Be Green. Recycle, Earth Day is Wednesday.
Why are road blocks in place making it more difficult for businesses to recycle and promote “green”?
An example: At First Aid Store, many of us live in the same small North San Diego Coastal Town of Encinitas that our Facility is in. We have the same trash and recycling services at home as at the plant. At our homes, recycling bins are provided as part of the weekly service and pick up is free. At the First Aid Store building, we are charged for both the receptacle and the service. Why? This doesn’t encourage businesses to recycle. Worse, the waste and recycling service actually sorts and sells the recyclables, so they are making profit on what we have to pay them to pick up after we’ve paid more to sort and preserve. Irksome. At First Aid Store, we’ll continue doing this anyway because we believe in conservation, reduction and sustainability, but it’s a real pisser.
However, there are some other really good programs that help businesses like ours that believe in promoting a greener way to do business. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers resources to small businesses who are interested in “going green.”
As the SBA points out, there’s a new focus on environmental responsibility, and as a small business, you can make a difference and help protect our ecosystem while serving your customers who value your environmental efforts. Some ideas include:
Green Marketing - If you are already competitive in terms of price, quality and performance, adding sustainability and green marketing to your business strategy may enhance your brand image and secure your market…
Green Business Practices – Every business can make simple changes that save energy costs and natural resources. What can you do to Green Up Your Business? Read about what First Aid Store is doing in tomorrow’s post.
Green Certification and Ecolabeling – Ecolabeling is important way to market your product to green consumers and differentiate your product or service as environmentally sound. Learn more about Ecolabeling.
Environmental Grants & Loans – Use the links at SBA to help find financial resources to pay for energy efficient upgrades to your facilities, to finance your business’s innovative environmental products and technologies and more,
Green Commuting – Do you know your green commuting options? Learn more about green alternatives to your daily commute.
Learn more… read some Green Business Case Studies – Find out about a few of the most well known green business and their commitments to economic success.