Can You Truly Take Tech To The Green Side?

Julie Starr • January 26, 2022

When it comes to sustainability in business, digital technologies are often painted as the bad guys. Certainly, the fact that the internet alone is responsible for as much as 3.7% of global greenhouse emissions is enough to make any ethically conscious company shudder. Unfortunately, with online activity now essential for success, even businesses that are aware of this often high cost of tech usage have no choice but to invest. 

Of course, sustainability focuses like ethical energy usage can go a long way towards offsetting this damage, but there’s still a lot of ground to cover before it’s possible to even come close to limiting the damage created this way. Hence why, for green-minded businesses, something called sustainable technology is increasingly becoming a pressing focus.

As well as referring to the most sustainable sourcing of energy reserves, this term has largely come to refer to technology that provides environmental good. This sustainable focus can both reduce the amount of technology being used and, hopefully, offset the damage created by residual digitizations. Keep on reading to find out just a few of the most pressing sustainable technology focuses currently making that possible.

# 1 – Automating unnecessary processes

Automation is responsible for a great many of the sustainable focuses that we’ll be discussing here, but it deserves a mention of its own because automating even unrelated in-house processes can make a huge difference to energy outputs. Targeted solutions like automated process discovery that specifically highlight weak points in a company’s digital infrastructure can especially help to eliminate time-consuming and eco-damaging tech-led processes. Furthermore, automation significantly reduces the time each team member must spend in front of a computer, which can lead to significantly more time spent on eco-focuses including sustainable practices, eco-collaborations, and general environmental good. All because of the implementation of a technology that you previously dismissed for being as bad as the rest. 

# 2 – Sourcing supply chain improvements

As can be seen from the implementation of certain technologies such as shelf-canning robots and built-in sensors by companies like Walmart , technology that helps with the management and simplification of general supply chain processes can also make a huge difference from an environmental standpoint. Again, this is in large part thanks to reducing the need for far lengthier tech-led manual processes for the same purpose. However, the ability of this technology to significantly reduce supply chain wastage is perhaps its main selling point. This is especially evident in Walmart food chains, where self-led technology has significantly reduced food waste with a positive environmental impact when paired with general reductions in output, largely offsetting any energy that these technologies require to function in the first place.

# 3 – Seeking more sustainable solutions

Generally speaking, sustainable solutions such as collaboration and energy sourcing , etc. are limited to things like word of mouth recommendations, or the options that are closest to your company location. However, by providing simplified access to far wider-reaching sustainable solutions, internet usage, in particular, can lead to significant improvements elsewhere in your company. This is going to be difficult to justify if members of your team spend hours on the internet seeking sustainable partnerships of this nature, but targeted, limited searching for the right companies to work with can make a huge difference to processes overall. From changing energy suppliers to ensuring partnership with a more eco-friendly delivery service, well-chosen searches of this kind can more than make up for the energy usage they cost in the first place. Offsetting energy consumption with automation, in general, can especially afford you the energy usage needed to enjoy this benefit without compromising on your green standing in general.

# 4 – Using tech for social good

Outside of making certain sustainable business practices possible , it’s also important to note that a generalized focus on using technology to do environmental good can also largely justify the energy needed to make them possible in the first place. Social media campaigns like those seen from companies like Ford are a prime example of this, with this otherwise necessary aspect of digital marketing operations being targeted towards direct environmental good. From petitions to fundraising campaigns and beyond, taking social good online can certainly help to see tech doing more environmental good than it does damage over time.

Sustainable technology may be a step away from everything you’ve learned, but the reality is that it isn’t difficult to both offset digital damage and find a positive way around it when you keep these unique, and importantly green, approaches in mind. 

5 Simple Ways to Make Your Online Business More Sustainable

By Julie Starr • August 9, 2025
Running an online business can feel like a constant balancing act. You’re trying to grow, keep customers happy, and still have time for yourself. The trick to making it all work long-term is to build habits and systems that last. You don’t need a complicated plan or endless resources to do it either. Here are five straightforward ways to make your business more sustainable without overcomplicating things. Focus on long-term customer relationships If you want your business to last, you need customers who keep coming back. That doesn’t just happen because you’ve got a good product or service. It’s about making people feel valued every time they interact with you. Simple things like remembering their name, following up after a purchase, or sending a quick thank-you email can make a huge difference. People are far more likely to support a business they feel connected to, so keep those relationships personal and genuine rather than purely transactional. Make your marketing work smarter A big part of sustainability is making sure your marketing isn’t draining your time or money. You want it to be efficient and get results. This is where working with seo consultants can help. They know how to make sure people can find your business online without you throwing cash at random ads. Even if you can’t hire someone right now, you can start by focusing on keywords, improving your website’s loading speed, and posting valuable content that answers the questions your customers are already asking. Streamline your products or services It’s tempting to try to offer everything to everyone, but that’s rarely a good idea. The more you offer, the more time, money, and resources you’ll end up using. Instead, focus on the things you do best and make them as good as they can be. When you streamline what you’re selling, you can put all your energy into perfecting it, which makes it easier to maintain quality over time. Customers notice when you consistently deliver something great, and they’ll trust you more for it. Keep an eye on your finances No matter how much you enjoy the creative or customer side of your business, the numbers are what will keep you going long-term. That means knowing what’s coming in, what’s going out, and where you can cut costs without cutting quality. Set yourself a monthly check-in to look at your spending and profits. If you spot something that’s not working financially, don’t leave it for months, hoping it will improve. Tackle it early and you’ll avoid bigger problems down the road. Look after yourself You can’t run a sustainable business if you’re running yourself into the ground. Burnout isn’t just bad for you, it’s bad for your customers and your bottom line. Make sure you’re setting boundaries, taking breaks, and switching off when you can. That might mean scheduling a full day without work every week or turning your phone off after a certain time. The more balanced you are, the better decisions you’ll make, and the easier it will be to keep your business moving forward without constantly feeling like you’re in survival mode. Sustainability in business isn’t about doing one big thing; it’s about making intelligent, consistent choices that build over time. Start small, keep checking in on your progress, and before you know it, your business will feel a lot steadier and more future-proof than it did before.

