'Green' your business and save some 'green'

By Jennifer Jacob / staff writer

May 04, 2008 12:10 am

— The City of Meridian has officially "gone green," and in addition to lessening their impact on the environment, Meridian Mayor John Robert Smith said "going green" is going to save the city a lot of money as well.
The city has asked residents to follow its lead in gaining a sense of environmental responsibility, and, Smith said, businesses can provide benefits to both the eco-systems and their bank accounts as well. He has suggested that local businesses take a look at the ways the city is "going green" and decide which of those methods might work for them.
One of the most drastic changes the city is making is its adoption of a "paperless" policy. In going paperless, the city will no longer use paper for things like time cards and purchase orders, processing them digitally instead. This may not be feasible for every business, but for ones that generate a lot of paper waste, going paperless improves their impact on the environment, and saves them money as well.
For businesses that involve a lot of driving around, especially those that use diesel fueled vehicles, making a few simple changes to the way drivers drive can reduce both harmful emissions and frightening gas bills. Seemingly small changes like a "no-idle" policy, keeping tires inflated properly, and hitting the gas and brakes more gently can drastically reduce the amount of gas used over time. When it's time to buy new vehicles, purchasing vehicles with the best gas mileage possible will wind up paying for itself, and will help lessen the price we have to pay for taking too much advantage of fossil fuels in the past.
To view the city's entire nearly 90 point "greening" plan, visit www.meridianstar.com. Odds are, you'll find some changes that will be easy for your business to make that will help the environment and save money at the same time.
Andrew Covington, a senior engineer for environmental consulting firm Eco-Systems, Inc., wrote to the Meridian Star with some additional suggestions for "greening" your business or industry.
He suggests that businesses that are planning construction consider alternative energy resources, including solar energy and geothermal technologies. Additionally, Covington suggests that businesses look into "green building design standards" like the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard. Covington's firm, Eco-Systems, Inc., specializes in engineering, planning, and environmental design, helping businesses design their buildings in an environmentally friendly way, and find environmentally friendly sites for them, and has offices in Meridian and across the Southeast.
Covington also has some pointers for businesses with pre-existing structures.
"Once a business has been constructed and is operational, there are a multitude of things that any business can do to be more environmentally responsible," he said. "Small changes such as the addition of more wall or attic insulation, replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs, and replacing manual thermostats with programmable ones that will automatically adjust during non-business hours can have significant impacts on both the environment and the business’s bottom line in savings on energy costs.
"Companies of all sizes can realize environmental benefits and improve their bottom line through consideration of issues such as waste minimization, water use minimization, and the incorporation of more efficient production processes."
Covington also suggests making recycling a priority in your business. Unfortunately, there is currently nowhere in the Meridian area for larger business to take their non-metal recyclables. Smaller businesses who generate about the same amount of waste as a residential home can, according to Waste Management Community Relations Manager Buford Clark, dispose of their recyclables in the same small recycle bin that a homeowner would use. Metal waste can be taken to Queen City Recycling, who will purchase the metal that they recycle.
Though recycling options for businesses in Meridian are currently limited, at best, there are still plenty of things businesses can do to lessen their carbon footprint. And recycling could still be an option in the future — if you are a business owner who wants to recycle, call Waste Management and let them know. Then call the city's "green team" (the green team leader is Homeland Security Director Bunky Partridge, who can be reached at the Homeland Security office).
"Going green" can save businesses a lot of money, but more than that, it can give them a sense of purpose and responsibility, knowing that they're doing everything they can to give back to the earth when they take.
"With respect to environmental considerations, the business community has a unique opportunity to lead by example," Covington said, "The primary consideration is that natural resources are finite and that we all have a responsibility to be good stewards of limited and valuable resources."