Thanks to the likes of Al Gore and Great Thunberg, the environment is very much on the agenda right now. More and more, people are waking up to the realities that the planet is now facing and is likely to face in the future and they are making changes. Quite often, they are voting with their wallet and choosing to buy goods and services from companies that take green issues more seriously.
That’s why 2021 is the perfect time to make your business greener if you haven’t already. By doing so, you can tap into new markets and boost your brand image significantly, but how exactly do you make your business greener?
Here are a few simple suggestions:
Make use of Mother Nature
Sometimes, to help Mother Nature, you have to use her to your own advantage and this is as true in the business world as it is in any other area of life. For example, you could install solar panels on your office roof to power some of your needs or you could use industrial rainwater tanks to make your factory’s processes a little less harsh on the environment – and that’s just for starters. Not only will you make your business that bit greener, but you’ll potentially save a lot of money too – what’s not to like?
Go paperless
If you’re still printing out dozens of documents each day, you may want to think about your business processes because not only is it largely unnecessary these days, but it is also very expensive, and pretty bad for the environment too.
Printer ink is a finite resource and one that can be harmful to collect, which is why it is so very expensive. Then, there’s paper, which although it’s pretty cheap to buy, can have a huge impact on the planet in the form of millions of felled trees, if you do ‘t buy recycled. It’s so needless when the vast majority of documents don’t need to be printed and can easily be stored, filed, and even signed, digitally online.
What’s more, if you store your documents in the cloud, they will be instantly available anywhere by anyone who has been granted access, which will make life easier for you if you’re on the road or have employees working from home.
Allow remote working
Speaking of working from home, if your business is in a position to allow more employees to work from home more often – something we have all had to adapt to in recent months, this could be a good way of cutting your carbon footprint both in terms of your company’s energy usage and the carbon created by all of your employees commuting to work each day.
Use ethical suppliers
Whether you’re purchasing paper, fabric, or computers, chances are there will be at least one ethical option out there provided by a company that takes its impact on the environment seriously and tries to reduce it just like you do. That’s why it’s worth looking at your suppliers’ environmental policies and moving away from them if necessary. If, for whatever reason, you can’t change suppliers, talk to them about improving their eco practices, If enough of their customers do this, it could nudge them to make the change too.
Use smart technology
In 2021, we have access to so much technology that it can seem overwhelming at first, As a business owner, you should get to know this technology and weed out the smart technology that can help your company save money in the office. There are so many energy-saving appliances and apps that will save money by turning themselves off when not in use or lowering your business’ energy requirements due to their very makeup, and by knowing and using these, you can save lots of money while you do your bit to save the planet.
Use your voice
If your business is well-known, whether in your community, nationally or internationally, you have a platform so why not use that platform to talk about green issues, let people know what they can do to improve their carbon footprint, and hello them to do so? This is a great way to engage with your audience, and as well as being good for the planet, it will help you to boost your company’s profile and show your brand in the best possible light when it comes to environmental issues.
Give back
In a similar vein, you may want to think environmentally-friendly of ways that your business can give back. This could be anything from setting up a local recycling scheme to having your employees volunteer to pick up litter once a month – it doesn’t matter what it is as long as it helps. Again, this will do great things for your company’s PR as well as being a great thing to do for your community and the planet.
Get rid of plastic
Removing plastic from your canteens, and your offices as far as possible, even if that means providing reusable water bottles and refillable pens, etc. to your employees, will make a massive impact on your green credentials, and since there is a real drive to reduce and remove single-use plastics right now, could put your brand at the forefront of a movement, which won’t hurt your sales any at the end of the day!
Final word
As you can see, there are numerous things that you can do to make your business at least a little greener, and many of them will be as beneficial to you as they are the world around you, which makes them a pretty attractive prospect, even if you may have to speculate to accumulate a little at first. However, if you do try any of the above ideas, you can’t be complacent – you need to keep reviewing and revising your business’ green measures as things change and progress on the path is made.
By greening your business, you can do the right thing and bolster your brand, so what are you waiting for?
