200 years ago, there was the rise of the industrial revolution and since then, the environment has suffered as a result of improved innovation and commercialisation. It’s common for business owners to prioritise monetisation at the expense of the environment. But there’s an opportunity for businesses to make a difference by focusing on eco-friendly initiatives that will still allow their business to profit. Here’s a few ways you can incorporate green-friendly initiatives into your business.
Invest in LED lights.
Lighting costs are one of the most significant costs for a business. It’s common for businesses to allocate 15% of their business overheads towards lighting costs. If the business uses incandescent lighting, it can reduce its annual energy consumption by switching to LED lighting. There is a more significant upfront cost to invest in LED lights, however the cost savings over the long-term make it a viable investment.
Partner with ethical suppliers.
There’s only so much your organisation will be able to do when working towards sustainable initiatives. For smaller businesses, it isn’t possible to dedicate teams or resources to improve sustainability within an organisation. This is when it is better to partner with specialist organisations. For example, ink cartridges are one of the most problematic items affecting the environment. By ensuring that used ink cartridges are sent to ethical recyclers, they won’t end up in landfill and can be recycled into new items such as e-wood or plastic pens. The same can be said for paper and cardboard recyclers. Even mobile phone recyclers will pay organisations to receive their used mobile phones.
Invest in energy efficient electrical equipment.
One of the quickest wins that you can implement is investing in energy-efficient equipment. Items like the printer are usually left on throughout the day and draw energy even when it isn’t in use. By investing in an energy-efficient printer, the machine will power down when it isn’t in use, thus saving energy and the environment.
Create an eco-friendly culture in your organisation.
To successfully build an eco-friendly organisation, the leaders within the business need to commit to an eco-friendly mission and ensure that this vision is communicated throughout the organisation. Eco-friendly habits should be encouraged, such as:
- Recycling unused items in the organisation.
- Saving energy by turning off electrical equipment when it isn’t in use.
- Not investing in disposable items, such as paper towels, plastic cups or plastic utensils.
Encourage remote working.
Having staff on your business’s premises increases overheads significantly. There’s typically the need to invest in a workstation, office space, meetings and also accounting for staff distractions. Allowing staff to work remotely does have its risks, but the benefits outweigh the negatives if it works well.
Some of the positives include:
Increased productivity.
Staff can work longer since they don’t need to commute to the office from their home. They can also work at their leisure, but work towards productivity targets rather than just showing up to work. Additionally, they are less prone to distractions from other co-workers.
Minimised overheads.
You won’t need to invest in an office workstation, which can easily cost $5,000-10,000. This includes providing a computer, tools, subscriptions, licenses, stationery and any other materials that they might need in order for them to do the tasks required in their job.
Encourage virtual solutions.
Cloud software has changed the way we work and operate. No longer do businesses have to invest in massive storage drives on site as many online software providers have their own storage servers. This minimises your investment and operational costs.
The good thing about the solutions provided is that they will save you money and improve your business’s profit. So take a look at any areas in your business that can be improved.
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