As businesses, being conscious of such environmental needs simply add more sense of trustworthiness to consumers as well as in being socially responsible to their impact on Mother Earth. With the whole climate change and global warming talks gaining momentum, most people these days are very much aware of the need to conserve water, to recycle, to reduce carbon footprint, and to look for sustainable solutions. It is easy to see that living or doing business without a care for its impact to the environment make a product or service too far out to the current realities of the world.

Yes, being environmentally-friendly is good business. Aside from giving back to the environment, operating via eco-friendly means generate a culture of responsibility and selflessness proven to be endearing to conscious consumers. Apart from the benefits enjoyed, there are also important lessons to learn from becoming a “green business.”

1. Being environmentally friendly develops a sense of frugality to a business. Using LED lighting, for instance, drastically cut electricity bills and maintenance costs to a half. Other efforts like turning off the light or heating units when not in use or decreasing the number of air-conditioned units to utilize do not only cut carbon footprints but help the business save a lot of operation cost, too. Using emails and cloud platforms are also eco-friendly ways of saving paper, storage, and maintenance cost. Definitely, the effort of making one’s business “green” helps eliminate wasteful spending.

2. Your health and that of the rest of the planet is of utmost significance. In the drive to instill an eco-friendly culture for a business, you are actually supporting good health of the planet, everyone in your company, and the future generation. Cutting down on your carbon footprint will ultimately create a domino effect to your own life. You and your employees—and your families—will find your own selves engaging in such actions even in your daily lives. From eating healthy to recycling your waste to cutting on fuel dependency and using the equally eco-friendly stuff at home, you are indirectly promoting a healthier way of living.

3. Engaging in a green business allows you to be more open-minded and compassionate. It will change your outlook on life. You will begin to see the beauty of sourcing out supplies from local producers and, in effect, create a positive domino effect in the community where the business thrives. Such efforts also open opportunities for you to join a cause or an advocacy relevant to the business.

4. Crafting a green objective for your business will allow you to collaborate with others leading to productive efforts in keeping Earth a much better place to live. For instance, you can donate recycled cans and bottles from your restaurant to a group that builds homes using such materials.  Such change in mindset will allow you to put more value in everything about your business.

5. Being an environmentally friendly business allows you to realize that there is more to business than just earning the big bucks. Without a doubt using LED lights or recycling will lower your operational cost buffing-up your profit margin but beyond that, you begin to realize how your actions or inaction will greatly impact wildlife and the rest of humanity. Environmental conservation does not have any limitations or saturation points. No matter what positivity you give back to the environment and the living things thriving therein, the more remarkable things will also happen.

Without a doubt, the thought of engaging in green business by consuming less and recycling more allow you the biggest opportunities to learn. It will create a domino effect creating a huge impact not just on how you operate your business and influence buying decisions of your consumers but also ongoing through your personal day to day living as well as that of your employees. In doing so, this will also be passed down to your family, your employee’s family, your friends, business partners, the community where you thrive—raising a certain level of consciousness to make this world a little better.