Since the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught fire in 1969, (and also the 12 times it caught fire previous to that date) there has been a great interest in environmentalism. In fact, the first Earth Day occurred the next year, and anyone who’s paying attention knows that it’s a good idea to do what they can to be a good steward of our resources during our short time on the planet. But that’s far from the only reason you should consider doing whatever you can to make your next warehouse a green warehouse…or retrofit your current one to make it more energy efficient.

The fact is, the reason to make your warehouse green goes well beyond protecting our rivers from catching on fire. So, the question remains..

Why Create a Green Warehouse?

The good thing about creating an environmentally friendly warehouse is that there’s not just one good reason to do so. Here are four very good reasons to consider switching major and minor components in a warehouse to ones that will save energy.

You’ll Experience Cost Savings

The number one reason that a warehouse chooses to go green has nothing to do with the earth and everything to do with the bottom line. While building an energy-efficient building such as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified building might cost a little more at the beginning of a project, it ends up easily paying for itself with ease.

We’re not just talking about small savings, either. A little investment now can end up paying for itself exponentially. Even small investments now can reap huge benefits in the future. In some cases, the energy-efficient decisions can pay for themselves in under a year.

It Can Improve Employee Health

When most people think about a warehouse being greener, they think about energy-saving measures. But a greener building can also be better for employee health. At first, this might seem counterintuitive: A building that is more energy efficient means that it’s less likely to let certain chemicals out, such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Doesn’t that mean that the employees will be trapped inside with them? The solution is simple: use materials that don’t use VOCs. This means a more energy-efficient building and it means that fewer employees will be going home with headaches…or worse.

Okay, so let’s say that you aren’t a people person and really don’t care about how your employees are feeling. Maybe you’re more concerned about them getting their work done. Well, the fact is that an employee who’s feeling good is more likely to show up for work. They’re not only going to feel better about being there, but they’re also less likely to call in sick. Once again, having a green warehouse is a win-win situation.

Public Perception

You’ve probably noticed that many LEED-certified buildings have a plaque in the most prominent place possible, whether it’s on the inside or outside of a building. Not only are many business owners proud to tell their employees about their devotion to energy conservation, but they’re also interested in telling the public. It’s simply good PR to let people know that a space is energy efficient, because the bulk of the population understands the importance of doing so.

Such good PR can go well beyond having a plaque at the building. A company’s devotion to environmental protection can also be a marketing bragging point, whether it’s on the website, at job fairs, or on flyers. It can also be huge in business-to-business transactions, because companies want to work with other companies who have a positive public environmental image.

It’s Earth-Friendly

When we say earth-friendly, we’re not talking about the soil-covered rock that we’re floating through space on. The earth has survived much bigger problems than humanity and recovers every time..

When we say earth-friendly, we’re talking about the way in which we want to leave the planet for our children, grandchildren, and beyond. Being more responsible with the energy you use in your warehouse can play a tiny part in making sure that your descendants don’t have to deal with decade-long droughts, water wars, and constant category 5 hurricanes.

RMH Is Ready To Make You More Efficient

Now that we’ve taken a look at why you might decide to invest in a green warehouse, you’re probably wondering how you might make your warehouse — whether you’re building from scratch or retrofitting your old one — more energy efficient. That’s what we’ll be discussing in our next blog. If you can’t wait to find out, we’d love to talk with you about your green warehouse aspirations. Read more about it right here, then contact us to start talking about how you can save money and look better in the public eye by going green. When you think about it, there’s really no reason not to do so. RMH Systems is ready to help you get the most from your warehouse, so get in touch with us right here.