Top Mistakes New Businesses Make When Trying to Make Sustainable Changes

Julie Starr • June 6, 2022



Sustainability is a huge topic around the world. There is a need for businesses to make sustainable changes if they want to reduce their carbon footprint and help save the environment. Sustainable changes in business can also help your business remain compliant with the inevitable legislation that is going to be introduced around the world, help your business save money, and help your business improve its values to be more attractive to new customers. While many businesses may have good intentions, many mistakes are proving costly to their business, as well as the environment. Fortunately, there are some common mistakes that you can learn valuable lessons from to improve your business. 

To help you make better business decisions while making sustainable changes, here are some of the top mistakes that new businesses make that you should avoid. 

#1 Taking action based on assumptions

When you want to take action in your new business to be more sustainable, it must be based on facts and evidence, rather than assumptions. When you make an assumption, there is a chance that the action you take is wrong or unnecessary. This can cost you money and make a negative impact on the environment, as opposed to a positive. Before you take any action, you should review the environmental impact your business currently makes or is going to make.

#2 Not setting goals or creating an action plan 

Just like you shouldn’t take action based on assumptions, you should also avoid making changes without a plan . A plan will inform all of your actions, make sure they are well-thought-out and can be executed efficiently. This is a good, sustainable practice in itself as you reduce wasting any time and resources. It will also guide your actions to ensure you are contributing to the bigger picture and there are benefits to your actions. 

#3 Not making changes because the business cannot be digitized 

In many businesses, there is a need for printing and machines to be used to produce the product that is sold to consumers. This doesn’t mean you can’t implement other sustainable practices to support the environment. If your business cannot be digitized, you mustn’t give up. There has never been a more important time for businesses to take action and make changes where they can. For example, if you run an interior design or architect business, you can’t go without printing your blueprints. Just because you cannot digitize this process, doesn’t mean you can’t make other sustainable choices. For example, you can choose to invest in good quality equipment that will last you a long time and reduce waste, such as reputable vinyl cutters . You can also change other processes, such as your accounting, and take it paperless. 

Making sustainable changes to a new business is a challenging process. While every business is bound to make mistakes, it can be helpful to understand the most common mistakes, and how to avoid them. This will reduce delays in improving your practices, and help you get ahead of the game. 

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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