When you choose to change your business practices and shift to a greener, more sustainable business lifestyle, you encourage your employees and consumers to go green. You lessen the carbon footprint of your company and help in creating a greener and better environment.
This might be difficult at first because of the many differences and changes you have to face, but going green is one step toward creating a better future world. You can acquire an environmental management system certification to prove that your business is sustainable. Your business will be part of that change, and you will encourage other businesses to have sustainable practices as well.
Here are good sustainable practices a business must do to make the environment survive and have a better, cleaner, and greener future:
1. Go Paperless
Start with circulating memos online thru email rather than a paper memo posted on board. Announcements, documents, and invoices can be disseminated to all employees thru emails and online groups within the company. Going paperless will benefit your business and the environment. You may also encourage your employees to bring their utensils, mugs, plates, and bowls from their home to the office. This will lessen the use of paper towels and paper take-away from fast-food chains.
2. Support Companies That Share The Same Principle
Your idea of having your business practice a more sustainable system must reflect your tie-ups with other businesses in various events. Thinking like other business owners with sustainable systems in their company will impact your community that there are companies that care for the environment. A simple task like a tree-planting project by your company will have a tremendous and positive impact on your community.
3. Create A Green Office
You can make your employees’ lounge greener by installing a big window that allows the sunlight to enter. This way, you lessen the use of fluorescent lights. You can also change some of your appliances in the office with other brands that emit lower carbon traces in the environment. You can also change your office lights from fluorescent to LEDs because this uses less energy. Some new appliances and gadgets have built-in energy-saving functions – adding this will make you more cost-efficient and help you with your sustainable business lifestyle.
4. Recycle
You can encourage your employees to start recycling inside the office. Documents circulating inside the office should recycle this paper; otherwise, documents can be submitted through emails. Old computers that still work can be donated to other businesses or institutions. When a machine is broken, to follow a sustainable system, it would be best to throw it rather than fixing it. Change to newer computer models that use less electricity.
5. Refurbish Old Things
For your business, you can buy old furniture or fixtures and refurbish them to make them look new. You can check thrift stores for office appliances that can still be used and only need a few tweaks. By doing this, you are saving money and decreasing the carbon impact of your company.
6. Use Green Products
Many office supplies are environmentally friendly. Purchasing these products for your company’s use will help it promote a greener and more sustainable system in the office. Apart from office supplies, there are other items like appliances and gadgets made of recycled parts. Buying these will reduce your impact on the environment.
7. Encourage Your Customers To Go Green
Giving discounts to customers who bring their reusable bags will encourage them to buy from your store because they can save money and, at the same time, protect the environment. Charging money for other plastic or paper bags will encourage your customers to bring their bags. This way, you are saving the environment and spreading your good intention to everyone. Doing good deeds can be infectious, and this is the kind of infection that will make the environment safer, cleaner, and better.
8. Buy Carbon Offsets
This is majorly used in businesses that deal primarily with travel. Some companies buy carbon credits so they can offset the gas emission that creates the greenhouse effect. When you buy this carbon offset, these companies use the money for their green projects like tree planting, saving the rainforests, and saving the quarries. This way, you have decreased the impact of greenhouse gasses on the atmosphere.
9. Encourage Employees To Go Green
You can help your employees practice a sustainable lifestyle by setting up the business closer to their homes. This means that you hire your employees from the same area where you have your business. This way, they minimize the use of vehicular transportation because their office is just a walking distance from their home.
10. Buy Green Energy
Green energy is energy from renewable sources like wind and solar energy. Companies can buy green energy for their offices. You can check if your utility can make use of this type of energy. Using solar panels for your business can also be considered a sustainable practice for your business. This way, usage of electricity is decreased in your area.
These are ways you can make your business practice a sustainable system to help the environment. It is a good idea to constantly promote that your business is going green for Mother Nature because people choose companies that have sustainable practices for their businesses. This will help you target more consumers who share the same goals as your company.
