Many companies today, from Fortune 500 companies to the Mom and Pop shop down the street, are “Going Green”.  Making your business more environmentally friendly does not have to mean completely gutting your office or constructing an entirely new building.

Delaware County and the State of Pennsylvania have many useful resources at the disposal of small business owners to assist in environmentally and efficiently improving your business.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) offers information on how to apply for grants and loans, as well as all forms and publications necessary in order to obtain assistance from the local or federal government.  The DEP also provides a sub-department for small businesses, the Office of the Small Business Ombudsman.  In addition to assisting small business owners with improving energy efficiency and implementing more environmentally safe practices, they also review pending regulations to ensure small businesses are continually considered in the implications of new policies.

The Small Business Development Centers of Pennsylvania offer a program, similar to the Ombudsman of the DEP that is specifically for small business owners in Pennsylvania.  The Environmental Management Assistance Program (EMAP) offers a wide range of services from a toll-free hotline to consulting assistance, energy efficiency assistance and training seminars.  EMAP publishes a newsletter with up-to-date environmental news, regulatory changes, and environmental cost saving opportunities.  EMAP is a great resource for information and assistance in transforming your current business into an environmentally friendly one.

Sources:

Environmental Management Assistance Program (www.pasbdc.org)

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (www.depweb.state.pa.us)