Sustainable Choices That Heavy Industry Businesses Can Easily Make

By Julie Starr • August 8, 2025
Are you hoping to build a heavy industry business? It’s the kind of company that can have globally sweeping positive and negative effects. On the one hand, you’re contributing to the industry, ensuring there’s enough supply to meet demand, and you can do your best to operate in a sustainable way that prioritizes the environment. But on the other hand, the heavy industry has long been the most significant business polluter in the world. Despite advancements in industry technology and usage, their ranking relative to other sectors, such as food and beverage , and shipping and logistics, has remained unchanged as of 2025. Requiring extensive use of large, heavy, and expensive machinery, the fumes produced by heavy-duty factories in sectors like mining, aerospace, nautical, and metal production regularly cause harm to both human and animal life. It’s why anyone interested in investing or scaling within an industry like this needs to focus on their company’s carbon footprint. There are various ways to ensure you’re limiting your harmful output and waste, and you’ll want to use as many as possible within your operation. Check out our recommendations below. Work with Green Suppliers No matter what stage you sit at in the hypothetical supply chain, you’re likely to source at least part of your overall production material from a supplier. If that’s not the case, you’ll still need to work with companies that provide machinery and equipment, as well as replacement parts for these industrial items. All in all, to make as sustainable a choice as possible, you’ll want to commit to working with a ‘green’ supplier who makes eco-conscious choices at every step. Eco-friendly suppliers will strive to both implement sustainable practices within their production line, as well as provide sustainably made and/or extracted materials. The products and/or parts they send out are likely to be recyclable when they reach their end-of-life period, or they’ll run a scheme where you can send old or broken parts back to them. Offset Your Carbon Emissions Offsetting carbon emissions converts the waste output from your operations into something more positive. If you’re interested in programs like this , you can use official government platforms or climate charity websites to contribute. You’ll be able to find a variety of projects that have been undertaken to remove CO2 from the atmosphere, and they’ll be located in various regions across the world. You can choose to patronise as many of them as you wish, but if you want to focus on specific types, you’ll also be able to do so. When approaching a program like this, it’s usually best to offset month by month, as this helps you stay on top of your carbon footprint. Be sure to invest in as much carbon removal per tonne as your business has potentially contributed to the atmosphere in the last month. But before you go any further, there’s one thing you need to keep in mind here: Carbon offsetting is just one sustainable practice you can turn to, but it’s not the only one your business will ever need to use. Yes, it’s one of the most sustainable practices a heavy industry business can invest in. But that’s only true when it’s partnered with real-time carbon-lowering efficiencies within day-to-day operations. Repair, Rather Than Throw Away Repairing is the best option if a repair is possible. This should be the first step when evaluating old or broken-down equipment. If it can be salvaged, it should be. Otherwise, you’ll have to replace the equipment in question. Not only is that expensive, but it also means more waste to manage. And not all heavy industry tech can be recycled. Sometimes it’s potentially hazardous and needs to be disposed of carefully, and this could have harsh impacts on the surrounding environment. Repairing is your best bet, at least 80% of the time. You can get back up and running faster, and you don’t need to account for a large investment at short notice. And more equipment can be repaired than you might think. It’s not just small, singular parts that can be pulled out. Entire internal systems in even large vehicles, such as freighter ships, can be replaced by secondary parts. A marine logistics provider or deep-sea fishing operator would save a lot of money just by ordering a Cummins Rebuild Kit for one of their vessels. Deciding to put the ship out of commission and eventually scrapping it will contribute to the large-scale waste common in companies like this. Aiming to repair and limit environmental damage will get that same boat back onto the waters in seaworthy condition. Operate with Lower Emission Logistics Shipping your products to businesses and markets always generates a carbon footprint. Unless you’re operating only within the local area and you’re able to transport products back and forth on foot, this is an unavoidable issue. And seeing as you’re a heavy industry business, that’s not very likely. But some shipping options are better than others. Indeed, there are low-emission choices to be made, and you’ll want to look into these logistic partners only. You’ll likely find that air travel is a total no-go zone. Alternatives to this are long-haul road transportation or a traditional shipping company that operates via sea. Yes, even trucking your products over land generates a lot less carbon waste that can damage the environment than flying something! Staying Green as a Heavy Industry Player Working sustainably within the heavy industry is a career-long project. You’ll need to continually make moves to consider what could be streamlined into something greener and less consuming next. In the end, this can help your long-term costs decrease and stay low. Fewer risky investments, fewer fees from environmental bodies, and more productive time within your business. So, it’s not going to be easy, but it will be worth it