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How to Make Each Department in Your Business Greener
The world is changing. Consumers are demanding more sustainable products and services, and businesses are feeling the pressure to change. But, as a business owner, you may not be sure where to start to make your company greener. The good news is that there are plenty of ways for you to get started! In this blog post, we will discuss ten ways your business can transact greener in each department – from marketing to HR, so read on!
Marketing
As marketing is often the face of a company, changing your approach to how you market can make a big difference. Instead of using traditional paper flyers or postcards, why not try an electronic flyer and email? If you insist on sending out letters via snail mail, consider buying recycled paper products instead – there are plenty available these days.
Another way marketers can transact greener is by working on their digital presence . Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are great ways for businesses to market themselves. And, with the major leaps being made in the world of digital marketing, you can now market your company and reach a much larger audience than would never have been possible with traditional marketing methods.
HR
Many companies already have a green policy in place – for example, requiring employees to print double-sided or only printing when necessary, etc., but did you know that if your business is big enough, then it could be possible to offset your carbon footprint? The easiest way of doing this is by using an online service called ‘ My Climate. ‘ All you need to do is register with them and purchase one of their packages which will allow you to play a part in reforesting land, so even though as they say, “you can’t change the past,” at least you’re helping keep our future greener!
Another great way HRs can transact greener within their department is through recycling old office equipment like PCs and printers. According to Environmental Protection, the UK alone produces around 15 million tonnes of electronic waste a year, so it’s best to dispose of old equipment properly. The good news is that manufacturers like Epson and Apple have a ‘take back scheme’ which allows you to recycle both new and old products!
If your business does decide on a recycling scheme for office supplies, then make sure you handle it correctly by ensuring anything containing hazardous material (like batteries) are sent off-site where they can be disposed of with specialist companies safely, as well as making sure that everything else gets shredded before being recycled – this stops any confidential data from falling into the wrong hands!
Logistics
When it comes to making a company more green, logistics is where most people get discouraged as they think there’s not much they can do. However, this isn’t the case! Firstly make sure your business has joined initiatives like The Carbon Trust or Climate Care, which allow you to offset carbon emissions when transporting goods around.
This means that whether you’re sending out one package or several, any negative impact on the environment will be balanced, so even though you’re still using natural resources to send items in bulk, by joining these schemes, you are at least helping keep our planet cleaner overall! Another part of logistics that often gets overlooked is the packaging. Still, if carefully planned, companies can reduce their waste significantly without jeopardizing service quality – for example, having boxes with pre-cut holes can be an excellent way to ensure your items are secure and prevent too much excess packaging!
Sustainable energy sources
When it comes to making your company more green, sustainable energy sources are an excellent place to begin because they’re easy and cheap (and in some cases even free) too! For example, let’s say you own a warehouse or office building that has large windows – if the sun is shining, then why not use solar panels from https://jrcousa.com/commercial-solar-panels/ instead of regular electricity? Even though these may initially seem expensive, just think about how much money will be saved on bills as well as helping save our planet so both us and future generations can live peacefully. Plus with government grants available for small businesses who install renewable technologies, there really isn’t any reason why every business shouldn’t invest in this.
Remember, some small changes can make big differences, so don’t feel like this is something that has to cost lots of money or take up much time because sustainable energy sources are here and they’re ready now. All we have to do is reach out and grab them with both hands!
Sales
One of the first things that people think about when it comes to making their business greener is recycling paper and plastic cups at events. While this will help, there are actually many other ways you can transact greener in your sales department by thinking outside the box! For example, if all or a few of your staff have company cars, then why not switch them from petrol/diesel engines to an electric model? This means they’ll emit less carbon dioxide, plus as long as these models meet specific safety criteria (like having sufficient range for each journey), they’re also exempt from road tax, so employees could save money! You may need some convincing, but trust me – electric vehicles really are up there with cars now. Since most cities are introducing clean air zones (where older, more polluting vehicles are banned from entering), it could be good to make the switch before legislation is enforced!
Another way your company can transact greener in sales is by using recyclable pens. Instead of throwing away old biros that have run out or broken, why not just refill them with new ink? Although this may seem like an impractical task, there are actually websites online which specialize in selling refills, and if they’re purchased once every few months rather than buying brand new pens, you’ll save yourself money as well as helping our planet too!
Production
When it comes to making a business more green, production can seem like the most daunting task as there are so many things you need to consider. However, don’t worry because while this may be true for big companies with large factories and lots of employees, if your company is smaller, then you’ve got even more of an incentive since less work means fewer resources will be needed!
So what can you do? Well, firstly remember where possible that recycling waste materials from one department into another is cheaper than buying new products (and often better quality) – after all, did you know that recycled paper costs on average 20% less than newly harvested wood pulp which saves money but also uses far less energy? Plus, let’s not forget about carbon emissions – recycling paper uses 65% less energy than making it from new wood pulp, so it is a win-win situation.
Packaging
Another way your company can transact greener in production is by making sure all your packaging has as little excess material included. Although it may seem attractive to have a box that’s big enough for the product inside plus some free space, most of this will end up being thrown away, and if you supply just one item, then why spend money on something which won’t be used? Plus, don’t forget – recycling cardboard takes less energy than creating new boxes, so using leftover materials would save even more!
By utilizing the above tips, you’ll have a greener business that focuses on sustainability as much as profit in no time!
