Making Green Choices Gets Easier For Small Businesses

December 3, 2007

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

While large corporations get most of the headlines on green initiatives, many U.S. small businesses are also cutting energy costs making green choices, USA Today reports.

Harbec Plastics, for example, uses wind and natural gas turbines, a state-of-the-art water-cooling system, hybrid cars and trucks and fluorescent lights which have saved $1.2 million and cut CO2 emissions by 750,000 pounds.

Two-thirds of small business owners recently surveyed say they would be willing to pay more for goods and services to run their businesses if they knew they were environmentally-friendly. Forty-seven percent of small business owners surveyed said they are already taking steps to show customers they are environmentally-friendly.

With the right upgrades, the typical small business can cut its energy bill up to 30 percent and see a payback on the investment within three years, according to Entrepreneur.

According to the Energy Star Small Business program, energy efficiency improvements of 10-to-30 percent are economically viable for many small businesses through the implementation of “best practices” for facility operation and maintenance, and the use of cost-effective technologies, the National Small Business Association reports. In conjunction with Energy Star, NSBA is challenging the 150,000 small businesses it reaches to reduce their energy consumption by 10 percent or more through improved energy efficiency.

Small businesses can cut operating budgets five percent by changing their office-management practices, says Anna Clark, president of EarthPeople, a Dallas consulting firm, in the USA Today article.

Email this story Print this post Add your comments

Advertisers

Stay competitive through sustainability.

Find out how at the SAP Sustainability Resource Center. >>

Unclear about the EPA's new GHG Rule?

Learn how it could affect your business. >>

EPA mandatory emissions reporting starts Jan 1st

CSA Standards can help your organization get ready for compliance. Find out how. >>

Product Environmental Compliance Best Practices

How to achieve compliance at a significantly lower cost. Download the full report. >>

Join the Discussion

Recent Daily News [ see all ]

11/20/2009
11/19/2009
11/18/2009

Charts [ see all ]

European Paper Industry Cuts CO2 Emissions by 42% since 1990

S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks

Nike Tops Annual Climate Action Scores

Oceans May Trap more Carbon than Forests

Jobs

View All Jobs >> Post a Job >>

Comments and Discussions

Trade Association on Trade Group on EPA Chemical Regs: ‘If Everything is a Priority, Then Nothing is a Priority’
"Seriously… that..."

Gary Markowitz on Supermarkets Tackle Emissions Reductions, Fuel Efficiency
"Supermarkets waste over 10 percent of their energy through improper..."

peter in ireland on Ontario May Follow California’s Lead on TV Energy Efficiency
"Governor Schwarzenegger is shooting himself in the foot! 1...."

Environmental Leader on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"The survey respondents (the PDF report mentions 4,000 respondents in 38..."

Jake on UPS Trying New Hydraulic Hybrid Trucks
"A point of clarification: the Reuters press release referenced herein reports that 20 UPS will purchase..."

Custom Organic Shirts on S. America Takes Most Urgent View of Copenhagen Talks
"90% of North Americans believe it is urgent to get a global climate..."

peter dublin on California City’s Green Building Ordinance Applies to Commercial Buildings
"Why energy efficiebnt regulation on buildings –..."

Environmental Leader