Forbes reports that there are ways to go green and stay cost-competitive. Here are a couple of examples from the article.
Last June, Joe Nelesen, owner of a Culver's restaurant franchise in Appleton, Wis., started using leftover vegetable oil to fuel his vehicle and two tractor mowers. Nelesen spent $8,000 for a machine that converts oil to fuel. He estimates that he saves about $400 per week on diesel fuel and $100 per week in grease-removal costs at the restaurant.
In 2006, Grossman Marketing Group started purchasing renewable-energy credits from two California wind farms. The purchases added 5 percent to its energy bill, but it also attracted eco-friendly customers such as Google and Green Mountain Coffee. The result, envelope sales, which represent 45 percent of its profits, grew 20 percent in 2007.
