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"Going green" is no longer a fad, it is a necessity which is here to stay. Global warming is not a distant threat, high energy prices are always a possibility given our country's dependence on foreign oil, the consumption of our natural resources are ever-increasing and the landfills are piling up. Apart from being absolutely essential, being environment-friendly has its ups too. It saves your company money and in these days of economic crisis, nothing could be better. But there's more, being green gives your company a socially-responsible yet trendy image as any Public Relations specialist will tell you.

Here's a list of things which could help your business:

Paper - Limit the use of paper to only when absolutely necessary. Use the mail and the digital network for communication purposes. Always print both sides of a page. Also, you can make use of the blank side of print-outs for scribbling purposes. That way you can save on writing pads.

Printer - Paper brings us to the printer. Invest in a printer which can be set to print on both sides of the paper. Put up some posters about recycling near the printer so that people are reminded to reduce, reuse and recycle. Invest in earth-friendly ink and a multi-function printer, the kind that can scan, send faxes and photocopy as well. They minimize hardware usage and thus, energy.

Copier Paper - If possible, buy copier paper with a minimum of 30 percent post-consumer recycled content.

Virtualizing your data centre - Everything from your networks, servers, applications and storage can be virtualized. This in turn reduces your hardware requirement which means you use lesser number of machines. Fewer machines generate less heat and you end up saving on your air-conditioning bill. If required, you can go for a trial run to check the benefits of virtualization for your business.

Tele-commuting - Ultra-portable laptops, smart phones and hands-free headsets have made virtual Fridays a reality. Avoid rush-hour traffic and work from the comforts of your home once a week. The office can save on power and you can save on fuel and commute-time. Also, less traffic on the roads will mean less pollution.

Video-conferencing - Why pay those extra dollars on flights and cabs when you can have a meeting with anybody from any corner of the world? You save on fuel, ticket-prices, cab-fares and most importantly, time. With the latest technology you can video-conference via applications which can be downloaded from websites

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