Green technology does more for the business dynamic than merely helping the environment. While this may be an honorable cause, eco-friendly technology could be used to enhance the workplace.
From financial boosts to productivity, you may find a lot of benefits by adopting a “green” platform. In reality, there are several green products that benefit the workplace outside of protecting the environment.
Here are several of the most prolific changes that could be made in the business that could impact your success.
1. Reducing Energy Bills
One of the most obvious benefits of going green in the workplace is reducing the energy bills. Small changes such as using LED lighting can save some money in operational costs each month, but more significant changes could greatly reduce spending.
Energy efficiency can be implemented in many ways from the insulation of the building to smart windows that offer shade when ultraviolet levels increase.
Through eco-friendly technology and affordable additions, you could easily reduce the amount of your overhead costs.
2. Reducing Water Use
While water may be cheap in some areas, technology can be utilized to reduce the use of this component in the workplace.
Bathrooms, drinking fountains and gardening are three of the most common uses of water in many businesses. Aerated faucets, efficient toilets and outdoor timing systems could greatly cut into the monthly water bills.
Many companies will install motion-sensing faucets which will automatically turn off when no movement is detected. Some businesses have been able to reduce water waste by more than half because of things like sensor-based appliances.
3. Less Waste in the Workplace
Many organizations pay for the amount of trash that is discarded each month. A lot of these businesses will also pay for paper-shredding services such as insurance companies and those who process confidential information.
Moving to a paperless system eliminates a large portion of the waste in the workplace. This has the potential to save money in those services as well as reducing the company’s carbon footprint.
4. Moving to a Green Web Host
Having a website for your business is essential for success. And that means you are going to need a web hosting company.
The web hosting industry as a whole has an emissions problem. In fact, it’s become so bad that it eclipses the airline industry in this regard. That’s because data centers for websites consume an incredible amount of power.
This consumption equates to more electricity from the grid forcing power plants to produce more energy. Between servers and cooling units, you’d be amazed by how much electricity goes into keeping your website up and running.
But you don’t have to be part of this issue. Some web hosts are trying to make a difference.
At GreenGeeks, we carefully calculate how much energy we use every year to host websites and purchase 3 times that amount in wind energy. This means any website hosted with us is actually reducing the carbon footprint.
And when you consider that modern shoppers take eco-friendliness into account, picking a green web host is a no-brainer.
5. Reducing General Office Expenses
Utilizing more green technology in the business will also reduce general office supply expenses. While paper may be the most obvious product, take into consideration everything else that is related.
Spending for pens, paperclips, markers and more can be reduced by moving into a digital platform. How much does your company spend on printer ink, maintenance and replacements each year?
A digital and green system reduces all of that spending. Additionally, your storage for these items could be decreased in order to make room for other equipment and needs.
Is your supply closet the size of an actual employee office?
6. Improving Productivity in the Workplace
Many eco-friendly pieces of technology also deliver improvements for productivity. For example, it’s much easier to find digital documents on the Cloud than to sift through a filing cabinet.
Mobile devices, messaging systems and even appliances that improve air quality can make an impact in how people perform their jobs. Some organizations may see improvements by as high as 25% in productivity by moving to an engaging digital platform.
This increase could lead to additional revenues depending on the types of services the company delivers.
7. Improving Budgets for Greater Income
Moving to a green platform has great potential to save money across the board. These savings can then be utilized in other aspects of the business to generate even more revenue.
For example, you can use the money you save on electricity bills to improve marketing or product enhancements in a store. It may be possible to reinvest that money for other facets that could improve the business even further such as hiring additional staff or investing more in social media.
8. Improving Employee Health
One of the most effective benefits in the workplace from eco-friendly technology is the aspect of improving employee health. Air quality, temperate climate and other factors can lead to staff calling in sick.
This causes a trickle-down effect that makes the business less productive throughout the day. Air purifiers, proper air filtration on HVAC systems and more can offer a healthier workplace.
Even the thought of working in a better environment could improve employee morale, which often leads to greater productivity.
9. Improved Disaster Recovery
Green business methods could help the organization recover from even the most devastating of disasters. This is one of the most promising aspects to implementing Cloud-based business services.
Important documents, payroll, customer information and more are all saved online allowing you to immediately get back to work after a catastrophe.
Depending on the type of business you operate, it’s theoretically possible to work out of a garage after your establishment has been devastated by a tornado. This alone has potential to save in hardware expenses, technical support staff wages and networking maintenance.
10. Attracting More Customers
There are more people who are conscious about the environment of Earth than you might realize. In fact, 73% of millennials are willing to pay more for sustainable goods and doing business with companies who are eco-conscious.
By marketing your company to the general public as “being “green,” it could experience a boost in sales and leads. For instance, many hotels have seen a significant influx of customers because they advertised things like solar panels and water-conscious fixtures.
11. Tax Benefits
Depending on the technology you implement, there could be tax benefits for those green devices. For instance, solar panels are still an effective way to receive a tax break worth more than 30% of the total installation cost.
This doesn’t include the monthly savings in energy expenses. However, you’ll need to look up your area for local benefits. Some cities offer more of a break than others. In any case, reaching for a green business certificate or ranking may reduce your tax liabilities each year.
12. Social Responsibility
Corporate social responsibility is an aspect that more businesses should keep in mind. As a pillar in the community, you can lead by example when it comes to environmental awareness.
Many businesses consume more resources to stay in operation in comparison to private residences. It only makes sense to reduce the amount of waste to maintain the local environment.
By setting an example in going green, others in your community may follow.
Going Green Goes Beyond Saving the Planet
These are only a handful of benefits that come from using green technology. As manufacturers become more conscious of the environment, improvements to alternatives for many common devices and tools are happening quicker.
Nearly every aspect of almost any business can now enhance its practices with eco-friendly technology and products. Consider how this kind of technology is usable to enhance your business practices.
You may find other benefits that are not in this list.
Very precisely put. Yes smart gadgets do more than improving efficiency. They improve the energy efficiency and significantly cut down costs. As an employee of a home automation company in Chennai, I can vouch for this.
The last point is very nice!
It’s our Social Responsibility to adopt green technology for our business.
impressive article with valuable information…….thank you for exposing
Hello Spandana,
Glad you enjoyed the article 🙂