10 ways to make your business more eco-friendly
How to Make your Business More eco-friendly ? Making your business ‘more sustainable’ is not a tough task as you may think. It is completely personal and depends on the degree of sustainability you want to apply in your business. It doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to reduce material production.
If you have a small business, you might think that your action has an insignificant impact on the environment. But consumers today are getting conscious of their choices, considering the recent environmental crisis. Businesses of all sorts are now leaning towards implying more sustainable and green practices to complement the sentiments of the consumers. There is a growing population that is assured that climate change has made them reassess their purchasing habits.
Consumers look forward to shopping with sustainable brands that have ethical and sustainable business practices which helps them to alter environmental impact.
The first step: Perform a Self-Audit
The first thing that any business needs to do is to assess their current position to understand the current state of the carbon footprint of the business. This helps to set measurable goals and understand the impact in a better and logical way.
Having the information helps to identify areas that need work, the ones that have a major impact. This leads to ways that can help solve the problem of negative impact on the environment.
It’s time to introspect the environmental impact to be aware. Awareness is an essential step to implement significant changes.
Areas to consider
- Recycling services
- Consumption of energy
- Disposal of materials and items
- Consumption of water
- Sourcing of raw materials
- Supply chain system
- Packaging
These areas need to be assessed and planned keeping the R’s in mind – Reduce, recycle, reuse and repair.
It is essential to confront the weakness and take an effort to make significant changes. This helps to create a fool-proof strategy for effective sustainable implementation.
Ways to make Business more Eco-Friendly & Sustainable
1. Mindful procurement
One of the most effective ways to make your business sustainable is to follow and implement a practice of ethical sourcing. This involves purchasing raw materials and supplied in the most sustainable way possible. The best way is to look out for locally sourced items rather than supplies from far-off places. Review the policies of procurement and ask some significant questions:
- Is it manufactured/sourced sustainably?
- Does it contain toxic chemicals? If yes, how much?
- Can it be recycled or is it biodegradable?
- Does it have more sustainable substitutes?
- Does it have excess packaging?
- Can it be repaired and reused?
2. Reduce the consumption of water
Whether or not your company is located in a drought-stricken location, conserving water is an apparent method to save money and help safeguard important natural resources.
Fixing leaking taps, plumbing leaks, and installing low-flow toilets and faucet aerators in your washrooms are all ways to save water on your company premises. Using drip irrigation and rain sensors was essential to create a drought-tolerant landscape design.
Cleaning chores with a high-efficiency pressure washer.
3. Encouraging your customers and employees to go sustainable
There are different ways in which a business can make an impact. The business stands as an entity that can have a significant impact on the lives of employees and customers. Promoting sustainable habits like recycling and repurposing can be implemented in the business, which encourages the customers and employees to benefit from recycling.
The more waste that a business can divert from ending up in the landfill, the better and positive impact it creates in the environment. Not only is the waste diverted, but the need for new material also decreases.
4. Implement energy-efficient/ renewable energy tools and machinery
The tools and appliances that you use in the office/ manufacturing unit also add to the overall company’s carbon footprint. To reduce the same, you can look into energy-efficient appliances. It not only helps to reduce the carbon footprint but also saves money in the long term.
Using LED lighting or compact fluorescent lights can help you get more sustainable. Encourage employees to reduce their use of electronic items as much as possible to create a conscious environment in your workspace.
For your electricity needs, you may consider switching to comparatively greener Solar Power or Wind Power from Thermal Power.
Improving your energy efficiency is one of the best ways to make your business more eco-friendly.
5. Use more green transportation
Transportation of items is a significant part of the supply chain. Look out for alternatives like CNG-powered trucks to reduce emissions. Yow can also encourage your employees to implement rewarding transportation like ridesharing or cycling to name a few.
6. Create CSR initiatives
Businesses are pioneers of an impact in society – be it positive or negative. Channel your business’ environmental efforts via volunteer efforts. Community efforts for environmental protection not only help to create a positive impact but also improves team building.
7. Switch to cloud computing
Employees may exchange and access information from anywhere using cloud computing formats like Google Apps, Apple iCloud, and Microsoft Office 365, which can help your small business save money on travel, carbon emissions, and printing.
Because firm data is stored on the cloud, there’s no need for your company to invest in and operate expensive, power-hungry servers.
8. Sustainability over convenience
Companies may simultaneously minimize trash output and lower their environmental footprint by decreasing everyday staff behaviors that focus on single-use items. Single-cup coffee machines, for example, are already commonplace in many offices. For a fraction of the cost of non-recyclable, single-serving coffee pods, a big container of coffee grinds may make over a hundred cups of coffee.
9. Take advantage of secondhand findings
When it comes to furnishing the workplace, you don’t have to spend a lot of money on new furniture.
Making all those new tables, chairs, sofas, and workstations requires a lot of energy and raw materials. Instead, businesses may become green by filling their offices with lovely vintage items or with repurposed furniture.
10. Use environmentally friendly packaging
When it comes to selling and shipping items, the packaging is a big component of the equation. This material soon mounts up, from the packaging that each product is sold into the mailers and boxes that they are finally delivered out in. Sustainable packaging solutions such as recycled paper and cardboard are known and reliable, but there has also been progressing toward biodegradable packaging.
Last but not the least, Do business with eco-friendly companies.
Businesses may go carbon-neutral with the firms they choose to work within a variety of ways, including web hosting. Carbon-neutral providers may be found in every major industry, from software firms to garment labels and transportation organizations. Many small enterprises’ supplier chains will have a significant influence on their carbon footprint.
When environment sustainability becomes integral part of business relationships, there is a commercial interest to make business more eco-friendly & sustainable.
