7 Companies that Are Innovating By Going Green

7 Companies that Are Innovating By Going Green

The push to go green no longer serves as a mere marketing gimmick. It is fast becoming the only way to remain relevant in the future business environment. More and more companies are realizing this and as a result, the race towards the green horizon has kicked off in earnest. As such, companies are seeking better and more creative ways to incorporate eco-friendly practices into their operations. Without further delay, here are 7 companies who have adopted creative measures in the push towards a green future:

1. Wal-Mart

Undeniably the most controversial name on the list, Wal-Mart has made notable strides to position itself in the first wave of companies that are going green. Being the world’s largest retailer, the company has attracted the eye of the public and its competitors in its strict bid to cut off suppliers whose production methods result in huge carbon emissions. Furthermore, the retail store chain employs the use of 100% renewable energy sources in every one of its stores. The massive company has also tweaked with its transport system dramatically, doubling the fuel efficiency of its entire fleet of distribution trucks. Wal-Mart has no doubt enjoyed the beneficial side of switching to environmental practices due to the cost-saving nature of conservation.

2. McDonald’s

The world’s largest fast food chain going green is not something most of us envisioned, especially considering the not so healthy effects of fast foods on our bodies. Nevertheless, the golden M stands tall and proud in this march towards a sustainable future, and they are doing it in style. McDonald’s push to be more energy-efficient has seen a decline of 25% in energy wasted during their operations. It has set up new “green” restaurants whose biggest talking points probably are their parking lots, which have reserved slots for hybrid vehicles. The parking spaces are made of permeable concrete that recharges the vehicle and cleans groundwater.On to a more humane side, McDonalds have reformed to kinder ways of obtaining their products from animals, working closely with PETA to ensure that they do not annihilate animal habitats in the process.

3. Bank of America

In just a span of 5 years, Bank of America cut down on its paper requirements by 32% despite the fact that their customer base continued to grow exponentially within this period. This admirable feat of environmental awareness was succeeded by the initiation of an internal recycling program, which recycled 30,000 tons of paper annually, effectively conserving approximately 200,000 trees. The company was very serious about enforcing green practices, doing as much as offering a 3,000$ cash-back reward to employees who made the switch to hybrid vehicles.

4. Google

Google is not an unexpected entry in this list of bigwigs trying to push boundaries in the surge to go green. We have already had a taste of what the world’s leading search engine is capable of and they do not pull punches when it comes to energy conservation. Google has built the world’s most energy efficient data centers. Furthermore, it has advocated for the use of renewable energy sources, purchasing and installing solar panels and windmill farms. The number of clean-energy projects Google has invested in are innumerable, and it looks like they are only getting started.

5. Pizza Fusion

They are considered pizza superheroes because they are on a mission to “save the earth one pizza at a time”. Pizza Fusion embraces the efforts to conserve the earth by offering a fully organic menu. Furthermore, they integrate eco-friendly practices into their day-to-day practices by purchasing hybrid vehicles to make their deliveries. They also cut down on energy costs by utilizing the heat from their ovens to heat up rooms, effectively cutting down on costs in the process. They encourage their customers to recycle by offering a discount for every pizza box returned.

A pizza fusion restaurant

6. Honda Motor Company

The auto-manufacturing titan has made enormous strides in customizing their vehicles to be more fuel-efficient. They also had wide variety of hybrid vehicles long before they became a social standard for those who thought themselves to be environmentally conscious. Honda has tinkered with different types of alternative fuels in a bid to make hydrogen-based vehicles and increase their overall fuel efficiency. Simply put, they have always been ten steps ahead in setting the pace towards the green revolution.

7. Starbucks

The world-class coffee shop has committed to making its practices more eco-friendly in a number of ways. A number of measures to enforce this have been put in place, including the implementation of their bean-to-cup approach and the clever utilization of recycled coffee grounds to make tables. Starbucks is slowly but surely taking the plunge with their subtly executed environmental initiatives.

Starbucks store at Disneyland, Orlando. Made with 100 percent energy-efficient LED lighting; reclaimed oak, maple and other materials used throughout the store; community tables made from salvaged trees; a green roof consisting of hundreds of lemon grass plants.

The turn of the century has witnessed a more aware human being taking notable strides towards conserving the environment we live in. Going green doesn’t have to be the ultimate goal for only the largest companies. There are many energy suppliers such as Josco Energy company and Ecotricity that are coming towards helping small businesses and startups to create a greener environment. It’s only a matter of time before green practices become integrated by companies as a necessary constitution of every business operation instead of a marketing and cost-saving strategy.