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 It’s difficult to ignore the tide of opinion in favour of sustainability and the almost certain future shortage of global resources as the developing world starts to expect the standard of living that we take for granted - what a cheek eh?
There are many reasons for potentially going green: from a genuine and altruistic wish to save the Earth, to be trendy, or a more selfish concern about your health. But is going green really going to benefit your business? Potentially:
1- If your product is aimed at individuals, chances are that your customers will have been 'sensitised' to the green issue (i.e. they'll like you better for it);
2- Your employees are also hearing the message, so staff morale and loyalty may be improved quite a bit by the introduction of green policies;
3- Some very easily implemented green policies can actually save on operational costs:
Change bulbs. Replace office lighting with compact fluorescent bulbs. They use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs (it's not just the cost of the bulb: remember whoever changes it does so on an hourly rate!).
Keep an eye on the paper. A huge amount of paper goes to the bin printed on one side only. If you need a new printer, check that it will print on both sides and make sure that you've got that function enabled. Reserve a space near the printer for 'draft paper' (already printed on one side) and make sure that your staff are using it for internal jobs. Also think about switching to Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) paper, which is nowadays as good as non-recycled products and cost up 10 to 20% less.
 Whenever possible, go paperless. Employees' manuals, reports and forms don't need to be printed anymore: storing the digital version on your server will not only save on stationery but also precious staff time. One hard drive to store all that will cost much less than the paper to print it all on the ink, the filing cabinets, folders, dividers etc. (and just think of the extra office space!).
Greenprint, a nice little bit of software will also help reduce your printing cost quite dramatically. It costs US $29 and will save you (or so they claim) up to US$75 per user per year.
 Use remanufactured toner cartridges. Available from most stationery shops or from specialist printing suppliers, they cost 15% less than standard brands. One returned cartridge keeps 2.5 pounds of metal and plastic out of national landfills and saves about half a gallon of oil from being used. That means that an average business can have quite a global impact from simply switching brand.
 Watch those stars. Next time you buy a piece of equipment, check its energy rating: the more stars, the more energy efficient. Look for the 'Energy Star' blue label, which indicates that this particular product cuts on power usage by about 75% over standard machines. Consider this: Americans save $3.5 billion yearly using Energy Star products. The Energy Star website also offers calculators to assess your business needs and expected savings.
 Cut your power usage. Switching appliances and lights off at night is a good start but it isn't near enough. Did you know that nearly three quarters of office power might be consumed while machines are switched off but still plugged in? Power strips are an easy solution: hook your machines to them and have your staff hit the switch as they leave. At home, the average household could save about 10 per cent on its power bill if appliances on standby were switched off.
Consumer has developed a free tool called Powerswitch. It enables consumers to enter in their data and see which supplier can offer the cheapest plan. It helps to complete this assessment with a recent power invoice in front of you.
Make your car save you money. Inflate your tyres correctly and you’ll use up to five per cent less fuel.
Walking and cycling are ideally suited to short trips. It is good exercise and can save you heaps on fuel.
Fuel$aver is a useful website that provides information to compare the fuel consumption of different vehicle models. The website enables drivers to calculate vehicle fuel costs by considering their vehicle model, the distance travelled, the kind of fuel that is used, and their driving habits.
The Right Car website offers advice on choosing cars that use less fuel, produce lower emissions and have improved safety features.
 Save at home. A well-insulated home takes less energy to heat - ceiling insulation can save you up to $400 a year. The Government introduced the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart scheme on 1 July 2009, which contributes 33% of the cost of insulation in homes built before 2000, up to a maximum of $1,300. Funding may also be available for installing clean heat devices. This scheme can benefit small business owners who use their homes as offices.
Funding is available from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority for installing a solar water-heating system. This is either in the form of a contribution of up to $1,000 towards the cost of a loan to pay for the system, or a one-off payment of $1,000 towards the cost of installing a new system. To find out more about the criteria, visit their website or call 0800 762 7837.
Find out more
The New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Environment hold a wealth of information on their website, from accurate reports to case studies and some more 'green' money saving hints and tips.
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