The reasons to go green are often pitched as necessary changes for the continued existence of the world with growing populations and pollution. While not wrong, going green often comes with a stigma of raising costs of business, and in an unstable economy it can seem dangerous to go through any dramatic change in doing business.

Here are some examples of ways going green can save you money and be good for business, all while helping the environment.

Any PR is Good PR, but Positive PR is Better PR

While it may seem like a bad way to think about going green, the fact is that it can easily turn into a great marketing campaign. Many people today are interested in supporting efforts to go green, and are likely to be supportive of companies that make the effort to do so.

In the case of growing markets like holistic food and services, people are even willing to pay higher premiums for this improved environmental consciousness. A quick note to a local news agency about how your business is going green might result in some free advertisement with a headline that will attract more attention than just another advertisement.

Solar Energy Can Earn You More Profit

Small businesses like restaurants can have dramatically higher power bills than a residential home of comparable size. Proper lighting is necessary through every portion of the building, and heating and air conditioning bills are higher due to increased traffic in and out of the building, as well as more occupants. A business office will have the same concerns. This makes investing in a solar photovoltaic system a great idea for going green for businesses.

There are many websites that will provide information on the investment costs of the system, the size of the system you will need, and include information on all the rebates and incentives available for installing the service. One of these incentives is a 30% federal tax credit for your business, which can easily clear 5 digits for commercial systems.

If you can produce more energy than your building uses, you can even sell it back to the power company. A typical solar system will pay for itself in around 10 years, and the average lifespan of the systems is over 25 years.

Reusability Can Mean Reduced Costs

If something is designed to last longer, it usually means it costs more, both monetarily and environmentally. The caveat to this is that, when compared to disposable options, there is more physical waste produced overall. The problem is not a simple one to decipher, but there are ways to include more reusability without hurting your wallet.

For example, bags and containers used for take-out food are a large contributor to many household’s trash production. Many companies also offer rewards for frequent customers, and reusable products are a great way to incorporate this practice.

If you provide a reusable bag for carrying your products in, and have your cashiers mark it in an easily identifiable way on every visit the customer makes, you can encourage customers to return, go green, and even create a new advertisement if the customer uses the bag in other situations.

Green Can Make Green

These are not the only ideas for being green and turning a profit. Many ideas will also not be obvious to someone not dealing with your business specifically. Keeping an eye out for ways to go green is a great service to yourself, your customers, and your wallet.

About The Guest Author:   Justin McGenity is a freelance writer with a focus on technology, science, math, and education. He is a contributor to DegreeJungle, a resource for college students and future entrepreneurs.

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