Patagonia has the means and the will to prove to the rest of the corporate world that doing the right thing makes for good, financially sound business.
– Patagonia CEO and Founder Yvon Chouinard ($241 million in sales last year)While recently meeting with two Maui residents and business entrepreneurs, I covered a range of topics from recycling unsorted garbage to installing luxury lighting systems. The underlying theme explored was going green in business, while yielding profits.
The depletion of natural resources and increasing amounts of waste have created a growing worldwide focus on developing methods to deal with these problems, as well as generating movement toward achieving sustainability—meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
The never-ending waste stream is of great concern in every town, city and country in the world. Mark McMillan, long-term Maui resident and founder of Environmental Technology Associates, has created a technology to convert 100 percent of municipal solid waste, green waste and waste tires into profitable end products. This system achieves dual goals of preserving the environment, while at the same time generating profit for waste handlers.
Many countries, states and counties have adopted legislation requiring alternative processing of waste and this creates a market for products manufactured from recycled materials. Proactively converting waste into resources benefits everyone.
Going green for a business can be passive, as well. In speaking with Jon Sandberg, general manager of Art and Automation, a company that, among other things, specializes in energy management and lighting controls, I learned that there are many passive ways a business can conserve energy. Did you know that simply installing a solid-state dimmer in place of an old fashioned light switch automatically reduces your electrical consumption by 5 percent and extends the life of your bulb? If you use that same dimmer turned down only 10 percent, the iris in your eye will adjust and perceive virtually no loss in total ambient light while reducing your electricity consumption by 13 percent and doubling the life of your bulbs. Throw in a simple control system and some occupancy sensors and empty rooms can turn themselves off! A properly installed lighting control system can save a company as much as 25 percent in energy costs every year. That’s like getting three months of electricity for free.
Try incorporating green into your business and enjoy the benefits of saved money and increased profits—your business can be profitable and environmentally friendly. This is wise business.
Chevy Tharp is regional vice president, Hawaiian Islands and Western U.S., for Meridian Business Brokers & Meridian Group Hawai‘i. Tharp is an international business consultant and business broker who specializes in helping people buy, sell and improve businesses. He welcomes you to contact him at chevy@mghawaii.com or (808) 268-6131.