Tip of the Week: 2 Ways Your Business Can Reduce Its Environmental Footprint

Technology has provided humanity with the ability to make stupendous advances in the way we live our lives. However, it has also given rise to a wasteful society that neglects old technology, tossing it to the side in favor of the latest and greatest gadgets. As you can imagine, considering the rate at which modern technology advances, this trend has proven especially difficult to break, and it’s having extremely negative effects on the environment.

We know what the solution looks like; a bunch of tech nerds talking about how to keep the environment clean. However, this situation isn’t just ironic. It’s also incredibly important to sustain the future of our planet, and to ensure that it continues to thrive for our loved ones in the future. Individually you might not feel like your actions are making a big deal, but if every business were to take green initiatives, it could make a significant difference.

To this end, here are two ways your business can reduce its environmental footprint:

Properly Recycle Unused Devices
With so many devices being manufactured every year, it’s only natural that some older devices get replaced by new ones. Normally, those who don’t know the proper way to dispose of a device will just throw it in the trash without a second thought. However, computers and other devices contain valuable metals and materials that, if not properly recycled, can have disastrous effects on the environment. These devices usually get shipped to developing countries that dismantle and acquire these materials with unsafe and unsanitary practices. This is why it’s so important to make sure that you’re properly recycling your old, dilapidated technology.

Another note on recycling your old technology: be absolutely sure that it’s been wiped of all data before committing to the recycling process. This includes hard drives in desktops, laptops, and storage in mobile devices that at one point contained sensitive information that can’t fall into the wrong hands. Simply deleting the data doesn’t cut it - there’s a chance the data could be recovered. Network Solutions Unlimited can help with this by thoroughly wiping your unnecessary technology of any important data, and disposing of it in an environmentally friendly manner.

Reduce Printing Costs
One of the greatest ways you can reduce your carbon footprint is by limiting how much paper you waste printing documents out. Your business no-doubt prints several pages worth of documents on a daily basis, but recent innovations in technology have allowed for businesses to limit their printing and decrease their overall printing expenditures.

Limiting your printing costs also has a great benefit for your budget, considering that you don’t have to invest as heavily in paper, ink, and toner. With digital file storage and signature software, you don’t need to print out documents in order to store them in your office’s physical space. This leads to less clutter, and will ultimately lead to a more organized office with fewer resources wasted.

Doing business with the environment in mind has its benefits, but only if you approach it with the necessary knowledge. Network Solutions Unlimited can help your organization approach green innovations in an organized, efficient manner. To learn more, give us a call at (217) 428-6449.