5 Concerns You Need to Think About in Your Sustainable Business

Julie Starr • July 14, 2021

Running your own business can bring about many different concerns that you have never considered. These concerns can be even tougher to manage if you are aiming for a sustainable business. Here are some of the things you need to watch out for.

Carbon Footprint

A business’s carbon footprint has become a hot topic over the last few years, especially after it was discovered that large companies were offsetting their carbon footprint by buying allowances from smaller companies. Although there is a good chance you don’t need to offset your footprint, how big is it? There are so many variables to take into consideration such as product delivery, the waste, and pollution from making your products. The big question is, could you be doing more to reduce your footprint in your business?

Finances

Getting funding for a business can be tricky but there are a growing number of options available for the sustainable entrepreneur. As governments around the world battle to reduce their own carbon emissions, they are opening up funding to companies that are more eco-minded. A collection agency isn’t required for certain types of funding as there are green business grants available if you are following certain guidelines. This is something that everyone should consider looking into because the greener your business is, the more funding it could get.

Waste Management

So, you have got the green funding and have reduced your carbon footprint from outside sources, but what about your waste management? Your waste management and carbon footprint go hand in hand together but they are still two very different things. Waste management may be the easier one of the two for you to control. Recycling food waste as compost, upcycling office furniture instead of buying new stuff, and going digital are all ways to reduce your waste. This in turn will help your carbon footprint.

Ethics

When it comes to staff and your company, you probably want people who share your own ethics. Employees of sustainable businesses often search out their potential employers because of the values that the company has, rather than the paycheck. If you do find that someone doesn’t share your values or the values of the company, you might be tempted to let them go. This is illegal and you could get in a lot of trouble. However, if their values and ethics don’t line up with yours and they think they can get away with racial abuse, sexual abuse, or anything in this vein, then that is something else. A sustainable business must ensure that its employees are looked after and have a strong ethical code of conduct.

How is Your Company Impacting the World?

This is a tough question to answer but hopefully, the general answer is “making it better”. It doesn’t matter how big or small your business is, it can still have an impact on the world around it. Every year, have an audit and see how your business is doing and see if there is any way that it can improve on what you have been doing. You might be surprised with some of the ways you have been making the world a better place.

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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.