Tips For Going Green With Your Business

As a society, we are now, more than ever, conscious of our role as planetary stewards. Great efforts have been made in all areas of society to go green, and make eco-friendly choices that do not harm the planet.

Above all, businesses should align themselves with this shift as we all have a responsibility to take care of the planet. Not only this, but customers are far more likely to use the services of a business they know are doing their bit. 

Today we are going to provide some tips for businesses who are looking to become more eco-friendly, and make greener choices. 

Set Up Green Initiatives 

Going green is something that is difficult to achieve through individual effort. Rather, becoming environmentally conscious and making better decisions is a collective effort. The same applies if you are trying to run an eco-friendly business. Our first tip, therefore, would be to set up green initiatives within the office. By doing this, you are encouraging the whole company to get involved. This will both help you to achieve better results and create a real sense of camaraderie and community. 

There are many initiatives you can create that will make a positive contribution towards the environment, and these can be fun for both you and your staff. People are far more likely to get involved if they feel included and not judged. Some examples include: encouraging staff to ditch meat for one day a week (added health benefits), cycle to work days, as well as raising money for tree planting charities.

These are just three examples that we could think of, but the list really is endless. If you are a company owner, we encourage you to put a few ideas together and implement them. Alternatively, any one who works for a company that is not as green as they could be can present ideas to their management. The goal is to get everyone involved: from the bottom all the way to the top. 

Work From Home Days 

The emergence of coronavirus has required us to make and implement many changes. One such change is that people are now encouraged, when possible, to work from home. From a public health standpoint, this is extremely valuable. People are limited to smaller interactions, and illnesses are far less likely to be spread from person to person. 

Not only does this benefit public health, but the environment also stands to gain a lot from more of us working from home. For example, if a company’s workforce are encouraged to work at home, the amount of commuters on the road are reduced. Resultantly, car emissions are lessened. If every company in the world adopted this model going forward, it would make a substantial difference. 

With more employees working from home, your reliance on office space, heating and electricity decreases. As well as being kinder to the environment, this will put money back in your pocket and the company.

We encourage you, therefore, to create work from home days. You may wish to start small, and do not confine the whole business to working from home immediately. Having face to face interaction in the office does still have its benefits. Perhaps a few days a week would be a good place to start, and would allow you to measure the response. 

Create Recycling Schemes 

Plain and simply, offices produce a lot of waste. As a company, you do not want to be responsible for that waste ending up in landfill. Setting up an office recycling scheme will make a substantial positive environmental contribution, and, as suggested, will create a sense of community in the office.

You can start by setting out clearly marked bins for tins, cardboard, paper, plastic bottles and glass. You are not limited to recycling smaller waste items however. There are schemes in place that accept old laptops and bits of tech which is later recycled. Also, If you are a tech company, you may wish to recycle your uninterruptible power supply (UPS). Companies such as Critical Power offer a cost reduction on new UPS systems when the old one is recycled through them. They are licensed to dispose of UPS batteries. 

Encourage Everyone To Go Paperless 

Deforestation is a big issue, and it is one we all need to tackle collectively. Thankfully, there are a number of things we can do as a society to curb deforestation. In the office, you can reduce your tree consumption by going paperless. Nowadays, it is both easy and efficient to store everything electronically. We encourage you to assess your paper use, and ask yourself whether it is really necessary. We are confident that, in the majority of cases, you can implement an electronic alternative. 

Organise Sustainable Partnerships 

From planting trees to coral regrowth, there are companies out there with the sole aim of giving back to the environment. Why not create partnerships with these organisations, and support their efforts. This will require some research to find a company that aligns with your values. Once you have found one, you can reach out and enquire about creating a working partnership. This will help their cause, as well as the planet, and will ensure you are making steps towards becoming green.