It’s no secret that sustainability is trending louder than ever, people are finally starting to consider the environment in their action and they are supporting businesses that do the same. Therefore, the efforts you make to Green up your business can help you gain a few more customers while you curb your eco-footprint and save some money on your bottom line. Below are ten easy ways to make your business more eco-friendly.
10 Easy Ways to Make your Business More Eco-friendly:
Set up a recycling center: Set up a recycling center in the general area of your business and encourage your staff to reduce their waste. The recycling center should have bins to collect paper, aluminum and plastic as well as baskets for such recyclables like old batteries, broken electronics, old ink cartridges and used bulbs. Once your bins and baskets are full, get in touch with the proper recycling centers to drop them off.
Increase your energy efficiency: Businesses tend to consume a lot of energy, however, there are things you can do to decrease that use. Firstly, you should switch your energy provider to a greener choice, click here to visit Alberta Energy Providers and compare the greenest energy companies. You should also upgrade all of your appliances to energy star varieties, switch to LED and CFL light bulbs and use natural light whenever possible. You can also help naturally balance the temperature in the building by bringing in houseplants and hanging blackout curtains.
Use post-consumer materials: Use post-consumer materials whenever possible – pack your goods in recycled materials and use post consumer office supplies.
Reuse: Encourage your staff to reuse instead of disposing – use cloth napkins in the break rooms as well as reusable cutlery. Additionally you can write notes on dry erase boards instead of using paper.
Green cleaning: Most conventional cleaners pollute the environment with their toxic formula and degrade the quality of the indoor air. Ditch those types of cleaners and clean your spaces with effective plant-based cleaners.
Shop secondhand: When it’s time to renovate your business, shop at secondhand outlets to purchase items like tables, chairs and storage units. Additionally, recycle or donate your old furniture instead of trashing them.
Print green: Encourage digital correspondence to avoid printing – use eSignature programs, emails, and online document sharing. However, in the times you do have to print, always print on both sides of the paper using a font like eco-font to cut down on your ink usage.
Support eco-friendly web hosting: Partner with an ethical web hosting company that runs sustainably on alternative energy.
Give back to the environment: Giving back to the environment by supporting sustainable causes is one of the best ways to Green up your business. In addition to the small acts of Green you are practicing, supporting a bigger cause means that you are helping to create a sustainable future for all of us.
Encourage alternative transportation: Encourage your staff to leave their vehicles at home and commute alternatively a few times a week. Taking public transportation, carpooling or bike commute will drastically cut down on the use of fuel.
Above all else, the most obvious way to green up your business is to offer eco-friendly products or services. By making the effort to create an eco-friendly business, you are not only doing the earth some good, you are also showing the world that you care about creating a sustainability which will generate more business.