As a business owner, one of the most important phrases I live by is “People and Planet Over Profit”. Every decision I make for the business I look at how does this affect my team and the environment; can we do better? Before we buy office supplies or purchase from vendors, I want to look at their supply chain. Are they paying fair wages, where do they source their materials from, are their raw materials toxic or bad for the environment in any way? I want other businesses to know that they can implement sustainable and environmentally-friendly practices and not break the bank. In fact, you can even save money! Below are 4 ways to save money by implementing eco-friendly choices.

• Buy reusable office cleaning supplies. I do not buy paper towels, cleaning wipes or cleaning supplies in plastic bottles. For the less than the price of one carton of paper towels, I was able to buy a 12-pack of reusable cloth rags for cleaning. Once they are used, I just take them home and wash with my other towels and sheets from home. I have not had to buy paper towels in 3 years. That also eliminates the need for cleaning wipes saving on the cost of office cleaning supplies every month.
• Implement a hybrid or work from home schedule for employees. My company has a hybrid schedule where they work from home a couple days a week and by the end of the year, will be remote full time. We are working through enhancing our systems, processes, and communication so we can maintain our excellent level of service. But moving to a full-time work from home schedule saves my business thousands of dollars each month and saves money for my team. It eliminates the cost of rent and utilities for the office plus all of the other small costs that come with having an office. This also eliminates driving to and from work each day. Full-time remote work will save 18,252 miles driven each year! This is a huge cost savings for my team on gas and wear and tear on the vehicle, but also eliminates the emissions from our cars into the atmosphere.
• We are a paperless company. We do not print documents. All of our documentation is electronic, contracts are sent and signed electronically, and any paper receipts are scanned and saved digitally for reference and then shredded for the compost. All of our notes are on shared digital notebooks so everyone can use for reference. Everything is much more organized as well because we don’t have papers floating around and getting crumbled in files. Here are all the things we do not have to buy now because of this: printer, printer ink, printer paper, notebooks, sticky notes, paper clips, and staples.
• One thing that can get expensive is our branded gear. Shirts, hats, business cards, and swag can add up quickly! I spent a long time searching for a vendor that can provide eco-friendly options without breaking the bank. That is where James Gang Printing comes in! They were able to find me shirts and hats made from recycled materials for the same price as other brands. Paper products can also be made from post-consumer materials. Even the thread used in embroidery is made of recycled material. Check them out: James Gang Printing.

These are just some of the ways my company has been able to save literally thousands of dollars a month all while implementing eco-friendly business practices. I believe the individuals and businesses all need to do their part to fix what we broke!