5 Steps to Being Green Beyond Your Work

Many designers, builders, and subcontractors have made their reputations by designing and building green buildings. LEED designation is highly desirable, after all. But being truly green -- and being able to promote your business as being green -- means more than being green in your work. Your business itself needs to be green! Here are five steps to being green:

1) Form a green committee

A green committee does several things: First, it generates ideas from people on the front lines of your business. They know what's going on, see the supplies being used, know how energy is consumed, etc., and thus are in a great position to suggest ways to improve. Second, starting a green committee shows your employees that you care about their input. This shows that your green recommendations are not just proclamations from on high, that everyone has to work together on being green.

2) Recycled paper goes wide

You surely already use recycled paper in your copier, but these days recycled engineering bond is widely available. Order recycled bond for all your wide-format printers, and ask your reprographics shop to print on recycled paper when they do your plans.

3) Go green "upstream"

Consider your "upstream" environmental impact when you choose suppliers. If you make it clear that you prefer suppliers who have good green practices, you'll influence many to go green. Learn of your suppliers' green preferences by visiting their websites, talking to salespeople and company leaders, and reading industry websites. When you're seeking bids, include a section on the bid form that asks about the bidder's environmental sensibilities.

4) Keep your equipment updated.

Newer equipment is generally more energy efficient than old stuff -- in fact, in many cases the savings in power may eventually pay for the new equipment. Look for EnergyStar ratings on new equipment, but keep in mind that many manufacturers exceed those requirements. Also consider the emissions when you're looking at new equipment -- fumes, heat, and ozone.

5) Think green, paint light

Think green the next time you repaint. Not green paint, of course! Use light colors to save on lighting costs, and use low-VOC paints to reduce the stink. Your employees will thank you.

These five steps are just the tip of the iceberg on how you can create a green business. Being green involves a commitment from the top and on-going effort. But once you've started down the green path, your employees will thank you and your clients will be impressed.

Written for A/E Graphics, Inc. by Ed Avis of Ed Avis Associates. Comments or questions? Email him.