With the growing awareness of environmental concerns, web design is expected to do its share in preserving the environment. The website is a basic need, not any longer a luxury, for every business to survive. It is a convenient tool for marketing and communications 24 hours every day of the week because of automation and online services.

Unknown to many, websites do have their own contributions in preserving our environment. There are many environmental benefits that we derive from the use of websites that can impact on the life of people and our planet. The major ones are:

Preservation of natural resources. Paper is a major requirement for doing business, but web design greatly reduces the need for it. This translates to more trees that are left to live longer and bear more trees to protect the environment.

Website advertising is also fast catching up with traditional advertising tools like billboards, banners, posters and other printed materials. Minimizing the use of natural resources like wood, steel, iron, energy and many others to produce these advertising tools significantly reduces the depletion of our natural resources.

Conservation of energy. Maintaining business offices, stores and other outlets requires the use of energy for lighting, heating, cooling and transportation of workers. Studies show that the traditional sources of energy like oil wells and coal mines are hardly coping with consumption. While solar and wind powers are alternative ways of sourcing energy, business owners should do their part in helping to conserve energy by putting up more websites.

Reduction of pollution. Again, traditional business outlets require people to man them. They need gas for their cars and other forms of transportation. They also need energy for lighting, heating or cooling their work places. Cooling fixtures produce chlorofluorocarbons that deplete the ozone layer. The ozone layer is responsible in absorbing ultraviolet radiation from the sun and its depletion may imperil all life forms on earth. Gas-fed transportation vehicles emit carbon dioxide, a highly toxic substance that is dangerous to people's health. Websites and more websites are needed to help reduce pollution.

Cutting down on waste. Paper forms the bulk of most office wastes and this can be greatly reduced with the use of websites. With lesser paper and other office wastes to pollute our rivers, lakes and oceans, this planet can be a better planet to live in.

The conveniences that web design affords to business are enormous but the environmental benefits that it gives are priceless, encompassing even the generations to come.