Tips To Make Your Business More Eco-Friendly

Studies show that over 80% of consumers prefer to buy from brands that actively support and champion environmental initiatives. Going green has incredible benefits for business owners, including enhancing brand image and saving money. If you’re on a mission to modernise your business and make operations more eco-friendly, here are some simple steps to take today.

Recycling

If your company doesn’t already have a recycling scheme in place, it’s an excellent idea to encourage employees and customers to recycle plastic, cardboard, paper, glass and metal products. Ensure that you have containers in accessible places and use posters and internal email to signpost collection points and get your team interested in recycling. As well as common household and office items, you can also look into e waste recycling and specialist services that handle products that are not suitable for regular recycling boxes. If you run a dental practice, for example, you can work with agencies to dispose of supplies like brush heads.

Reducing energy consumption

Reducing energy consumption makes a positive impact on the environment as well as saving companies money. As the cost of gas and electricity rises, it is more important than ever for businesses to try to bring bills down. There are some very simple ways to operate more cost-effectively, including swapping old technology and appliances for smart versions, replacing old bulbs with energy-efficient lighting and using a thermostat. It’s also beneficial to encourage your employees to turn the lights off when they leave and switch off computers and appliances at the socket. Improving insulation can reduce energy use in the colder autumn and winter months.

Encouraging greener commuting

Many employees commute to work and this often involves getting in the car and driving from A to B. If your team is office-based, or they drive to work regularly, try to encourage greener commuting. You could organise a car-share scheme, incentivise cycling or walking or consider more flexible arrangements, which enable employees to work from home more frequently. Employers could also consider helping with the cost of public transport. If you lease company cars, or you have a fleet of vehicles, investigate environmentally-friendly options to reduce your carbon footprint. The initial cost of updating vehicles may be significant, but you’ll start saving money on fuel immediately.

Reusing and repurposing

Many of us are guilty of throwing items away that still have life left in them. As a business owner, you can reduce waste by reusing and repurposing office supplies, furniture and any other waste that you produce that could be salvaged, such as leftover food from a restaurant, hotel or cafe. It’s a fantastic idea to team up with other businesses or charities in the area.

More and more people want to support sustainable brands and organisations. If you run a company, it’s beneficial to modernise your business by embracing greener, more eco-friendly ways of working. Recycle, reduce waste, encourage greener commuting and lower energy consumption. These changes will make a positive contribution to the environment at the same time as saving you money and enhancing your brand image.