A few days after Earth Day every year, we understandably forget about the planet, as we go about keeping up with our busy schedules. Most of the time, we leave the eco-friendly activities to volunteers or charitable organizations. But with just a little conscious effort, we too can do our bit to care for the planet – for ourselves. Here’s a little background about Earth Day…
What is Earth Day?
Earth Day is a day observed around the world to create awareness for the Earth’s environment and to encourage conservation efforts. It was instituted in the United States in 1970 by Senator Gaylord Nelson for this purpose. Earth Day is ‘celebrated’ on 22nd April every year. It was taken international in 1990 and today, more than 500 million people in 175 countries observe Earth Day. (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day). Earth Day Network estimates that more than a billion people will participate in this year’s Earth Day. Join them!
Your small acts can make a big difference…here’s how:
- Get more information: Learn more about the our planet’s environment and why we need to protect it. Read articles, view videos and check out what real people like you have done to make our world cleaner, greener or safer to live in. Some good resources are Greening Your Business, 101 ways to conserve resources, 100 Ways You Can Save the Earth. Share your learnings with your family members, friends, neighbors, colleagues and others in your sphere of influence. Doing this will increase awareness levels among these people.
- Study environment-friendly best practices in your field: Research on ways that other small firms in your industry have adopted to go green and reduce their carbon footprint. You too could follow in their footsteps (or footprints!). Nowadays, businesses that adopt eco-friendly processes are considered progressive. You could also communicate your green initiatives to your prospects and existing customers. Customers often prefer doing business with such companies.
- Adopt the 3 R’s of conservation: Reduce your organization’s consumption of nonrenewable resources. Reuse material when you can, rather than throw it away after its intended use. Collect all material that can be recycled and send it to agencies that undertake recycling activities in your area. Learn more about the 3 R’s. Adopting these 3 R’s will help you lower your carbon footprint.
- Give paper a break! Convert your paper archives to digital formats. Scan all your current documents too. Resist the temptation to print or copy documents unless unavoidable.
- Get document management software: Small business software like Sohodox lets you scan and manage paper documents in simple ways. Not only is it eco-friendly, it is highly economical too. Read the white paper Measuring ROI on a Document Management System to learn how much.
This Earth Day you can make a determined effort to change for better the way you work. By using the tips discussed here, your firm can stand out as a progressive one, sending out positive signals to your existing as well as potential customers. Sohodox is an important tool that lets you do so.
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