In 2014, 55% of consumers from 60 countries said they’d pay more for products from environmentally-conscious companies.

Now is the perfect time to become an eco-friendly business.

But how can companies go green? The options are increasing all the time, and you can choose from small or large changes.

Here are some ways you can make your business more environmentally-friendly.

Conduct an Energy Audit

When you’re starting as a going green business, energy audits are a good first step.

Most states offer free energy audits for both homes and businesses. These audits will pinpoint ways to improve your energy-efficiency, including identifying any places where cracks or leaks let winter heat or summer air-conditioning escape.

What makes this even more attractive is that sometimes the suggested changes are covered or partly offset by the state.

Update Your Lighting

One common recommendation from energy audits is to update your lighting. If your business still uses standard lighting, this is a quick way to reduce your energy consumption.

Both compact-fluorescent (CFL) and LED lights are good options. They cost more than regular lightbulbs, but the price is coming down.

If the initial cost is still a concern, remember to consider the entire lifecycle of your lights. Both CFL and LED lights can last up to 50x longer than other bulbs.

They also use less energy, so your overall spending will go down.

Switch Cleaning Supplies

Another easy way for companies to go green is by switching to cleaners that are good for the environment.

Many traditional cleaning supplies contain toxins and other chemicals. This isn’t good for employees who are sitting in the offices all day. These chemicals end up back in the environment, where they continue to cause damage.

Switching to biodegradable and environmentally-friendly cleaners is better for both your workers and the planet.

This applies not only to office cleaning products, but any kind of machinery made of metal, including manufacturing and military machines, needs careful maintenance for lubrication and cleaning to remove grease.

In the past, lubricating and degreasing products were always harmful to the environment. Those products evolved over time, and you can now find eco-friendly options.

Use Renewable Energy

Amongst the newer green business practices is making the switch to renewable energy.

Many utility companies give you a choice of providers for your energy. This allows you to sign up for “green power” and get some or all of your energy from renewable sources such as solar or wind power, or geothermal or hydropower sources.

Depending on your location, you can also generate your own alternate energy by installing solar panels. If you do this, you may also get tax credits to help offset the cost of installation.

Recycle

As an eco-friendly business, it’s also important to remember some basics such as recycling. Depending on where you live, you’ll have different options for what you can recycle, and how items should be separated.

Once you know the rules of your area, make it easy for your employees by providing recycling bins. Put up clear instructions on what can and can’t be recycled, so you don’t contaminate the recycling stream.

Dispose of E-waste

Another important aspect of recycling is repurposing or safely disposing of your e-waste.

One problem with throwing away electronic devices is that they have metals such as mercury and lead. If those materials get into the environment, they cause significant damage.

Even if your phone, computer, tablet, or TV no longer works, that doesn’t mean it’s worthless. The materials in those devices can be reused for new manufacturing.

Some computer companies will take back old computers. You can also find local programs that will recycle electronics for you.

Alternately, if your device still works but no longer meets your needs, look for places to donate it, such as schools or libraries.

Evaluate Purchasing Decisions

One of the go green strategies that doesn’t get as much attention is paying attention to what you purchase.

An easy starting point is purchasing recycled paper to use in your office. This applies to copy paper, folders, packaging materials, and even paper towels.

For appliances, focus on buying ones that are more energy-efficient. You may even want to replace existing appliances with updated ones if the old ones are using a lot of energy.

Consider having a water cooler and providing employees with water bottles to reduce the amount of plastic with bottled water. You can also buy pens with refillable ink.

Once you look at the options, you’ll find even more ways to make your purchases eco-friendly.

Reduce Consumption

When making purchasing decisions, consider these options for reducing some of your supplies.

Eliminate paper from your processes as much as possible. When you need to print, go double-sided to keep the paper to a minimum.

Some offices provide snacks and food for employees. This often means a lot of plastic containers and utensils end up in the trash. Many can be replaced with reusable or biodegradable kitchen supplies.

From an energy standpoint, make sure you don’t have heat or cool air blasting at night or over weekends when people aren’t in the office. You could also consider motion-activated lights, so lights aren’t left on when they’re not needed.

Many Ways to Become an Eco-Friendly Business

Environmentally-friendly options are becoming easier to find, whether it’s with lighting, energy, cleaning supplies, or more. When you’re working towards this, start with one small change and then work up to bigger ones.

Choosing to become an eco-friendly business is great for the environment, but it also helps your company. You and your employees can feel good about the choices you’ve made, and your customers will appreciate that you’ve acted on your values.

Interested in learning about environmentally-friendly cleaning options for machines? Check out our eco-friendly cleaner.