By Brad Roderick

It’s no surprise to today's manufacturer that competition is increasing, margins are eroding and it just seems like no matter what product or service you provide, a big percentage of your relevant market will consider it a "commodity."

To differentiate yourself from all of the other competitors in your field, and regardless of your industry, there are many ways (or there will be soon) to use the "green movement" as a way to increase your competitiveness, your unique position, your prices and your margins.
For instance, take suppliers of earth-friendly cleaning supplies. They are rewarded with higher prices compared to traditional suppliers.

Before you get trapped into believing that "being green" is a major investment or revolves
solely around your product or service offering, take a more holistic look at your business. Regardless of the product you manufacture, chances are there is some low-hanging fruit ripe for the picking.

Special “Green” Offers
Take a look at the products and services you offer. Can they be "greened" up? Or, can your customers help you achieve your “green” goals? Offer attractive discounts for bulk orders to avoid the one-off orders here and there. Implement recycling programs with your customers. Some manufacturers offer to pick up used wooden pallets and reels from customers to repurpose the materials. And, you may consider changing your packaging to a more earth-friendly material. More box suppliers now offer SFI (Sustainable Forestry Initiative®) and/or FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified box materials that use the highest available content of recycled material.

No More Catalogs
How much paper do you use? Manufacturers and distributors are coming around to using technology in place of catalogs, but it’s a slow process. The tendency is to have mounds of printed collateral materials that are out of date long before they were printed and are probably still sitting on the shelves. It’s time to replace these with electronic catalogs and e-commerce. Your customers and sales department will adapt; and you and the environment will save in the long run. Keep in mind that if you make an environmental statement, yet print truckloads of printed materials, your message to both your customers and your own people will come under scrutiny. Nothing sells better than walking your talk.

Speaking of your environmental statement, create one for your company. It doesn't
have to be anything fancy, just a statement to your company's environmental stewardship goals. Share it with employees and give them the opportunity to join the effort.

Saving Energy
There are some, other, fairly practical things you can do to help your manufacturing company green itself up. Start by taking a walking tour of your facility and audit the way you use energy. What kind of lighting do you use? Lighting represents about 40 percent of the energy consumption in commercial buildings. Consider switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs to maximize efficiencies. In some cases, you may qualify for unique tax deductions thanks to the Energy Policy Act of 2005.

Are machines and computers shut down when not in use? Turn off, and in some cases, unplug machines to save energy and money.

Do you offer ride-share programs for employees? Environmental experts say leaving a car at home two days a week will reduce CO2 emissions by 1,590 pounds a year. Consider offering incentives such as free lunch coupons to nearby restaurants for ride-share employees. Does your sales team spend hours on the road calling on customers? Think about video conferencing instead of traveling the distance. Affordable web-based conference programs such as Skype are now available. What about company vehicles? Consider hybrids or revise delivery routes to reduce your company’s carbon footprint.

Recycle It
Are you recycling? Set up recycle bins in your facility for employees to recycle paper, aluminum and plastic. Do you serve bottled water? Forget it—bring back the water cooler! Water bottles are a major contributor to waste in our landfills. Paper plates and disposable utensils? Replace them with corn-based disposables or better yet, wash and reuse silverware.

With an investment of less than 60 minutes, you can probably come up with 10 actionable environmental improvements.
 
And lastly, but most importantly, be honest and find every opportunity you can to tell and show your passion to improving the planet. The next time someone asks you what you do, you can say, "We're hard at work making the planet a better one for our children and their children... and we do that by (whatever traditional value you offer).

And don't forget one of the side benefits of going green, the majority of the changes you make will not only attract new customers, it will save you money!

Brad Roderick is the executive vice president of InkCycle, an ink and toner cartridge remanufacturer based in Lenexa. You can reach him at (913) 894-8387 or .