4 eco-friendly IT practices that can improve your business.
When it comes to business and the environment, many of us feel torn. We want to follow eco-friendly practices, but we also have a company to run. How can we make environmentally-conscious decisions while also maintaining a competitive edge?
The good news is that, in many ways, running a more eco-friendly IT department is just good business. That’s because environmentally-friendly practices are usually more efficient, particularly when it comes to energy cost. Here are four green IT practices that can also save your budget.
1. Set your computers to power down at night.
While many businesses leave their equipment on standby, computers, printers, scanners, and other technology still consumes power in these modes. You can reduce energy consumption during off hours by programming your computers to shut down on a schedule. In fact, you can tie it in with your software update schedule. Your computers will have to restart afterwards anyway, so why not leave them off till morning?
2. Maximize your equipment life cycle.
When is it time to retire old technology and invest in the latest advancements? In terms of making an environmentally-friendly decision, you have two factors to consider. The first is the ecological impact of manufacturing new devices. Constantly replacing equipment takes a toll on the environment, and on your business’s bottom line.
On the other hand, old technology tends to be less energy efficient. This means that upgrading your office hardware to take advantage of these improvements can cut down on your energy consumption and reduce your carbon footprint. Replacing equipment at the end of its life cycle with more energy-efficient models can help you manage a healthy budget.
3. Recycle old hardware.
Many states have legal requirements for disposing of old technology which are designed to prevent some of the valuable materials in old equipment from winding up in a landfill. But even without these requirements, recycling comes at little cost to your business, and can help clear old equipment out of your office. Just make sure you dispose of your hardware safely so that you don’t compromise any of your corporate data.
4. Promote your eco-friendly efforts.
Many consumers appreciate working with businesses that go the extra mile to reduce their environmental footprint. In that case, you can demonstrate your commitment to running a green business by working with partnering with renewable energy companies or working with other green technology business. These businesses are often no more expensive than their non-green counterparts, and they establish your green credentials with your consumer base.
Green IT practices can help your business as well as the environment.
Many businesses have to balance eco-friendly IT practices against serving the needs of their customers. If it is critical for your business to have all systems running 24-7-365, then you can only cut your energy bill so much. And certain system redundancies may mean like a waste of resources, but they’re also the backups to your backups that ensure nothing goes down, even in an emergency.
However, many of the eco-friendly practices we listed aren’t just good for the environment, they also help you run a healthier business. Saving energy and getting the most out of your technology make your business more efficient. Well call that a win-win.
