Thinking green isn’t something only certain industries should consider, but it’s pretty much a matter every business owner needs to deal with. Furthermore, multiple studies suggest that green initiatives not only lower the carbon footprint and allow companies to save extra money, but also can dramatically increase productivity within your organization.

Contradictory to the widespread opinion, every step counts towards going green and if you don’t know from where to start just follow my 5 really simple ideas for greener, far more productive office:

#1 Consider Alternative Power Sources

Wind and especially solar energy doesn’t require huge upfront investments – you can probably install solar panels at just fraction of your yearly electricity expenses and become completely independent in terms of electrical power. Furthermore, many states throughout the world offer extra incentives to businesses switching to alternative power sources and also the ability to sell the extra power to the utility company to bring extra income for your business.

Unfortunately, there are many cases when solar power is not applicable due to the office setup or building ownership.

#2 Go Digital

Even if you are a small business, chances are you print dozens, even hundreds of documents on daily basis. Do you really need to do that? There are specialised software solutions for pretty much anything – from meeting room management software (such as Pronestor Room and Yarooms) to project management & collaboration tools (such as ToDoIst and Zoho Projects).

Going digital will not only result in saving huge quantities of paper and other supplies, but also money and most importantly will skyrocket your employee’s productivity. With pretty much every aspect of business management going online, getting on the digital bandwagon is mandatory these days!

#3 Eliminate Phantom Power & Screen Savers

Phantom power and screensavers are responsible for large percentage of your utility bills. Believe it or not, electronic devices consume power, even if they are turned off and when these small costs pile up, you can quickly see how much money are going down the drain on yearly basis.

The solution is simple – just configure all monitors to turn off after certain period of time and make sure all electronic devices are plugged out in the end of the work day. Depending on the size of your office and number of employees, the result could be huge savings!

#4 Switch to LED Bulbs and Use Natural Light

Studies suggest that approximately 40% of all electricity expenses in office buildings occur due to artificial lighting. Switching to LED light bulbs (they consume at least 80% less energy than traditional incandescent light bulbs and have more than 100 times longer lifespan) will cut down the power consumption by more than half and if you do manage to effectively use natural light, this percentage can quickly go down even more!

#5 Try to Buy Second-Hand

Almost all office devices – from the printer to the coffee machine can be purchased second-hand. In order to produce each one of these devices companies use large quantities of natural resources, so buying used items really makes a difference. It allows you to leverage one of the main principals of green thinking and also allows you to make huge savings, since often you will be able to save at least 50% of the regular price.