“Going green” has been the new trend in recent months as businesses are altering their business plans to incorporate a green component. While the complexity of green strategies can vary, even small changes in your business and daily routine can make an impact on the environment (and your wallet!).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the world population is expanding at a mind-boggling rate, and it is estimated that the population will swell to over 9 billion by 2050. So if the world’s natural resources were evenly distributed, people in 2050 will only have 25% of the resources per capita than people had in 1950, the Go Green Initiative reports.

Go Green

So how can businesses and professionals do their part to go green? Businesses of all sizes and representing all industry sectors are being innovative and creative in their green efforts. Entrepreneur.com reports that more businesses are encouraging employees to use alternate forms of transportation to get to and from work, such as taking mass transit or carpooling with colleagues.

In addition to carpooling and taking mass transit, walking or biking to work or run errands is an easy way to go green and save money on gas. Instead of driving to client meetings, utilize video and phone conference calls. And be sure to utilize e-mail, an easy and eco-friendly communication tool.

In addition, choosing an energy efficient bulb could drastically help lower energy costs, for it can consume up to 45% of a building’s energy, reports Gersil Kay of Conservation Lighting International Ltd. Lighting has made strides in energy conservation, offering alternate lighting tools such as glass fibre optics lighting, a long lasting, energy-efficient alternative that is sophisticated and requires minimal maintenance.

Fluorescent light bulbs can replace traditional light bulbs in your home or office. “Compact fluorescent light bulbs used to be $20 a piece. Now they are competitively priced with regular bulbs, especially when you consider they last nearly 10 times as long and reduce energy use,” says Diane MacEachern, founder of BigGreenPurse.com, a website devoted to helping consumers go green. Businesses, big or small, can benefit from lighting changes to conserve energy.

Nationwide, green office space now totals 500,000,000 square feet and the building market was valued at about $7 billion in 2006, according to the U.S. Green Building Council, a Washington-based coalition of industry professionals.

The Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) reports that changing the way we design, build and operate our buildings and infrastructure is the most powerful way we can address the environmental challenges facing the city and the planet. Green buildings have value in today’s market, with a 20 to 1 return on investment, according to the PEC. Green real estate commands higher rent and green homes seller faster than conventional homes.

Businesses that go green are seeing increased savings in terms of utility costs and reducing their impact on the natural environment while benefiting on the bottom line, the Economic Development Administration reports in a recent newsletter. By using innovative forward thinking to go green, businesses and professionals alike will learn how going green is both environmentally and economically beneficial.

Product Design of Green Products

Companies such as Wal-mart and Costco have taken the initiative to go green through the product design of their goods. The superstores designed a square gallon milk jug which is cheaper to ship, the milk is fresher when it arrives in stores and it costs less.

Experts say the redesign of the gallon milk jug is an example of the changes likely to play out in the American economy over the next two decades, the New York Times reports. With higher costs for energy and materials, many products must be redesigned for greater efficiency.

Philadelphia University offers a Master of Science in sustainable design, featuring special lab and design-build courses focusing on green materials. Students will be take part in real-world, funded research projects, allowing them to connect their course knowledge with environmental and energy-efficiency challenges. Innovative degrees such as this will help lead green product design of the future.

Businesses can get help with designing green products and a company in the Philadelphia Region is helping businesses do so. MIO is a design company dedicated to creating the most sustainable and innovative design experiences in the market. Founded by brothers Jaime and Isaac Salm, MIO encourages their customers to grow into a greener, healthier, happier and more profitable future. Their design focuses on the needs of people today and aims towards the technologically advanced and responsible product experiences of tomorrow.

Jaime, Creative Director of MIO, is also serving as a judge for the “Make Some Green Competition” sponsored by Keesh Studio, a design studio in Rhode Island.

The goal of the competition is to promote upcycling by encouraging the use of wasted materials to generate innovative designs and redefine the standards of environmental sustainability by fostering balance between conservation and development. The competition will provide a stepping stone to help educate viewers of the vast opportunities and future development of environmentally friendly processes, materials and products. All entries must be sent digitally or by mail by October 1, 2008, and three entries will win media coverage of their product or process and one will win a cash prize of $1,000.

We encourage design firms within the Philadelphia Region to participate in this competition, to showcase your design ideas on how to go green.

We want to hear from you.