It’s vital that both consumers and businesses look for ways they can reduce their environmental impact so that we can conserve the planet for future generations. The best way to do this is to take time to review every area of the business and its environmental impact. You can then formulate a strategy to find the highest impact areas for the lowest cost. However, this process can be time-consuming and costly; here are some easy ideas businesses can use to get started on improving their environmental impact.
Reduce travel
Vehicle emissions are a leading contributor to climate change; businesses can help to reduce their overall carbon footprint by minimising unnecessary travel. The covid-19 pandemic helped many companies to realise working from home was a possibility that could help to make their business more environmentally friendly and improve the work-life balance of their employees. Some businesses have used this as an opportunity to permanently change the way they work, allowing employees to work from home full-time or part-time. In addition, the pandemic forced businesses to utilise video conferencing and other forms of online communication. To minimise travel costs, look for areas where employees can do face-to-face meetings online or can work from home.
Energy suppliers
A relatively simple way many businesses can improve their environmental footprint is to switch to green energy suppliers. Some energy companies only use renewable energy sources rather than fossil fuels. When you switch to green energy, you’re helping to reduce your company's carbon emissions and also helping to fund green energy sources. Review the energy supplier you’re currently using to see if they use 100% renewable energy.
Reduce paper use
Many businesses print on paper, which is unnecessary in most cases. To save paper, opt for paperless billing and encourage employees to save, edit and send documents digitally rather than printing. This switch may take some time, but it will help save costs and make your company more environmentally friendly; it can also help facilitate remote working.
Product packaging
One area where many companies use plastic is within their packaging. Plastic is bad for the environment; it takes time and energy to recycle and does not biodegrade. Even if you encourage customers to recycle, many will ignore this, and your packaging may end up in landfill sites. Businesses should opt for packing that is compostable and biodegradable where possible. Suppliers can make boxes for gifts from recycled cardboard that includes seeds so customers can plant their own wildflowers. Products can be protected by packing peanuts made from biodegradable materials such as cornstarch and wheat. If you’re a company that sells a product, take a look at your packaging to find ways to make your business more environmentally friendly. It might not be the easiest switch, but there could be small changes you can make quickly or more extensive changes that will significantly impact your business's environmental impact.
Improve appliances and lighting
Environmentally friendly appliances and lighting in your business premises can help to reduce energy bills and minimise your carbon footprint. Opt for energy-efficient appliances and energy-saving bulbs. You can also go one step further and install lighting that turns off when not in use; this is beneficial for buildings with a large footprint but areas that employees seldom use. Encourage employees to turn off lights and appliances at the end of the day or set them on timers to prevent wasting energy.
Computer usage
Many businesses use a number of computers as part of their operations. Quick changes you can make to reduce energy consumption is ensuring all computer equipment is being used in power-saving mode. When this is activated, computers and screens will turn off automatically when not used. In addition, you should upgrade your computer equipment if it is outdated; older computers and monitors will use more power and increase your energy bill and carbon footprint.
These are just a few of the things that you can do as a business to make your company more environmentally friendly. Many other solutions are available depending on the industry you work in; a professional advisor can help you discover the best options for your business and industry.