Being a green Worcester business makes good dollars and sense

Last week the Worcester company Saint-Gobain was tapped with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star Sustained Excellence Award for the second year in a row. The manufacturer and producer of products and materials for economical and energy-efficient buildings employs 1,300 people at our local plant. The EPA cited energy efficiencies established by Saint-Gobain last year that resulted in a 3.6 percent reduction in energy intensity and the elimination of 116,063 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

As a new entrepreneur in your business formation and planning stages, ensuring your company’s environmental compliance is a must. Beyond that, it’s also prudent to consider ways your company can become environmentally sound for the future. Not only is it a wise public relations move for your community and neighbors, but being an environmentally friendly business also attracts younger generations of employees who want to work for companies that take this issue seriously. There may also be tax credits and grants available to you through your local planning or business organizations.

Establishing your company’s enviro-friendly policies not only means meeting all of the regulatory requirements, but insisting that your joint venture partners, vendors, manufacturers and entire supply chain do too. Ensure that all your business contracts define your green goals and expectations; and hold your partners, affiliates or franchises accountable if they do not meet them.

Of course, being green does not just apply to your company’s operating and energy efficiencies. It also includes land uses, soil and groundwater protection, and staying abreast of your local, state and federal regulations. Doing so will help ensure your company’s economic and environmental success for years to come.

Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette, “Saint-Gobain earns award,” March 11, 2012