# 5 Ways Businesses Can Decrease Their Footprint and Save Energy

- Link: https://greenlivingguy.com/2022/05/5-ways-businesses-can-decrease-their-footprint-and-save-energy/
- Published: 2022-05-03T14:17:41-04:00
- Author: greenlivingguy

Currently, sustainability and energy has become part of our daily lives in business.
Many organizations are contemplating reducing their carbon footprint and energy 
use because both employees and customers demand sustainability when doing business.
Those businesses which cannot adapt to this will encounter significant problems 
in the future.

So whether you are a small, medium, or big business. I mean curtailing greenhouse
gas [emissions](https://greenlivingguy.com/2020/02/who-is-responsible-for-climate-change/)
must be your priority. Therefore, here are five ways to decrease your [footprint and save energy](https://greenlivingguy.com/2022/05/5-ways-your-business-can-be-more-eco-friendly/).

![](https://i0.wp.com/greenlivingguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/5-Ways-Businesses-
Can-Decrease-Their-Footprint-and-Save-Energy.jpg?resize=420%2C210&quality=52&ssl
=1)

## 1. Get an Energy Audit

An energy audit will help you understand your baseline energy use and give you a
clear guideline to [save energy at your business](https://greenlivingguy.com/2022/06/6-proven-ways-businesses-can-save-money-and-go-green/)
premises. Most electric utility companies will [provide you with a free energy](https://greenlivingguy.com/2014/01/save-energy-service-providing-efficiency-for-u-s-army-reserve/)
audit if you ask them. Therefore, they will send a professional to visit your premises
and inspect the area to check for insulation problems, air leaks, and opportunities
for installing energy-efficient equipment and lighting.

## 2. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting

Lighting your business is not cheap. Lighting alone accounts for up to 40 percent
of most [businesses](https://greenlivingguy.com/2009/08/a-bright-idea-led-light-bulbs-yield-big-savings-in-energy-mcclatchy/)‘
energy use. So if you are wise in the way you implement your lighting, you could
[save lots of money](https://greenlivingguy.com/2023/05/how-plastic-window-insulation-can-help-you-save-money-on-energy-bills/).

 * Ask your staff to switch off the lights when they’re not using the room. Although
   this sounds obvious, many people don’t practice it.
 * Switch from the traditional incandescent filament light bulbs to the modern CFL,
   LED, or halogen bulbs. Although they are a bit more costly, they last longer 
   and [save your business energy](https://greenlivingguy.com/2009/08/a-bright-idea-led-light-bulbs-yield-big-savings-in-energy-mcclatchy/).

## 3. Recycle

Recycling in your company is a straightforward [way to trim your carbon footprint](https://greenlivingguy.com/2015/04/reduce-your-carbon-footprint-best-ways/).
Recycling reduces the number of raw [materials](https://greenlivingguy.com/2022/07/sustainable-building-materials-for-a-modern-and-eco-friendly-home/)
used to make new products. For instance, recycling one tin can lets you [save enough energy](https://greenlivingguy.com/2022/04/5-ways-to-save-money-on-energy-costs/)
required to power a computer for one hour. Remember, you can recycle tin cans unlimited
times. Moreover, one ton of recycled paper protects 17 trees from being cut down
and helps [save 4,000 kWh energy](https://greenlivingguy.com/2009/08/a-bright-idea-led-light-bulbs-yield-big-savings-in-energy-mcclatchy/),
four cubic yards of land, 400 gallons of oil, and 7,000 gallons of water.

Creating recycling collections at your premises also helps enhance a [greener](https://greenlivingguy.com/2021/08/impact-of-invasive-species-on-the-environment/)
work culture. This helps boost your employees’ morale and is attractive to your 
customer base. Studies show that 73 percent of individuals want their workplace 
to improve sustainability measures, while 24 percent will turn down a [job at an organization with lousy sustainability](https://greenlivingguy.com/2025/11/green-careers-jobs-in-sustainability-for-all-levels/)
records.

