The bMighty Blog -- Green Business

Are SMBs Turning Green?

Posted by Fredric Paul Wednesday, May 21, 2008, 05:19 PM ET

A new HP survey says companies in the U.S. and Europe are paying at least some attention to green issues, at least when it comes to printer-related issues. But there's plenty of room for improvement.

In the United States, only a slight majority (58%) say that environmental factors are one of their top five printer criteria, with "energy efficiency” and the “ability to recycle/reuse” of most concern. Even fewer, (51%) have an environmentally conscious purchasing policy , and most of those are informal. Discouragingly, it seems the problem is a lack of interest, not a lack of knowledge: just 42% say more information on the environmental impacts of printers would help them go greener. And while 65% of small businesses recognized the Energy Star ratings, almost a third (28%) are unaware of any eco-ratings for products.

On the plus side, 80% of small businesses participate in paper-related “green” programs, but only 59% re-use or recycle paper and just over a third (36%) implement duplex printing. And less than half (47%) expect to expand their green efforts in the next two years.

Another encouraging sign, 60% of small businesses are influenced by vendor recycling programs when choosing a printer. Could it be that the vendors are ahead of the businesses on the green side?

Green Business

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