Businesses Grow Greener in Big, Small Ways

As your Buffalo Printer we pledge to work for a greener environment:

With the depressed economy, companies are forced to think smarter and make do with what they have. Interestingly, many are getting greener in the process. They aren’t thinking so much about acquiring more “stuff,” but rather better quality products that are less damaging to the environment.

The term “carbon footprint” is as much a part of the business lexicon today as “market-based solutions.” And companies are realizing they can save money by consuming fewer materials, and if they make greener choices, improve their image in the meantime. How are they doing it? Four years ago, British company Tesco installed wind-powered stores, high-tech recycling and biodiesel delivery trucks. The company determines its senior management bonuses partly on meeting energy and waste-reduction targets, according to CNN Money. Other examples include FedEx committing to improve vehicle fuel efficient by 20 percent by 2020 and Hasbro promising that 75 percent of its paperboard packaging will come from recycled materials in 2011, according to the fourth annual State of Green Business report from GreenBiz, which was released earlier this year.

Even if you’re not ready to make sweeping changes, there are myriad little ways to turn your workplace greener:

• Make recycling easy. Provide recycling bins for soda cans and paper and empty them regularly.
• Get rid of Styrofoam cups for the office coffeemaker.
• Use the back side of old printed materials for notes and when making reports, print on both sides of the paper.
• Equip the office with energy-efficient light bulbs and purchase equipment and supplies that conserve paper.
• Just like Dad may have told you growing up: Turn out the lights when you leave a room.

At Insty Prints we are increasingly thinking green -- from the recycled paper we offer to processes that use fewer materials and waste. If you want to learn more, talk to us. We’d love to help you grow your business green.