Going Green: It s Really Not (at) Complicated by Ren Grajales

Going green as an individual can sometimes be hard work: the composting, the carpooling, the shorter showers. So when a whole company does it-and does it well-we all notice. Think about the buzz generated by the annual lists of the greenest companies put out by Newsweek, Bloomberg, and Forbes. Consumers take note of the companies on those lists because they know just how tough it can be to maintain ecologically conscious practices.

But what if going green could be easy or, at the very least, less difficult? For many small and medium sized businesses, it could be as small a step as making the right choice about cloud backup technologies. According to a 2013 study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, U.S. businesses could reduce their IT energy expenditures by as much as 87 percent if they simply moved their software to the cloud.

Eco-friendly Document Solutions For Paper and E-files

Another way to make your business environmentally responsible is to team up with a partner who can help you:

Reduce your carbon footprint. Not all data centers are created equal. Unlike their larger counterparts, many small- and mid-sized centers waste huge amounts of energy. Find a center that is just as committed to the environment as you are.

Reuse shredded documents. Your information management partner can ensure your compliance with current federal and state information handling and disposal regulations by establishing a comprehensive and secure shredding program. Additionally, it should offer a certified recycling service. If so, don't hesitate to participate: You'll save energy and trees in the process!

Recycle your electronic media. According to a United Nations report, the world's e-waste may weigh as much as 65.4 million tons by 2017-and most of that will end up in landfills. To avoid this fate, work with a partner that can safely recycle your electronic data and equipment. Doing so will eliminate your contribution to the global junk heap, while also keeping your company safe from huge fines for improper recycling.

So even if you're not always the most eco-conscious individual at home, there's hope for you at work after all. When you choose the right information management partner, it'll be hard not to start feeling green in the best of ways.

LINK:	http://blogs.ironmountain.com/2014/service-lines/data-backup-and-recov...
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