As a business owner, you have a lot of responsibilities. You have to maintain inventory, track down new leads and hire employees. Making your company eco-friendly may seem low on your list of priorities. Yet sustainability has become more vital than ever. If your business promises to help protect the earth, your younger employees in particular should feel more engaged at work.

Helping the environment may even improve your company's performance in a variety of sales metrics. In one study, more than 75 percent of consumers said that sustainability was extremely or moderately important to them. More than half of the respondents in the same survey said that climate change had  led them to reassess their purchasing habits.

Making your business more sustainable does not have to be difficult or expensive, either. Here are some simple ways your company can become more eco-friendly.

1. Use Sustainable Products

When companies manufacture certain paper and cleaning products, they often use processes that can hurt the environment. As you look to purchase these items for your business, opt for sustainable versions. The printer and toilet paper in your office, for instance, should come from pre- or post-consumer waste. If your company relies heavily on cleaning products, use ones that are made from natural ingredients instead of toxic chemicals.

2. Limit Paper

If you are really worried about the impact excess paper has on the environment, you can also try to make your business as paperless as possible. Thanks to technology, this is easier than ever.  Replace faxes with email communications, and tell your staff to avoid printing any digital documents.

3. Reduce Employee Travel

Going digital has another added benefit. Since your workers can communicate via email or video conference software, they do not need to come to the office every day. You should thus encourage them to telecommute. Your employees will appreciate the opportunity to work from home. More importantly, telecommuting reduces your company's carbon footprint.

Telecommuting also decreases the amount of energy your office uses on heating and lighting. This helps save the environment and lowers your utility bills.

There will be some times where you need your workers in the building. On these days, you should ask them to use more environmentally-friendly methods of commuting, such as trains and buses. You can even provide subsidized passes that give your employees discounts on public transportation.

Of course, work travel does not just include trips to and from the office. Employees may also visit clients or attend conferences around the world. These trips can be expensive for your company and harmful to the environment. Instead, use video conferences to speak with potential clients, and opt for webinars instead of in-person networking events.

4. Switch to Energy-Efficient Light Bulbs

Replacing your traditional light bulbs with LED ones is another way to help the environment while saving money on your electric bill. If you rent your property instead of owning it, be sure to ask your property manager first before making this change.

5. Unplug Electronics at Night

Keeping computers and other office appliances plugged in at all hours is a waste of energy. Create a new policy requiring your workers to shut off their computers before leaving the office.

You should also ask one of your employees to power down all the communal electronics, such as copiers and printers, at night.

6. Offer Filtered Water

Your employees may want to keep water bottles at their desks during the day. Yet these bottles can take hundreds of years to decompose in landfills. Instead, give your workers reusable cups and add a filter to the tap water system in the company break room. This way, employees can get clean drinking water from the sink.

By applying some small adjustments to your business, you can make it more eco-friendly. You can then feel proud that you are doing your part to help save the planet. You should also notice some positive changes in your employees' morale and your company's bottom line.