills.
Business owners have always had to make the choice between the hand dryer and the traditional paper towel dispenser. This debate has usually been framed in terms of expense – dryers are usually more expensive initially, but towel machines need to be constantly restocked. Additionally, towel dispensers create large amounts of waste and require more regular attention than dryers. On the other hand, a dryer can add to a business's energy bills. Cloth towels are still seen in some lavatories, but users often avoid these, citing hygiene concerns. For most businesses, hand dryers and paper towels are the only practical options.... read more
Word of mouth is often the best method of advertising, and it depends solely on your business's reputation in your local community. If you're unsure of how your business is perceived, or want to improve your reputation with your customers and neighbors, consider sponsoring or instituting one or more green programs.
Being greener is a great way to improve your reputation, and can help your business in the following ways:
Green Initiatives Increase Employee Satisfaction
Business owners know that often, their employees are their greatest asset. If employees are satisfied, they do their jobs well, they're more productive, and employee turnover is limited.
Green initiatives can increase employee's pride in their workplace, leading them to speak well about their company. Recycling programs, workplace beautification programs, and implementation of employees' green ideas all show that the company is listening to employees and is interested in what they have to say.... read more
As the environment becomes a bigger area of concern, many consumers are looking for companies that subscribe to “green” practices and provide products that are good for the planet. As a result, businesses are jumping on this trendy bandwagon and claiming that their goods and services are earth-friendly—regardless of whether it’s true. This has caused earth-conscious shoppers to turn to the Internet to check out companies’ reputations before they buy.
A company’s online reputation is not only determined by the content on its own website, but also links to other companies’ websites, online endorsements and advertising, posts on social media, and consumer reviews.
So, when you’re looking to find an environmentally responsible company, can you trust the Internet to help you choose the most “green” business?... read more
Are you in the market for a new watch? I recently found out about these neat eco-friendly watches called 
Green issues have been at the center of affairs in recent years. As climate change continues, we’re looking for more ways to reduce our carbon footprint. Did you know the average Google search requires the same amount of energy needed to boil a small cup of water?
Whether your office is old-school or cutting-edge with respect to its technology, there’s a good chance that there are more opportunities to recycle than you’re currently using. 
Interest among businesses in being green has decreased as the economic situation has worsened (
I've blogged in the past about how 
Increased awareness of the environmental challenges facing the world mean that more and more business owners are searching for ways to reduce the environmental impact of their businesses. For many, the desire to improve their environmental performance goes hand in hand with the pressure to save money – energy-efficiency is the key both to reducing carbon emissions and to keeping electricity bills manageable in an era of rising costs.
Word of mouth is often the best method of advertising, and it depends solely on your business's reputation in your local community. If you're unsure of how your business is perceived, or want to improve your reputation with your customers and neighbors, consider sponsoring or instituting one or more green programs.
As the environment becomes a bigger area of concern, many consumers are looking for companies that subscribe to “green” practices and provide products that are good for the planet. As a result, businesses are jumping on this trendy bandwagon and claiming that their goods and services are earth-friendly—regardless of whether it’s true. This has caused earth-conscious shoppers to turn to the Internet to check out companies’ reputations before they buy. 