Environment
Seven Easy Ways To Go Green And Save
By
Nov 14, 2007, 21:56

(NAPSI)-Americans are becoming more environmentally conscious, and many businesses, from home offices to large corporations, are also taking steps to help the environment. They're finding that "going green" not only helps the planet, it can also save lots of money.

These seven tips from Staples can help make it easy for any size business to help the environment and save money:

1. Look for the ENERGY STARŪ label-By using energy-efficient technologies, such as ENERGY STARŪ-qualified computers and other office equipment, you can cut the cost of powering your workplace or home by up to 80 percent.

2. Reduce Your Energy Use-Energy-efficient lighting, ventilation, insulation, heating and cooling technology can cut energy bills by 30 percent or more. If every U.S. household replaced just one lightbulb with a compact fluorescent bulb, each year, our country would save $600 million in energy costs and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to emissions from over 800,000 cars.

By setting thermostats a few degrees lower in the winter (to 68°F) and a few degrees higher in the summer (to 78°F), you can save nearly 10 percent on heating and cooling bills. Even a simple step such as disabling your screen savers to "none" or "blank screen" can cut computer energy use by 70 percent.

3. Be Smarter With Paper-To save money and reduce the impact on trees, cut your paper use by reducing the margin sizes on the documents, printing double-sided and selecting the "printer-friendly" option on Web sites. Conduct more transactions online and e-mail documents or post them on a company intranet.

Minimize the effect of the paper you do use by purchasing paper made from postconsumer recycled content and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Small changes can have a big impact: Staples' sale of recycled paper products in 2006 saved the equivalent of 1.6 million trees, approximately six times the size of New York City's Central Park.

4. Invest in Renewables- Investing in wind, solar, biomass, hydropower and geothermal energy technologies reduces greenhouse gas emissions and long-term expenses. You can save 40 to 80 percent on electric or fuel bills by replacing conventional water heaters with solar heating systems. Maximize available tax subsidies (now up to $500 in federal tax credits for making your home more energy efficient) and various rebates for investing in renewable energy technologies.

5. Recycle Old Equipment-An estimated 133,300 computers enter landfills each year, polluting the air, water and soil. Reduce waste by utilizing the many easy recycling programs across the country. Through its EcoEasy recycling program, Staples offers everyday, in-store recycling for a wide range of items, from cell phones and PDAs to computers, printers, fax machines and other office technology, and will accept any amount you drop off. Earth911 (www.earth911.org) enables you to find the nearest recycler. Many retailers now reward customers with coupons for select ink and toner cartridges they recycle.

6. Use Smart Transportation-Every year, 1,590 pounds of CO2 emissions are cut for every worker who leaves his or her car at home two days a week. Encourage employees to bike, carpool or use public transportation with carpool incentive programs or subsidies for public transportation. Introduce telecommuting either part- or full-time to help employees save gas and reduce carbon emissions.

7. Lead By Example-Many businesses have enhanced their reputations and acquired new customers by taking leadership on environmental issues. Your bottom line can benefit by taking these positive steps to help the environment.

For more information, visit one of Staples' 1,400 U.S. stores or www.staples.com/ecoeasy.

© Copyright by EveningsNews.com