When Marcie Spence comes to work, she brings plastic bottle caps collected at home and puts them in a special recycling collection bin. In the breakroom, the coffee stir sticks are wood, not plastic.

When she stops at the printer, a label asks Spence, “Do you really need it printed in color?” When she looks through the company messages on her computer, there’s no printing out of e-mails. Instead, messages and documents are on an electronic Intranet system that discourages paper use.

While most businesses are trying to find a few ways to go green to save money and help the environment, Coughlan Companies has gone all in. Their ecofriendly efforts range from the minor — recycling tea bags and other organic matter — to the major — cutting their paper usage by 60 million sheets annually, enough to save about 7,200 trees a year.

“We have some passionate employees,” said Lisa Hanson, director of human resources for the company, based atop Good Counsel Hill in Mankato.

Their foray into greening is a model for what businesses can do. Hanson said getting employees involved is a must.

“It’s important for employees to take ownership of it. They have a lot of ideas. There’s always some people who are already really green and they know where to start. It might just start with changing light bulbs, but you have to start somewhere,” Hanson said.

Spence said the process needs to be systematic.

“It’s been a real concerted effort the last couple of years,” Spence said. “We get more excited about it as more things happen.”

Energy Smart
The prospect of making changes can be daunting for businesses, says Jill Curran, program manager at Energy Smart, a group that helps businesses become more energy efficient.

“The first thing they need to do is have an energy audit done,” Curran said.

Energy Smart staff often do an initial walk-through at a business to give them some idea of what to focus on. Unfortunately, Curran said, there is a shortage of trained and certified energy auditors in the state right now.

“And there is a shortage of builders who really understand green construction.”

St. Paul-based Energy Smart, which works under the umbrella of the state Chamber of Commerce, is approved by the state of Minnesota and is a clearinghouse for businesses seeking advice, reputable contractors and financial incentives.

Rebates, grants and low-interest loans are available, most from the many utilities in the state. The utilities are required to provide incentives to help the state meet its renewable energy goals and reduce the use of fossil fuels.

Finding the right rebates and incentives can be difficult for a business, Curran said. “There are 140 utilities in the state and each has different rebate program.”