Common Sustainability Mistakes Companies Make

Julie Starr • May 26, 2021



It’s no secret that companies need to focus their energy on ensuring that their practices are sustainable. We all need to do our part if we’re going to stand any chance of avoiding climate change catastrophe, and that includes both at a personal and corporate level. Companies that do work to improve their environmental record won’t just be doing the right thing, either — they’ll also be more likely to win over customers. The public is increasingly opting to give their money to businesses that show a wider moral conscience, especially younger customers.

Of course, sheer will won’t make your company more sustainable. You need to work on making it so. During the process, you’ll want to avoid some of the common mistakes that many companies make when they’re transitioning to more eco-friendly practices. We take a look at some of the most common errors below.

Token Gestures 

If you’re going to transition to become an environmentally friendly business, then it’s important that you’re doing more than just token gestures. Recycling your paper is important, but it won’t get to the heart of the problem. It’s best to look at making large changes that’ll have an impact 5, 10 years down the line. The world is going to move towards being more environmentally friendly, not less. If you’re just doing the bare minimum, then you’ll always be playing catch up, so look at dedicating time, energy, and money to getting things right at the first time of asking.

Where They Work

It’s not just the working practices that impact a company’s environmental record. The stuff around those practices has an impact, too. For example, let’s take the building . A company could enact plenty of eco-friendly aspects into their day-to-day operations, but if they’re working in a building that is decidedly bad for the environment, then the effects of their efforts will be minimal. The extent to how much you can impact the eco-qualities of your building will depend on whether you own or rent the building, but there’s always something that you can do.

Outdated Appliances 

As well as the building, it’s worthwhile looking at your company’s infrastructure. They might not be as good for the environment as they could be. If you haven’t updated your printer, lights, and other hardware in some time, then it’s possible that they’re energy-drainers. Investing in newer models won’t only be good for the planet, but they’ll likely save you money. These things do require a greater upfront investment, but they end up paying for themselves, as well as bringing other benefits to your company.

Sustainable Communication

There’s always a way to do things in a manner that benefits the planet. Take how you communicate with your customers. If you’re sending out paper marketing, or they need to visit you in person every time they have an issue, then you’ll be using up more resources than are necessary. Instead, look at doing things in a smarter way. In the digital age, there’s no reason for companies to send out printed materials. How your customers communicate with you can also change. Rather than asking the public to visit them in person, companies should offer digital communication methods. Looking to add chat to your website or having a customer service telephone number will reduce your carbon footprint while still ensuring that the customer experience remains positive. It’s what all the big companies are doing.

Lack of Investment 

You have to spend money to make money. It’s true that not all environmental changes will come free, or cheap. Sometimes, the changes that you have to make will come at what seems like a considerable cost. However, it’s worthwhile paying the price — for starters, those changes will last for many years. Second, it’s an investment . They’ll pay for themselves eventually. Plus, in an age when companies that don’t show a concern for the environment will be left behind, not making the investment could prove to be a big error later on down the line.

Conducting a Full Analysis 

You can’t figure out where you need to go until you know where you are. It’s worthwhile looking at your current setup and identifying where you’re currently acting in an unsustainable way. Everyone knows the basics of switching to an environmentally friendly operation. However, while there are things that all companies can do, it’s important to remember that each business is different. If you can perform a thorough review of current practices, you might just discover that you have one or two issues that are causing more damage than you realized. 

Trying To Do Everything Themselves

It can pay to bring outsiders in. After all, you don’t have all the skills needed to run your business. Indeed, your expertise will lie in the products or services that you offer. Other things, such as marketing and legal and the rest, will require help from elsewhere. This principle can apply to your environmental practices, too. There are companies and individuals out there that can provide a more detailed analysis of what you should change than you can. In an age when it’s easier than ever to outsource work, there’s no reason to do everything all by yourself.

Only Showing Concern For The Environment Through Marketing

By far the greatest danger — to the environment and the company’s reputation — is to focus on greenwashing your company . It’s easy to incorporate earth-friendly rhetoric into your marketing materials, but if you’re only paying lip service to the environment, then eventually, it’ll backfire. The world is shifting to greener policies, and in a few years, the businesses that didn’t take it seriously will be left behind. Plus, let’s not forget that customers aren’t stupid. They can see through companies that are just saying what they think the public wants to hear. So make sure that your earth-friendly operations run through all that you do, rather than just being something that you say to curry favor with consumers.

Eco Supply Chain 

You’re not running your company in isolation. You’ll have suppliers, partners, and so on. So it’s worthwhile looking at the eco-credentials of the other companies that you work with. While you might have good practices at your company, if you’re hiring companies with a less than stellar environmental record, then that’ll fall on you, too. Plus, the world will only change if people and companies stop giving their money to businesses that cause harm to the environment. Have the same standards for the companies you hire as you do for your own company. 

Not Taking the Employee’s Views on Board 

The environmental policies that you enact at your company should come from the bottom up, not the top down. Part of the logic behind this is because eco-friendly policies must run through everything you do, rather than just at the top level of your operations. The other reason is that you’ll be more likely to miss something if you focus at the top. A good way to get around this common mistake is to take your employees’ views on board. They’ll likely know where things could be improved, simply because they’re working on the “shop floor” every day. If all the decisions are made at an executive level, then something will be overlooked. This is a generally good rule for all decisions related to your company, not just ones related to the environment.

Overly Ambitious Goals 

It’s good to be driven by passion when it comes to making improvements to your business. But if you’ve never thought about your company’s environmental record before, then it’s a good idea to start slow. While it’s noble to want to change everything and to become a champion of the environment, if you have overly ambitious goals, then it’ll be more likely that you’ll lose focus. Get the basics under control and then you can think about stepping up and doing more. If you are going to set ambitious goals, then be sure to make your plans as detailed as possible, with realistic time frames in mind.

Getting Stuck 

Finally, let’s think about your ongoing commitment to the environment. It’s good to start with the basics, but that shouldn’t be the end of your journey. There are new eco-friendly practices coming out all the time. Indeed, in the space of a couple of years, there’ll be new ways of doing things. Once you’ve finished your current transition to earth-friendly practices, keep on top of what new developments are coming out and other ways that you can improve. You could consider creating an environment officer role at your business; it’ll be their job to stay abreast of developments. It’s all about developing in line with new ways of doing things. 

Conclusion

It’s up to all of us to do better for the planet. Take our tips above, and it won’t be long before you can feel like you’re playing your role. In an age when concern for the climate is becoming more mainstream and important than ever, now’s the perfect time to look at improving your business. 

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