Tampa Bay CEO Magazine

It's Easier Than You Think to "Go Green"

By Andrew Cohen
CEO of Vertical IT Solutions


Andrew Cohen There's no question that environmental responsibility is important. But many small and medium sized business owners are scratching their heads as to where to begin to "go green." One worry centers on cost. It's easy for large corporations with big budgets to hire consultants and devote funds to sustainability initiatives. But what about the rest of us?

The fact is that you can reduce your business' harmful environmental impact and save hundreds or thousands of dollars each year by following these five simple low or no cost steps:
  • Contact your utility provider for a free energy audit. Both Progress Energy and TECO offer this service to business customers. Company representatives will evaluate energy consuming equipment at your business and recommend ways you can reduce consumption and use energy more efficiently. Would you rather keep paying more each month on your power bill? No way.

  • Replace all light bulbs in your office with CFLs. You've seen those funny looking swirly bulbs in stores. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) may cost a bit more than regular light bulbs, but your investment on the front end will pay dividends down the line for both your business and the environment. You can save one metric ton of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions each year simply by swapping 5 standard light bulbs for 5 energy saving ones. CFLs use 75% less energy than a normal bulb and can last up to four years.

  • Turn off monitors and other equipment versus leaving on standby. Next time you're away from your desk for a considerable length of time, switch off your computer monitor. If 20 people followed suit, you could save over two pounds of CO2 in one hour. Using an energy saving light bulb over four days instead of a standard 100 watt bulb will also save the same amount. The savings and positive environmental impact add up quickly. Performing backups efficiently at days' end and turning off all office computers at night would save one metric ton of C02 output in 40 weeks for an office with 50 employees. And the electric bill would shrink significantly as well.

  • Replace outdated computer equipment with energy saving machines and LCD monitors. We're amazed at how many companies we visit that still have old CRT monitors sitting on desktops. If you've avoided upgrading your equipment to save money, you may actually be paying more in electricity to run these power suckers. Not only do LCD monitors provide geometrically perfect, distortion-free images that are much easier on your eyes, they require one-third the power of a CRT terminal for the same screen area size.

    In addition, the amount of heat generated by an LCD monitor is considerably less than a CRT monitor, resulting in a lower load on air conditioning. Building cooling needs can decrease by up to 20% just by replacing all those old monitors! Because of their lower power usage, LCD monitors, when used with uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), provide precious extra minutes to store critical data and shut down gracefully in the event of a power failure.

    And best of all for the environment, LCD monitors are essentially emission-free, while a CRT monitor can generate electric, magnetic and even X-ray emissions due to the high-voltage power supply necessary to drive the CRT. An LCD causes no electromagnetic interference. Hardware manufacturers such as Dell and HP have recently announced commitments to manufacture their hardware in a more environmentally responsible manner. Check out the policies of computer equipment manufacturers when you are contemplating your next equipment purchase or look for the ENERGY STAR seal.

  • Recycle your Old Equipment. Proper disposal of old computers, cell phones, and other office equipment is a seriously important environmental concern. CRT monitors, when improperly disposed, are downright toxic. Each color monitor contains, on average, four to five pounds of lead, which the EPA considers hazardous waste. Computers also contain other hazardous materials such as mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium.
If the equipment is still serviceable, consider donating it. Area organizations such as the Boys & Girls Clubs and Computer Mentors are always in need of desktops, laptops, printers and other machines for education and training of local youth. You can help kids in your community and get a tax deduction as well.

Alternatively, you can dispose of your equipment safely by contacting a computer recycling firm such as Tampa's Creative Recycling Systems. Talk about a good business - Creative Recycling's Jon Yob was named Ernst & Young's 2007 Entrepreneur of the Year for Florida!

While Kermit the Frog may not have found it easy, it's a cinch for businesses of all sizes to be green. Start by focusing on efficiencies - cost and environmental - and you'll save plenty of green as well.

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