Reduce, Reuse, Recycle . . . Sound familiar? Probably. Taught in our schools and mentioned in countless books and magazines, the three R’s are rapidly becoming a battle cry, calling us to take much better care of our planet. It is nothing less than a global cause.
However, could it mean even more to your business?
I know . . . if you are like most banks, going “Green” may not be at the top of your how-do-I-save-my-business list. Understandably so, but can we dismiss considering the possibilities.
To set your mind at ease, we are not talking landscaped roofs, wind turbines, and rainwater harvesting, at least not yet.
We are talking about one of the business basics--saving money. By saving it, we have it to grow the business. And, since we are following the three R's, there is the added benefit of reducing our carbon impact on the world around us. We can actually strengthen the bottom-line and the earth at the same time, without going exotic.
The principles are simple: reduce where you can; reuse what you can; and recycle, recycle, recycle.
Let’s look at some examples:
Reduce
- Reduce branch square footage through redesign, stressing space efficiency and multi-use.
- Reduce staffing through applied technology, off-site assistance, and manpower optimization.
- Reduce utility and material costs through easily implemented conservation techniques.
- Value engineer your projects and spend the money where it will do the most good—be tough.
- Purchase off-the-shelf where possible.
Reuse
- Think modular and reusable instead of custom and one-off.
- Think moveable instead of fixed-in-place.
- Recondition something old or used, instead of purchasing new.
- Multi-use as much as possible to spread the cost and reduce waste.
- Utilize anything that is underutilized.
- Before you purchase anything, consider all the ways it can be used, reused and sold when you’re done.
Recycle
- If something is not being used, re-purpose or re-process it.
- If you do not need it, sell or give it to someone who does.
- Consider the life-cycle value of a purchase before spending the money.
This certainly is not a complete list and represents only a few ideas out of thousands. Your job, guided by the three R’s, is to find the specific policies that work for you and your organization.
Bottom-line--follow the three R’s; let everyone contribute; develop a plan; and work it.
