In business, being eco-friendly is one of the biggest current trends. When people are looking for new companies to work with, one of the top things they search for is a company that works in an environmentally friendly way. Luckily, there are a few easy things you can do to make sure that you’re both eco-friendly and up to date with the latest technology in your workplace.

Make Your Workspace Eco-Friendly

First of all, look at your workspace and consider what changes you could start to make. Becoming more energy efficient is a lot easier than you may think it is, and a bonus is that you’ll end up saving money on your energy bills, which you could then push back into your business to continue your aim of becoming more eco-friendly.

Changing your light bulbs to LED or energy-efficient bulbs is a great first start; they last longer than regular bulbs, so they will have to be replaced less often. Also, make sure that people turn off their computers overnight instead of leaving them on, and start a company-wide program of focusing on energy efficiency; encourage taking the stairs instead of an elevator or turning off lights whenever people leave a room.

Change the settings on your technology so that they’re eco-friendly, and when you get rid of technology like laptops and phones, don’t add it to landfills. Instead, wipe the data off it and donate it to charities.

Go Smaller

Many of us think that bigger is better, but when it comes to eco-friendliness, that isn’t the case. You don’t need an enormous office if you don’t need the space; this is just a status symbol that isn’t necessary, and it will turn out to be a whole lot more expensive to run, particularly when it comes to heating and air conditioning bills.

Use laptops instead of desktop computers, and try to veer away from using plastic as much as you can. Bamboo products are much better for the environment. If you offer company cars to your employees, do they need huge trucks? Consider using eco-friendly vehicles instead.

Focus on Waste

Disposing of waste is a huge problem worldwide, but it’s possible for you to make a small difference with what your company puts out into the world. Focus on recycling, and remember that it goes further than throwing leftover printouts into a paper recycling bin.

In the company kitchen, provide different recycling bins for different materials. If you’re changing the furniture, donate the old products to charity instead of just trashing them. If you like to bring in food to have company lunches, then make sure you don’t over-order. If that does happen and you have a lot of food left over, your local homeless charity might be thankful for those donations. Finally, consider packaging: if you provide food for your employees, go for paper bags of fruit instead of individually wrapped candy bars, and check the labels to see just how far those products have traveled.

What About Water?

Wasting water is something that most people do every day without even thinking about it, whether it’s taking an unnecessarily long shower or keeping the water running while you’re brushing your teeth at night. But at work, it is possible to cut down on your water usage. First of all, make sure you have your pipes checked regularly for leaks so that your faucets don’t drip through the day. Invest in taps that stop after a certain amount of time; even though employees might hit them to start them running again, it will remind them that they don’t need to wash their hands for much longer.

Consider Going Paper Free

Going completely paperless isn’t an option for every company out there, but you can always cut down on paper use in your office. Make sure that employees know they should only print documents for which they need hard copies, and consider investing in new technology to encourage people to use tablets and phones instead of paper. Make sure that the paper you use gets recycled regularly. Using less paper means that you’ll require less storage space, which means you can spend less on rent and energy bills.

What About Your Power Sources?

Finally, start thinking about where exactly you get your power from so that you can make some new eco-friendly choices. Installing solar panels on the roof of your building or using wind or water energy means that you’ll be using sources of energy that are entirely renewable, unlike fossil fuels which are gradually running out.

Becoming more aware of the environment is a crucial move that will keep you on track with all the other companies in your industry, winning you both friends and clients. Eco-friendliness is the future.