Three Affordable Ways to Make Your Biz Greener

Earth Day 2008 (April 22) sure was a lot different than the first Earth Day in 1970. Back then, it was a counter-culture celebration run by a bunch of hippies here in the Great Northwest.

But now?

Now it has become a mainstream event embraced by a bunch of corporations around the globe:

• At Macy'sM, a $5 donation to the National Park Foundation netted you a 20% Earth Day discount.

• DellDELL offered to plant trees for customers to offset carbon emissions.

• VerizonVZ offered tips on saving the planet.

And while all of these efforts are fine, they are no doubt equal parts good intentions and good PR. So this begs the question: How can a small business do its part, if it was so inclined, and is it even affordable to do so?

Entrepreneurs, idealistic doers that we are, are as disposed as anyone to do their part -- but only if doing so 1) won't cost too much, and 2) won't take too much time.

The good news is that making your small business greener need not be that difficult nor that expensive, and yet it can make a big difference.

Here are three ways:

1. Reduce your paper consumption: There was a time when computers were supposed to create a paperless office. Well, that sure didn't happen, did it? Paper use in offices is higher than ever.

But actually reducing the amount of paper your small business uses can have significant environmental and financial impact: Not only does it save forests and reduce landfill use, but it also saves energy and money.