Making your business environmentally friendly has become the fashionable thing to do, quite rightly, since the benefits are so obvious. Yet saving the environment can also save the enlightened businessman money. Tom Jackson looks at ways to save the world and your funds.

1.      Turn Out The Lights

Sounds obvious, but lights left on all night waste an extraordinary amount of electricity, and therefore money. Energy Stare-Rated lightbulbs are also cheaper and better for the environment.

2.      Car pool

There are all number of ways to save energy and money in the car. On an incline use the handbrake, as relying on the clutch wastes fuel. Encouraging staff members to car pool or even cycle would also save money and the environment.

3.      Go hi-tech

The transport sector accounts for a huge 13 percent of South Africa’s carbon emissions, and clever businessmen can play their part in reducing this by reverting to video-conferencing and conference calls rather than making the trip for a face-to-face meeting. This will also save on transport costs.

4.      Turn off electrical equipment

Leaving computers and televisions on standby mode may seem adequate, but they still use electricity this way. Turn them off completely and you save electricity and money.

5.      Double-sided printing

Printing on both sides of the page cuts down paper use by 50 percent, saving money and trees.

6.      Choose eco-friendly suppliers

Everything from empty printer cartridges to old computers can be recycled or refurbished, so the environmentally-friendly firm should use suppliers who take back and recycle their products after they have been used.

7.      Green clean

Ensure that your office is used using green chemicals without toxic chemicals. This is no more expensive, but protects precious ecosystems.

8.      Install a solar geyser

South Africa in particular has some of the best renewable energy sources in the world. A solar-powered geyser system can seriously reduce monthly energy bills, while insulating them well will retain heat.

9.      Know your goals

Set your office targets for reducing its electricity bills by 10 percent each month and add incentives on for achieving this. This allows workers a way to take ownership of an issue and saves businesses money.

10.  Reduce, reuse and recycle

Between 50 – 80 percent of South Africa’s 67 million cubic metres of waste produced a year in recyclable. A little education can show people how important recycling is to the planet, and to the bank balance.