Get Inspired by National Green Week Starting February 4th

This year, National Green Week kicks off February 4-8 but you can choose any week from Feb. 4 through April 30 to participate. Sponsored by the Green Education Foundation (GEF), participants are invited to take part for any week between February 4 and the end of Earth Month in April, in focused lessons, projects or activities on one of GEF’s sustainability focused programs. GEF is a national non-profit organization committed to creating a sustainable future through education.

All National Green Week sustainability programs are free and although they are designed to engage school districts, classrooms or youth groups, environmentally-minded small businesses can just as easily get in on the action.

The various sustainability themes include the following:

• Green Energy Challenge
• Green Thumb Challenge
• Waste Reduction Challenge
• Sustainable Water Challenge
• I Ride Green
• Green Building Program

Going green may seem like a trendy thing to do — but it can be much more than a gimmick because it offers many benefits to small business owners as well as for the planet. A green workplace reduces unnecessary waste and creates a healthy environment for employees.

You can save money by improving your business efficiency reducing unnecessary waste! There are so many things you can do that will cut down your operating costs — from simple ideas to more complex. Consider the following ways to go green and save:

• Turn off lights in vacant offices
• Reduce your printing needs, lessen paper consumption and lower the budget spent on printing materials.
• Refilling printer ink cartridges instead of throwing them away. This practice also reduces the amount of plastic cartridge and packaging waste.
• Consider incorporating a hybrid vehicle program for employees and save money on fuel prices when refunding employee mileage.

When you improve the workplace by using only green cleaning supplies, the reduction of chemical-based cleansers will help your employees breathe easier in a healthier environment. This is especially beneficial to any employees who suffer from respiratory or other health-related conditions.

The health of the environment is at the core of going green but it may also offer small businesses legal and tax advantages. The public response is another side benefit to green initiatives. As they gain in popularity, companies that are incorporating green technology and sell green products are seeing a gain in profits.

Merchant Express® endorses National Green Week. We have provided merchant account services and credit card processing solutions to over 500,000 businesses since 1998.  Contact a knowledgeable Merchant Express representative to discuss the variety of ways you can accept credit and debit cards in your unique business.