7 Tips To Make Your Business More Environmentally Friendly
Becoming a company that is more environmentally friendly is a goal for a lot of business owners today. In order to reduce your environmental impact you have to start by taking a step back. Assess your business practices to find cost-effective ways that can lower your carbon footprint. Keep reading to find out more.
Ways to make your business more environmentally-friendly
To make your company’s activity less harmful to the environment, you have to change the way you do business.
Electric Vehicles
Consider investing in electric vehicles to reduce your carbon footprint. Check out whether your government offers any incentives to buy electric vehicles, like tax breaks or tax credits.
Look for dealerships that offer good deals, especially if you need more than one vehicle for your business (for fleets). Think about the needs of your business and whether it makes sense to purchase a new vehicle. Keep in mind that newer vehicles are more environmentally-friendly. Try limiting trips and fuel consumption if you can’t afford to buy a new vehicle.
Energy Usage
Look at your business’s energy usage. Get a better idea of how much energy you are using to do your activity and find ways to reduce your power consumption. Install energy-saving light bulbs (use LED instead of conventional light bulbs). Remember to switch off your appliances at the end of the day. Reassess your use of the AC and heating; instead of using it at all time, limit its use to only a few hours per day.
Think about switching power suppliers if you find a better offer on the energy market.
Paper Usage
Reduce your business’ use of paper. Start by transferring your data online in the cloud. Use digital resources to lower your paper consumption inside the company. Switch to online formats. Conduct your business online by offering virtual receipts, communicating online, and storing data virtually. Use cloud storage or hard drives to keep your data safe and secure. Remember to organize your files to ensure that they remain easily accessible.
Recycle
Think about your consumption of materials and your waste procedures. Overhaul your waste protocols. Recycle everything you can to reduce your costs and protect the environment. Outsource your recycling needs if you can’t deal with them in-house. Check out Gardner Metals for their stainless steel recycling solutions. Reduce your waste and limit what you send to landfills.
Commuting
Encourage your staff to rethink their commutes. Start a carpool or a cycle to work scheme. Consider walking and include it in your work schemes. Offer incentives to make their commutes greener. Urge them to use public transportation if they have the possibility. Think about remote working solutions if applicable. Minimize unnecessary journeys and remember to lead by example.
Suppliers
Work with your current suppliers to find more environmentally friendly solutions or shop around to find more sustainable suppliers. Do your research to find greener partners. Avoid businesses that greenwash or conduct their business in environmentally harmful ways. Reconsider the materials you use, try to use materials from sustainable sources or recycled materials where possible.
Packaging
Reduce the amount of packaging that you use on your products. Limit the use of single-use plastic where possible in your company. Package your products in recyclable materials if you can. Think about what type of packaging your products need and what function it is serving.
