Suppose you are a business owner caring about your company’s impact on the environment. In that case, there are various things you can do to make your business eco friendly.
Offer flexible working arrangements #
A survey found that even in 2022, 6 out of 10 workers in the U.S. still prefer to work from home. At the same time, a study from Stanford found out that working from home increases productivity by 13%, which is reported by 77% of remote workers.
As more work seems to get done online, there is no reason to cram your office with people. Not only can it benefit your business, but it is also a great way to make your business eco friendly.
Fewer people commuting to work daily equates with less cars on the road and less CO2 emissions. Further, flexible working can help your business cut costs and save money from stocking, heating, and lighting your workplace.
Buy second hand furniture and items #
If you are, for example, just starting your business or seeking to make renovations, you should consider second hand stuff you can use to decorate your offices.
We know that it feels good to use custom made or brand new furniture, but if you genuinely care to create an eco friendly business, you should make some concessions right there. To find second hand furniture for your office, you can search for advertisements in the local newspaper or on social media. Depending on your business, and if you are in luck, you may find professional equipment bargains from companies that shut down.
Choosing to buy second hand instead of new, you help reduce landfill waste and contribute to resource preservation. When purchasing furniture for your office spaces, you don’t have to put your hands deep in your pockets.
Reduce, reuse, recycle #
These 3 R’s are the circular economy concepts in that order of significance.
To reduce means to keep waste out of the landfills, which are bad for the environment and citizens’ health. For this reason, an eco friendly practice for your company would be to avoid using disposable cups, plates, and utensils instead of glasses and cups that are washable and reusable.
You should reuse items instead of throwing them away whenever possible. A good idea to reuse your office supplies is to use your used printer paper as scrap paper for note taking. So, instead of using your notepad to take notes, you can use your presentation from last week that you would otherwise throw away.
When reducing or reusing is not possible, recycling is last in the hierarchy. It’s better than nothing, but recycling should come last as not everything can be recycled, and it also requires energy to do it. You should install recycling bins for commonly used materials like glass, plastic, paper, and batteries in your office.
An excellent indicator to see if you are managing well your business waste is to leave empty trash cans at the end of each day.
Use sustainable packaging #
If you are in the business of selling and shipping products to your customers, packaging must be an essential part of your operations. From wrapping paper to shipping boxes, packaging material adds up fast.
72% of respondents said they prefer buying environmentally friendly products in a survey. At the same time, 77% agreed that plastic packaging is the least environmentally friendly material, and 55% considered that paper is the most environmentally friendly.
To become an eco friendly business, you should prioritize changing your packaging material to more environmentally friendly ones like paper or recycled paper. Alternative sustainable packaging options are also the biodegradable ones that leave no trace of waste at the end of their lifecycle.
Make energy efficient upgrades #
Who said that caring for the environment does not have its benefits for eco friendly businesses? Switching to newer energy efficient technologies for various items and appliances in your office can save you a lot from your energy bills.
For example, investing in energy efficient windows to better insulate your spaces or buying a new and energy efficient space heater can make heating your workplace faster at a significantly lower cost.
Another good idea to save energy and reduce waste is to buy energy efficient led light bulbs that last longer and consume less power.
Conclusion #
Every business affects the environment at different levels. Still, overall, all businesses contribute to a certain degree to climate change, pollution, and waste.
To minimize your business’s environmental impact and cut down on your carbon footprint, there are many sustainable practices that you can follow to make a truly eco friendly business. No matter what your size is or the size of your competitors, no effort is small enough to protect the environment.
There are many ways to make a greener business by employing sustainable business practices. As an entrepreneur or as a chief sustainability officer at your company, you have to choose your own path to sustainability tailored to the needs and capacities of your business.
Source #
Vasilis Bouronikos, What is it and How to Make an Eco Friendly Business
