4 Key Business Areas You Can Achieve Higher Levels Of Sustainability

Julie Starr • June 7, 2022

When you think of going green in your business, you probably explore options like renewable power and recycling. While these are two aspects of your business where you can easily go green, there are other areas of your company that are also worth exploring. Let’s take a look at some of these possibilities right now.

Health And Safety

First, let’s think about health and safety. Health and safety are critical components of your company. Without the right health and safety standards in place, you run the risk of leaving your company open to expensive lawsuits. But is it possible to keep your company green and stay safe at the same time? Absolutely and one of the ways that you can do this is by making sure that you are using greener suppliers for first aid incidents. Another element of health and safety is keeping the office clean and hygienic. It’s important to ensure green standard products are used to clean your office space too. This is something to consider when devising your business health and safety policy .

Tech Purchases

Another important element to consider is the tech that you are using in your business. A lot of business owners save money by investing in old or dated tech. This is somewhat understandable. However, it’s important to be aware that old tech is never going to meet the right green standards of the modern market. So, while you could be saving money in the short term, in the longer term you could be significantly damaging the prospects of your company. You should also check the energy rating before investing in new tech for your company.

Transportation

Transportation is always going to be a critical element when working to ensure that your business is more green and sustainable. If you are providing a fleet of vehicles to your employees, then you absolutely need to think about hybrids and potentially even EVs. You can also set up your business property to ensure that you are encouraging greener choices of travel. An example would be setting up a bicycle stand outside your business. If a feature like this exists, you’ll find people are going to be more encouraged and more likely to cycle to work. It really is that simple.

Marketing

Finally, let’s think about marketing choices in your business. Certain marketing choices are more green-friendly than others. Gone are the days when you should be sending out flyers or leaflets for your company. This is killing the planet and there’s just no need to explore offline tactics like this. You can easily create a far more significant impact with online marketing techniques that are also greener choices. You might even want to think about whether the marketing agency you work with has the same green standards as you.

Hopefully, this helps you understand some of the key areas where it is possible to make significant changes in terms of health and safety in your business model. Although these might not seem as significant as solar panels, they can help ensure a more gradual and overall change to sustainable choices throughout your company.

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Simple Steps To Make Your Office Space More Eco-Friendly

By Julie Starr • 07 Oct, 2024

Becoming more eco-friendly and running a greener business is a responsibility that business owners really need to think more about. The good news is that if you spend a lot of time in your office, there are plenty of ways to make it more eco-friendly without having to overhaul everything and start again (which isn’t just disruptive, but expensive too). So, if you’re ready to get started, here are some simple steps to make your office space more eco-friendly; read on to find out more. Use Energy-Efficient Lighting This idea is a simple one that you can do no matter what else might be on your list of tasks - it’s quick, easy, and really makes a difference; change your light bulbs to something more energy efficient. If you’re still using traditional fluorescent bulbs, it’s time to upgrade to LED which doesn’t just last longer, but also uses a lot less energy. They’re easy to install and they’ll help you cut down on your office’s energy usage almost instantly. If possible, you should make the most of natural light too, so think about rearranging your workspace to let in more sunlight, which saves energy and can boost your mood - it’s a win-win that you can do right away. Prioritize Air Quality The air you breathe matters, and keeping it clean can do wonders for your health and the planet. One way to improve air quality is by adding plants to your workspace because plants are natural air purifiers, and as a bonus, they’ll make your office feel more inviting. Another great idea is to make sure your office’s HVAC system is working efficiently, and having air duct cleaning done by professionals is an easy step you can take to improve air quality and ensure your heating and cooling systems aren’t wasting energy. Clean air ducts mean cleaner air, less strain on your system, and even lower energy bills, so it’s a simple but really effective thing to do. Switch To Reusable Products If your office is still stocking up on single-use plastic items, it’s time for a change - swap your disposable cups, utensils, and plates for reusable ones and you’ll be surprised at how much waste to eliminate. And what about encouraging people to bring their own mugs and water bottles to work? Give them tea, coffee, and water to refill everything with, and you’ll be doing your bit to help the planet and have less waste to deal with as well. And don’t stop with these things either - there are loads of reusable products that could be useful in your office. You could have refillable pens and ink cartridges for your printer, for example. Go Paperless Speaking of your printer, is that an office machine you actually need? If you were to go digital and aim for a paperless office , you might be able to do away with the printer, which means less money spent on ink and paper, and less energy used altogether. You should be able to set up a system where documents can be shared online and stored electronically, and there are plenty of tools around to help you do exactly that (and much more). If you don’t need to print something and you don’t need a physical copy of a document, don’t make one - just use the digital version instead and you’ll be a lot more eco-friendly.

3 Most Unsustainable Industries & What They're Doing To Be More Eco-Conscious

By Julie Starr • 04 Oct, 2024

Sustainability often gets pushed on the common person. Joe Public is told to be more sustainable with their daily habits as the government pushes for more eco-friendly measures. This is all well and good - but does it really matter when 71% of greenhouse gas emissions come from just 100 companies around the world? Small business owners are desperate to prove their sustainability, but what are bigger companies in some of the most polluting industries doing to help? We’ve taken three of the least sustainable sectors on the planet and explored the unique ways they’re trying to cut down on emissions and be more eco-friendly. Mining Any industry revolving around drilling underground will not be very environmentally friendly! Mining causes a lot of pollution, but its unsustainability often comes from the way it damages local environments and ecosystems. So, what is this industry doing to change things? It’s largely focusing on more responsible mining practices to reduce waste and mitigate the impact on local environments. This is done through mining dust suppression systems to prevent airborne pollution, reforesting mining sites when they’re no longer in use, and recycling as many materials as possible. Is it perfect? No, but it’s a step in the right direction. Fossil Fuels Shock horror; the fossil fuels industry is the most damaging to our environment. Finding ways to change the scope of this sector is the key to ensuring a better future for all. Some companies in this industry are trying to do this through carbon capture and storage. This is a technique where CO2 emissions are captured before they’re released into the atmosphere and stored underground. Realistically, the main thing fossil fuel companies should be doing is pushing for more renewable energy sources. Many are doing this - though reports suggest they’re not investing as much as they should. If fossil fuel companies dumped more money into developing biofuels and other renewable sources, pollution from this industry would drop dramatically. Fashion The most unbelievable stat to take from this post is that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of our global carbon footprint . That’s remarkable (and worrying), considering how most of us don’t view it as a “dangerous” industry. Fast fashion is the main problem; poorly-made goods are pumped out at a rapid rate, and consumers constantly buy new things. Fashion companies are trying their best to resolve this. Most big brands will now have sustainable lines using recyclable materials. Consumers also hold the key to solving this problem: stop buying new clothes all the time and wear yours for longer. Or buy pre-owned clothes to slow down the fashion production line. Companies can still do more as well: they are trying to adopt more eco-friendly production processes that use less water and energy. The moral of this post is that everyone can do their bit to fight for a more sustainable future. Keep this in mind for your small business . It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in; there will always be ways to promote eco-friendly practices.