Eco-consciousness is on the rise among consumers. So, going green is a change many companies will have to make sooner or later if they want to stay relevant. Keep reading below to find out how to make your business eco-friendlier.
Did you know that 73% of Millennial customers are willing to pay more for products or services that come from green businesses? That’s what a 2015 study from Nielsen has found. And this only makes sense because as consumers become more educated about sustainability, they support brands that share their values.
But wait a second. Sustainability isn’t important for customers only. 90% of CEOs also consider that sustainability is fundamental for business success. Lately, being eco-friendly is actually rapidly becoming a competitive advantage. So, these days, we’re seeing many initiatives like developing sustainable products or services, inventing positions like Chief Sustainability Officer, and publishing sustainability reports.
So, with all that in mind, are you still on the fence about going green or not? If you’re still unsure, find out that H&M, Zara, HP, Ikea, Nike, and Adidas, are only a few reputable companies that have made huge efforts over the last decade to become greener.
The trend is already set. Will you join it?
Stick with us to find out seven sustainable practices to implement if you want to go green.
1. Fix up your space to waste less energy
Going green doesn’t always mean switching to recycled-only products or stop using plastic at all (although both practices are ideal). Sometimes, going green can mean something as small as fixing your workspace to waste less energy.
You might not even be aware of how your office space is impacting our planet. Your building might have leaks or cracks in the foundation or around the windows that are making it waste energy.
Fixing these issues is going to help your business waste less energy on heating and cooling. What’s more, you’ll also save some money on electricity bills.
2. Encourage employees to be eco-friendly
Did you know that most Millennials would be willing to accept a smaller salary if this meant they would work at an environmentally responsible company? That’s right. Your company might become really attractive to Millennial employees if it provides them with eco-friendly company culture and workplace.
So, partnering with your employees to make your business greener might be a great idea. Encourage your team to be eco-conscious even when they are at work, not only on Earth Day but every day.
How do you foster an environmentally-conscious workplace? There are so many initiatives you can implement, including:
- Implementing an in-house recycling program (encourage employees to recycle products like fluorescent light-bulbs, electronic, or computers)
- Encouraging employees to use eco-friendly transportation when commuting
- Investing in office plants
- Mace eco-friendly thinking part of your company culture
3. Go paperless
Did you know that paper accounts for 25% of landfill waste? What’s more, if the US cut office paper use by at least 10%, this will prevent the emission of 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gases.
But how to go paperless? Technologies, like cloud computing or software solutions, enable all companies, regardless of their size, to become more collaborative and efficient, and yes, greener as well. Technology has enabled businesses to make the shift from overflowing file cabinets into an organized digital format.
For example, instead of using printed timesheets, you can use online timesheets so that you no longer use paper. Also, instead of printing documents to share it with the entire office, you can send them in digital format to your team.
4. Recycle waste
To become an eco-friendly business, you need to have some excellent waste management solutions well put in place. Simply throwing corporate waste to the landfill is no longer acceptable. You can partner with green businesses that offer sustainable recycling solutions like waste ballers or compactors, such as Miltek Australia, to help you manage the waste your business generates when producing your products.
5. Buy green
Going green with your business also means switching to green suppliers.
Buying green isn’t just buying recycled paper, but all types of supplies and materials your business uses on a daily basis, from refurbished printers to cartridges, computers, copiers, and furniture.
It would be best if you also bought eco-friendly supplies for the office, such as paper coffee cups, especially since the average employee uses about 500 coffee cups every year. So, you should better make sure that these cups aren’t made of plastic.
6. Clean green
Even practices like cleaning can affect our environment and increase your planet’s impact if you don’t use green cleaning supplies. Most cleaning products you can find at the supermarket include harsh toxic chemicals that affect the environment.
But, here’s the good news, if you look for a green cleaning product supplier, you can find eco-friendly products that are effective and less harsh for our planet.
If your business uses a cleaning service to clean the office space, see if the company offers greener alternatives or accept you to provide more eco-friendly products than the ones they are using.
7. Unplug your office
We all know that plugged-in devices and electronics are consuming energy, even when you are not using them. So, during the night, when your employees aren’t using computers, laptops, air conditioners, or other devices, your office is still wasting energy.
What can you do about it? Instead of simply turning off these appliances, ask your employees also to unplug them at the end of the day.