3 Ways Every Business Can Help Save the Planet and Benefit Too

3 WAYS EVERY BUSINESS CAN HELP SAVE THE PLANET AND BENEFIT TOO 5% In just 1 year, sales of consumer goods from brands that showed a commitment to sustainability grew more than 4%. 4% 3% 2% 1% 0% Brands that didn't grew less than 1%. CONSUMERS WILLING TO PAY MORE FOR SUSTAINABLE BRANDS TODAY 2014 2013 2014 2013 66% 55% 50% WHAT DRIVES PURCHASES? 45% Company is environmentally friendly 43% Company is committed to social values 41% Packaging is environmentally friendly 41% Company is commited to the community THE WILLINGNESS TO PAY EXTRA FOR SUSTAINABILITY CROSSES GENERATIONS Almost 51% 75% 72% of baby boomers of millenials of Generation Z 1) SAVE SOME PAPER, SAVE SOME TREES, SAVE SOME MONEY Paper makes up nearly 30% of all the waste Americans throw away each year. That's more than any other material OPTIMIZE YOUR USE OF PAPER Distribute documents electronically instead of in hard copy. Select paper products Use double-sided printing and copying. Recycle paper products as much as possible, with a high recycled content. Use the paper calculator at http://c.environmentalpaper.org/home Measure the environmental Quantify the impacts of your impacts of paper paper usage Compare different grades and Discover the best DM types of paper with varying amounts of recycled content paper choices WHAT TYPES OF PAPER PRODUCTS CAN BE RECYCLED? Corrugated cardboard Magazines Office paper Newspapers Paperboard Drink boxes Junk mail Phonebooks Paper towels and toilet paper rolls Folders Books Empty paper cups Check with your local recycling center LOWER YOUR ELECTRICITY USE, LOWER YOUR BILLS The total electricity consumed by idle electronics equals the annual output of 12 power plants. 88. HOW YOU CAN SAVE ENERGY Set your computer, monitor, and other office equipment to Activate the power management features on your computer and monitor. power down when not in use. Unplug laptop power cords when not in use. Turn off equipment and lightsat the end of the day. Use power strips to make it easy to shut everything down. ENERGY STAR PRODUCTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR A VARIETY OF OFFICE EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING: Computers Copiers Printers Heating and cooling equipment Commercial Lighting appliances If all computers sold in the United States were ENERGY STAR certified, the savings would grow to: - 100,000 vehicles More than $1 billion in annual energy costs per year The equivalent of the total emissions from more than 1.4 million vehicles REDUCE YOUR COMMUTE, INCREASE YOUR POSITIVE IMPACT HOV LANE You'll be able to use If you don't have an alternative to driving, consider carpooling. high occupancy vehicles (HOV) lanes and avoid most congestion. PASSENGERS WILL HAVE MORE FREE TIME DURING THE COMMUTE Read Rest Eat breakfast EMPLOYEES WHO CARPOOL HAVE LESS COMMUTE-RELATED STRESS Improved morale Increased productivity START A CARPOOLING GROUP AT YOUR BUSINESS Create a schedule for Establish a chain of communication. Establish a method for driving responsibilities. splitting driving costs. Determine your route, schedule, morning pickup points, and other logistical details. Establish policies • Pickup times • Food and beverages in the car • Length of time the carpool should wait for riders ALLOW EMPLOYEES TO WORK FROM HOME 54% of workers say their home, not the office, is their location of choice to undertake important job-related assignments 88% say working from home would reduce their overall stress 20% of respondents would take a 10% pay cut for flexible work options 22% would be willing to forgo health benefits O 18% 18% would be willing to work more hours 82% say they would be more loyal to an employer if they had flexible work options BENEFITS OF ALLOWING EMPLOYEES TO WORK FROM HOME INCLUDE: Increased productivity Reduce turnover Improved morale eco Eco-friendliness Cost effective It's estimated that for each employee who telecommutes, a company saves about $11,000 annually. HOW CAN YOU REAP THE BENEFITS OF SUSTAINABILITY WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS? Focus on the growing interest from millennials and Generation Z Highlight brand trust and commitment to social and environmental impact to drive purchases. Create a discerning sustainability strategy. Define the social purpose of your brand and fully understand consumer expectations. Support your efforts with marketing. Every business can make a positive impact on the environment with a few easy-to-implement changes. These efforts will also benefit your reputation, your operating costs, and your bottom line. c.environmentalpaper.org drivelesssavemore.com bestworkplaces.org energystar.gov workfelxibility.com flexjobs.com nielsen.com epa.gov sba.gov buffalo.edu wm.com Brought to you by: In partnership with: SUREPAYROLL A Paychex® Company GHERGICH&Co. П 00