## 4. Invest in Green Energy and Use Green Office Equipment

Investing in green energy and adopting [green office equipment is an excellent way](https://greenlivingguy.com/2008/11/top-10-nail-polish-is-a-great-way-to-go-green-quickly-nail-salons/)
to lower your company’s carbon footprint. Currently, many [energy providers offer](https://greenlivingguy.com/2015/05/gexpro-launches-a-new-robust-battery-energy-storage-solution-offering/)
a green tariff. Alternatively, you can set up your [renewable energy](https://greenlivingguy.com/2018/03/governor-cuomo-announces-1-4-billion-for-26-big-time-renewable-energy-projects-the-largest-single-commitment-to-renewable-energy-by-a-state-in-u-s-history/)
sources. If your business has sufficient cash, [solar](https://greenlivingguy.com/2021/01/home-solar-installation-diy-or-professional-fitter/)
panels are an excellent option.

Moreover, you can generate the [energy to power](https://greenlivingguy.com/2025/11/off-grid-power-energy-for-complete-independence/)
your computers, coffee machines, phones, and hand dryers. Using solar energy permits
you to reduce your [carbon emissions without increasing your energy costs](https://greenlivingguy.com/2025/05/cost-of-carbon-analysis-for-future-energy-policies/).

For your workspace:

 * Enable battery-saving and energy-saving modes on all your computers and mobile
   work devices.
 * Use [kitchen](https://greenlivingguy.com/2022/04/how-to-build-an-eco-friendly-kitchen-to-improve-your-homes-sustainability/)
   appliances such as dishwashers and refrigerators with a high energy rating.
 * Lower the room’s thermostat temperature. Lowering the temperature by just one
   degree will reduce your heating energy by 13 percent.

Employing a radiant barrier and other energy-saving technologies will also help 
you cut down your energy consumption by a significant margin. For example, you can
employ [QSFP28 to SFP28](https://cablesondemand.com/sfp28-cables-qsfp28-cables) 
splitter cables to transfer large chunks of data at high speeds while using less
energy.

## 5. Switch to Fully Electric or Hybrid Company Vehicles

Now is an excellent time to consider investing in a hybrid or [electric vehicles for your business](https://greenlivingguy.com/2008/05/convert-a-vehicle-to-electric-with-confidence/).
Car manufacturers are investing heavily into developing [electric car models](https://greenlivingguy.com/2015/08/electric-car-models-transforming-the-auto-industry/),
and electric cars are no longer pipe dreams. Moreover, many affordable electric 
[car](https://greenlivingguy.com/2021/03/how-to-make-your-old-beater-car-a-little-more-eco-friendly/)
models are now available, and now businesses of all sizes can own electric vehicles.
You can also lease electric cars for your company.

Passenger cars emit about 763 million metric tons of CO2 in the US alone. This does
not consider the emissions produced by fuel refineries and other related processes.
If all individuals and [businesses switch to using electric](https://greenlivingguy.com/2005/11/electric-vehicles-compelling-business-case/)
cars, this will significantly lower the country’s carbon footprint.

As a business owner, talk to your team about the environment and invite them to 
suggest how your company can help fight [climate change](https://greenlivingguy.com/2014/05/wetlands-map-for-conservation-and-development/).
This will encourage them and help get them on board with your environmental plan.
Your workforce is your best asset in your ecological efforts, and their involvement
and ideas are crucial to ensuring your [business succeed in saving](https://greenlivingguy.com/2009/08/a-bright-idea-led-light-bulbs-yield-big-savings-in-energy-mcclatchy/)
energy, reducing emissions, and recycling.

**_Author: Sheryl Wright_**

![author avatar](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/df91669667126e1290c21ee0342c386e2da19d588d4d9ca6560bd82ed59a9641?
s=300&d=monsterid&r=g)

 greenlivingguy

 The Green Living Guy, Seth Leitman is an independent power producer, a green living
expert, and Editor of the McGraw-Hill, TAB Green Guru Guides. Seth is also an Author,
Radio Host, Reporter, Writer and an Environmental Consultant on green living. The
Green Living Guy writes about green living, green lighting, the green guru guides
and more. Seth's books range from: # Build Your Own Electric Vehicle by Bob Brant
and Seth Leitman (2nd and 3rd editions) # Build Your Own Plug-in Hybrid Electric
Vehicle by Seth Leitman # Build Your Own Electric Motorcycle by Carl Vogel # Green
Lighting by Seth Leitman, Brian Clark Howard and Bill Brinsky # Solar Power For 
Your Home by David Findley # Renewable Energies For Your Home by Russel Gehrke #
Do-it-Yourself Home Energy Audits by David Findley # Build Your Own Small Wind Power
System by Brian Clark Howard and Kevin Shea # and more green living books to follow.

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