How Going Green Can Impact Your Bottom Line

In the year of 2009, the City of Fort Wayne created the Fort Wayne Green City Business Certification program. The program involved brick and mortar businesses and aimed to bring companies information about how to '˜green' their businesses by lowering energy costs, recycling, seeking alternative transportation methods for employees, employers, and clients, and replacing antiquated equipment with cleaner, sustainable equipment.

A low bar was given in order for businesses to certify. Once certified the business would receive a label from the City of Fort Wayne stating that the business was certified green.
During 2010, the City of Fort Wayne partnered with the Northeast Indiana Sustainable Business Council and the Fort Wayne Green City Business Certification Program became the Bright Green Program which will educate business along the same lines.

So, what does green certification do for your business's bottom line?

The greening of your business will look at the following areas:

1)
Waste Prevention
2)
Recycling
3)
Purchasing
4)
Energy and Water Conservation
5)
Stakeholder Involvement
6)
Transportation
7)
Operations

Each designated area is given measurable methods to reduce costs, involve employees, vendors, employer and customers in lining up their systems in a sustainable way, ways that are aimed at reducing costs while keeping clean, green values in mind.

The business must first attend a short two and one half hour seminar where they are given the materials and contacts needed to begin their journey towards sustainable business practices. Each business will have different areas that are in need of review and they are urged to develop a green team to create, develop, and implement their ideas for change.

Today, significant segments of the world population have begun to use their strong purchasing power to align their environmentally and socially responsible values with those with whom they choose to do business. When a business steps forward to make useful changes in the ways they create, transport, develop and operate their organizations, like-minded buyers step up to become their consumers. It's a win-win situation for business and our planet.

Last year, Wal-Mart set a goal of end year 2015 to meet green initiative goals such as selling $1 billion in food purchased from small and medium farmers and doubling its sale of local produce. This is just one example where a large organization with enormous purchasing power can insure a world changing shift in the world of business by lining up with sustainable business practices.

Business does not need to be afraid of learning to use sustainable practices- business needs to realize the future lies in green- whatever you perceive that color to mean.