The importance of “Going Green” as a business today, is paramount. Aegis Capital believes that most citizens of today’s world would agree that producing less waste is a good thing, whether in one’s personal or business life. As a managing director at Aegis Capital Corp., Anthony Lapadula has often shared his thoughts on the matter with colleagues. Anthony’s leadership at Aegis Capital has led to increased participation in reducing Aegis’ carbon footprint as we all move into the third decade of the 21st Century. In this article, Anthony shares with us some simple ways that all employees can participate in, to reduce waste and reduce our carbon footprint, as well as the benefits that they can bring.
E-mail: It should go without saying, that e-mail is a common usage of modern-day businesses. However, it often surprises us to hear how often communications are enacted by the typical “snail mail,” or written notes between colleagues within the same office. The benefit of using e-mail comes two-fold for users. First, there is a record of the communicative transaction that occurs between both parties. The receiver, if checking their e-mail regularly, can’t argue that they had never received the message created for them. Second, we get to reduce the paper waste that occurs between both parties, whether it is as small as a post-it note, or as large as a scrap of 8×11 paper.
Water Dispensing Systems: In our offices, we employ water dispensing systems. While it may seem customary for many businesses to offer bottles of water to both employees and visiting customers as a courtesy, water dispensing systems offer both cost savings to the business as well as a reduction in plastic pollution and waste produced by that business. We see this one as a win-win!
Paperless Options: If you are in the financial industry like we are, it might be largely beneficial to offer customers or clients the ability to opt into paperless options for their record keeping. As we move into the digital and cloud age even further, these practices are becoming largely more acceptable to customers, and as stated above, could even mean benefit to your business’s bottom line. No matter the industry you are in, a paperless option is probably available for you when supplying records to your clients. A little bit of research could reveal some attractive options.
Getting Ahead of Upcoming Legislation: Many of us in the New York and Tri-State area have seen cuts on the use of plastic and styrofoam that are associated with the food industry. The requirements for cut back in these areas come from legislation passed into law. It can only be assumed that more industries and businesses will be required to become compliant with “greener” practices as time goes on. It’s hard to argue that environmental waste concerns are not on the minds of many people across the globe. Enacting policies within your own company that are green-friendly can be a good way to put the best foot forward and show that your business is both setting a good example for others and willing to make changes that are largely healthier for the overall environment before it becomes required by law.
Cost Savings: From a bottom-line perspective, the more paper we print, the more post-it notes that we waste, the more costly it becomes to the business’s bottom line. If your business only employs a few individuals, it may be easy to cough these practices up to “tradition” and overlook the costs. However, if your business employes multiple hundreds or even thousands of individuals, these costs can really begin to add up over time. Not only is a cut in waste beneficial to your businesses appeal to a larger audience, but it is also a very effective way to cut costs. This is something that we hope most small business owners reading this article will consider.
No matter what industry your business is positioned in, reduction of waste is always possible. We’d like to challenge our employees, customers, and readers to think about how they might be able to reduce waste in their lives, and make this great planet one that future generations will be happy to inherit.