We all know that global warming is a problem – we hear about it every time there is a big storm or somewhere gets flooded. What everyone seems to agree on is that we all need to do our bit to help reverse the effects, and that includes the business community.

The good news is that helping to reverse global warming can also save your company money.  At eCO2 Greetings we are passionate about our own Christmas ecards for business being so great for money saving and the environment but we are also happy to advocate other green products and services.

Here are 5 simple things you can do to cut down your carbon footprint and make this a better world to live in:

Get energy efficient lighting: There are a wide range of eco-friendly lights on the market now, including LEDs, which can help cut down your bills and make your office more energy efficient. Investing in occupancy sensors, which can tell whether the office is empty and automatically switch off the lights, can also save you money.

Switch things off: Many businesses leave machinery on that could be turned off when not in use. The photocopier is a prime example. It uses a large amount of electricity but often sits in the corner of the office doing nothing. Even in power save mode, it is using valuable energy. Keeping it off and batching items to copy in one go can make a big difference to your power usage, save money and reduce your carbon footprint.

Cut down on paper: We live in a digital age and many things can now be accomplished by computer. Do you really need to send that hard copy promotional mail out or can you do it better with an e-mail campaign? When the festive season comes around, rather than sending out a stack of cards to your clients and customers, why not consider holiday ecards for business. They are a cheap and personal way of getting your Yuletide message across without having an unwanted impact on the planet.

Consider changing your heating: Having a computerised thermostat control for your office heating can cut your emissions quite considerably. Turning the dial down by just 1 degree can offer major savings. If you have an old boiler system, consider investing in one of the new, energy efficient models – the initial cost will be outweighed by the savings you could make over the next four or five years.

Get your staff involved: Making it a joint effort can often bring added benefits. Your staff may come up with energy saving ideas that you haven’t thought of – reducing their own wastage to add to your own. Ensure that you recycle as much as possible and make sure you have clearly labelled recycling bins so people know where to put things.

If you are not sure how to reduce your impact on the environment then you can find lots of resources online. An organisation like whatsmycarbonfootprint.com can give you helpful advice on a wide range of areas where you can cut down, save money and, more importantly, help save the planet.

Whether you are going to revamp your heating system or are sending out Holiday e cards for business rather than hard copy ones, it all adds up – and the more of us that do that, the more chance we have of reversing the effects of global warming.