Yesterday, I posted some tips to help you ship green. But it occurred to me today that there are more, basic green tips that I could share with the average online business owner.

Maybe you read yesterday’s post, decided to ship green and now and think that you’re doing your part to keep the environment healthy. Heck, you might be thinking that by operating an online business, you’re already doing a lot more than your brick-and-mortar counterparts. You’d probably be right. After all, research supports that.

But there’s a lot more you can do. Simply applying some practical tips and changing a few of your habits can literally mean a world of difference. Whether your business operates in a rented building or in a small corner of your home, the following tips will help you further reduce your impact on the environment.

• Buy recycled office materials

Purchase recycled ink cartridges and paper that hasn’t been treated with chlorine. Take cartridge manufacturers up on their offer to recycle used ink cartridges if you send them back to them.

The better alternative: buy refillable ink cartridges. They’ll save you money and reduce waste.

• Be modest with paper

Utilize double-sided printing options. Reuse scrap paper for printing whenever possible. Use old paper, whether intact or shredded, as part of your packing supplies.

The better alternative: use digital formats for your documents. Embrace the PDF! Create and send digital documents in lieu of faxes. Become more familiar with the programs on your computer. You’re sure to find a better-than-Post-it-notes, built-in note-taking application that can help you stay organized on your computer.

• Go low on energy

Lots of businesses waste more energy than is needed to operate. Aside from being wasteful, this practice also adds extra costs to monthly bills. Switch out your old light bulbs with the new fluorescent ones. Don’t be put off by the name- these aren’t those headache-inducing ones of the past. Fluorescent bulbs now come in soft white shades, amongst others. They also last longer than standard light bulbs and cost less money.

The better alternative: open the blinds and let sunshine pour through.

• Support other green-thinking businesses

When confronted with the decision to do business with two competing entities, consider taking their green philosophies into account. Have a product supplier who’s dedicated to maintaining a green motto? Choose him instead of a competitor. Think about patronizing businesses that are geared towards selling green office supplies like The Green Office and Buy Green.

In addition, Practical Ecommerce offers a number of interesting tips that can be applicable to online business owners:

• Use laptops instead of desktops

According to PE, desktops use more energy and cost more money to run.

• Minimize power settings on your computer

Those power-saving options exist for a reason. Have your computer turn off or go to sleep after it’s been idle for a short amount of time. If you do this, you can cut your computer’s energy consumption by as much as 70%.

• Buy “Energy Star”–approved products

Energy Star-rated products can really help you get a hold of your energy-related expenses.

• Turn off your machines…then unplug them.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that simply turning off a computer is all they have to do to conserve energy. Not so. Computers and other electrical devices can continue to suck energy out of your outlets long after they’ve been turned off. The solution is to unplug them. If you don’t feel like unplugging all of your equipment every day, use a power strip. After a click of the “off” switch, all of your machines will stop hiking up your energy bills.

And the most interesting of all…

• Stop spamming

…or at least, minimize the amount of superfluous emails you send out. Why? Well, in addition to it being bad for business, spamming leaves a significant carbon footprint behind because of its associated high hardware needs, transportation expenses and waste byproducts. Not only does spam have a negative effect on your prospects, it also has one on the environment. Is there really a need to continue?

One last tip…

Keep a recycle bin handy. That old “out of sight, out of mind” adage is true, so remind yourself about your goal to stay green by having bins around. Of course, you’ll have to use them to make the most out of them.

Are you doing anything green in your physical businesses or home offices?