Simple Steps Towards Business Sustainability

Julie Starr • Jul 04, 2021



Fortunately, we’re living in a world where science and technology are able to identify the extent of the negative impact human activity is having on the planet we live on. Many of us are shocked by the results and are taking active steps towards leading more environmentally friendly lives and lifestyles. Of course, it’s all good and well implementing these measures into our personal lives. But as a society, we need businesses to follow suit. A huge amount of damage is a result of business operations and if all companies worked together to reduce their carbon footprint and use better business practices, the benefit for the planet could be tremendous! Now, it can often feel difficult to know exactly where to start when it comes to running a business that is less damaging for the planet. But the steps below could help you to get off to the best start possible!

Choose Eco-Friendly Commercial Energy Suppliers

Every business needs energy to run. Whether that’s to run office spaces, machinery, or anything else. Whatever amount of energy you’re using, it’s best if this energy comes from a green supplier. Of course, in a bid to save money, the majority of small businesses opt for the cheapest commercial energy supplier on the market. But if you find that the cheapest option isn’t an eco-friendly one, it can prove more than worth paying a little extra to use more ethical energy. There are countless suppliers out there, so browse the market and see which best suits your business and its needs. If you’re ready and willing to invest in eco friendly energy generators yourself, such as solar panels, you can take an extra step and generate your own green energy. This can cost less in the long run.

Recycle

By now, every workplace should be recycling. This isn’t something that we should solely be doing in our own homes. Invest in color-coded bins that staff can then use to separate their waste. You can then have this collected and recycled!

Add CSR Clauses Into Your Contracts

It’s one thing making your own business more eco-friendly. But it’s going to take many businesses working together to make a huge impact. One way that you can do this? By adding corporate social responsibility (or “CSR”) clauses into your contracts with other businesses you use or work alongside. The majority of small businesses enter into collaborative contracts with other companies, from contracts with businesses who are making your products, businesses collaborating for product collections or marketing campaigns or anything else. You should seriously consider implementing CSR clauses into any contract that you write up with any of these businesses. By implementing these clauses into your contracts, you can ensure that the businesses you’re working with are taking eco-friendly measures as sincerely as you are. This encourages more companies to go above and beyond the minimum legal requirements of ethical practice. Of course, these clauses can focus on any ethical subject from workplace safety training & compliance to fair wage issues. But you can choose to focus on environmental sustainability within your own. This also works well from a PR perspective, as customers will appreciate you using companies and services that align with your business’ values and their values as a consumer.

Reduce Your Paper Consumption

Now, paper is preferable to plastic. But if you are using excess paper, you should do what you can to reduce your paper consumption. This will help to reduce deforestation, save the rainforests and minimize habitat destruction . With technological improvements,  there are now many ways to make the switch from countless paper documents stored in cabinets to online documents. When you think about it, chances are, your business gets through a fair amount of paper on a daily basis. Making this change can reduce waste and minimize deforestation. For documents that do need to be printed for some reason, try to stock up on ethically sourced, recycled options.

Of course, it may take a little time to implement all of these changes into your business and the way that it runs itself. But by taking one step at a time, you can gradually shift your business’ operations and ensure that you’re running a company that can safely say it’s running in a green and fair manner. It’s more than worth the effort and investment – not only now but for the future too!

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.
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