According to a report by BBMG, 77% of consumers agree they “can make a positive difference by purchasing products from socially or environmentally responsible companies.” Unfortunately, today fewer small business owners (37%) are taking steps to show their customers they are environmentally friendly than was the case two years ago (47%), a survey by Gallup found.

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Greening your business is not only one of the latest marketing trends, but it’s also a smart move, especially during an economic downturn. Charlie Szoradi, president of GreenandSave.com, offers these three tips to lessen your carbon footprint and save your business some money:

1. Correctly set the thermostat. Heating and cooling account for about 40% of an office’s energy costs. Save 10% using an automatically adjusting programmable thermostat that leaves the office cooler in the winter and warmer in summer at nights and brings the office to the right temperature just before employees arrive in the morning.

2. Reduce your paper use. The average U.S. office worker uses 1.5 pounds of paper each workday. With paper averaging $0.88/lb., that adds up to $330 per employee in paper costs per year. Avoid printing emails unnecessarily, and if possible, make some office forms strictly electronic.

3. Replace tube lighting with LEDs. Take a quick look around your ceiling and you can see the money leaving the building. Lighting accounts for 21 percent of an office’s energy costs. LEDs, though more expensive up front, last 10 times longer than compact fluorescents and 100 times longer than incandescent bulbs, and cost significantly less than both to operate.

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