“Going green” is a phrase that’s used a lot these days. From Al Gore to the corner store, many of us are starting to catch on to the growing green movement that promises everything from slowing global warming to better vehicle mileage to lower utility costs.

Possibly like you, I wasn’t too sure about how to join the movement, other than to buy energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs. But after my design team heard about green carpet tiles not too long ago, we started recommending them for some of our retail-store clients.

At the time, we hadn’t heard of Interface CEO Ray Anderson. It turns out the 72-year-old head of a carpet-tile manufacturing company in Atlanta is one of the main corporate evangelists for the green movement. This story about him in The New York Times is pretty interesting, especially the fact that he’s been on the green bandwagon since 1994. Back then, the only thing I knew about it was Kermit the Frog said it was something that wasn’t easy to be.

Anderson quickly realized the economic and societal benefits of taking his company green. Its products were formerly a major contributor to overflowing landfills. So he challenged his employees to look for ways to cut waste during the manufacturing process, which in turn lead to faster decay times for castoff carpet. Since 1995, the employees’ solutions have saved Interface more than $336 million. Profits are up, costs are down.

Anderson’s story challenges me to specify more products and materials that help our clients go green. I’m sure your store could find ways to join the green team as well, from carpets to light bulbs to the products you sell. It’s easy to find green goods these days. Just read the newspaper or watch TV and you’ll see that corporate America is taking Anderson’s message to heart.

Once your own clients realize that you’re going green, they should start showing their appreciation–with the green they deposit in your cash register.