How To Go Green And Stay Cost-Competitive

How To Go Green And Stay Cost-Competitive

Melanie Lindner, 12.04.08, 06:00 PM EST

Even small businesses can do it. Here's how.

In Pictures: How To Go Green And Stay Cost-Competitive

The perception that it costs an arm and a leg to "go green" keeps plenty of small businesses (and customers) from even trying--let alone in a recession.

Sure, many eco-friendly improvements do require some initial capital. But they also can yield significant cost savings--and drive revenues--in the long run. According to a recent study of 1,146 Americans across the country by Ketchum, a Manhattan-based public relations firm, and Braun Research, a public opinion research firm based in Princeton, N.J., nearly half of all respondents said they make some effort to buy green products.

"The perception is that going green is for rich guys, but it's actually all about saving money and resources," says Charlie Szoraid, chief executive of efficiency consultancy GreenandSave in Wayne, Pa. Nor do green-related savings necessarily take years to kick in, he adds.

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Joe Nelesen buys that line. Last June, Nelesen, owner of a Culver's restaurant franchise in Appleton, Wis., started using leftover vegetable oil to fuel his Ford Excursion and two tractor mowers he uses at his other business, a golf course in the nearby town of Chilton. A machine made by Fryer To Fuel converts the oil into 40 gallons of fuel per week. Nelesen paid $8,000 for the converter but plans to make it up fast. He estimates he saves about $400 per week on diesel fuel and $100 per week in grease-removal costs at the restaurant.