It seems everyone and everything these days is going green.

Consumers, anxious to prove their loyalty to the planet, vote for green products and businesses with their wallets—provided the price is reasonable.

And what bigger icon of affordability do we have than the McDonalds Dollar Menu?

I submit none!

Debuting in several European Mickey D’s, customers will find the traditional golden arches set against a backdrop of a lush forest green, replacing the standard red in the signage and logo.

McDonald’s hopes to give the company a more eco-friendly look, especially in the uber-green countries like Germany. What McDonald’s recognizes is something other businesses would be wise to take note of: being Eco-Friendly and Earth-Smart is also Consumer-Friendly and Marketing-Smart.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Take stock of common business practices to reduce waste
• Have an energy company representative show you ways of saving energy
• Offer earth-friendly alternatives to your regular line-up of products and services.
• Publicize what you are doing to go green

When consumers see you are doing your part to support the environment, they are more likely to support your business.

New step, we predict: the Green Eggs and Ham McMuffin.