In the past few years, there has been a lot of talk about how businesses can contribute to making our planet more environmentally friendly. You can do many things as a small business to help save the environment and reduce your business’ footprint on this earth. In this blog post, we will explore ten ways to make your small business more environmentally friendly!
Go Paperless
Paperless offices are becoming more and more popular these days. This is because paperless offices reduce the amount of printing that takes place, which in turn saves a substantial amount of energy. In addition to saving energy, going paperless also reduces your business’ carbon footprint by cutting down on the trees that need to be cut down.
There are many apps you can use to make notes on your computer or smartphone. Try sending emails or digital messages instead of letters. Implement business communication software, such as Trello or Slack, which allow teams to work in real-time.
Another idea is to use an accounting app like Pleo, or software that means you don’t need physical receipts for your records. This can save on printing invoices, save space, and keep everything neatly in one place to make accounting easier.
Switch to a Green Energy Supplier
Many companies are switching from fossil fuel-based energy to renewable forms of power. By doing this, they not only reduce their carbon footprint but also save money on their bills each month. By researching which suppliers offer greener energy, you can reduce your carbon footprint.
You could go one step further and install solar panels to generate some of your own power and save even more money. We all use energy in our businesses so this is one of the easiest ways to make your small business more environmentally friendly!
Use Green Website Hosting
We recently switched our website hosting provider to Greengeeks, who have matched all their energy use three times as much with Renewable Energy. This means our website is now 300% green! The prices were competitive, and support even migrated our website hassle-free. They are also offering to plant a tree at the moment for every new hosting account opened. Check them out here.
Reduce Your Plastic Usage
Reducing your plastic usage is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint. Plastic doesn’t break down and can take decades to decompose, so by reducing it, you will be cutting this time in half. Reduce your use of straws, bottles and bags as these all contribute to our plastics problem.
Look at all of the single-use plastic used within your business and see if there is a way to use an alternative. One simple switch you can make is replacing single-use plastic water bottles with reusable ones. You will not only save on buying water each day.
Recycle
Recycle everything you can. Paper, tins and plastic bottles are usually easy to recycle in the UK. This means the materials can be given a new lease of life-saving on resources. This is one of the simplest ways to make your small business more environmentally friendly
Buy Used
If you need furniture, tools, equipment etc., why not look for something used before buying new? Furniture is a great way to be sustainable. By buying used, you save trees, energy and landfill. Not only will this save you money, but it is giving a new lease of life to something and preventing the need for the manufacture of more items.
Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
No matter what type of business you run, cleaning will take place. Swapping your usual cleaning products for eco-friendly ones is a great way to protect the environment. Not to mention that the artificial fragrances in traditional cleaners are harmful to you and can cause allergic reactions.
I recently switched to Smol with their easy to use tablets that dissolve in water in their reusable bottles. It’s saved me money and is kinder to the environment.
Reduce Energy Consumption
It’s not just about what you do in your office; it is also about how much energy you use to run that office. Use computers or monitors with a low-power display setting during work hours, so they are off when idle.
Install LED lights for lower power consumption and increased lifespan of bulbs over CFLs. Ensure all lights are switched off when not needed.
Switch to a power strip with an automatic shutdown feature so that all electronics are switched off when not in use.
Consider using motion sensors for outdoor lighting rather than an always-on timer or light switch and make sure lights turn on at dusk/during evening hours only.
Reduce Waste
Look at all of your processes to determine areas where waste can be reduced. This could be through recycling or implementing procedures that leave less waste. This could be offcuts of materials, food and beverages that go to waste and things such as heat and water.
One easy way is to switch to more environmentally friendly packaging, like paper bags instead of plastic carrier bags. This will help you save money by not having to buy as much replacement material, and it’s also better for the environment because fewer resources are needed.
Reduce Transport
There are a few ways the need for transport can be reduced. One is to walk to work where possible. Another is to minimise the number of deliveries needed to your business. If you deliver to customers, limit the days you despatch to avoid extra trips being needed.
As you can see, these ways to make your small business more environmentally friendly are simple. Making these small changes to your business operations can save energy, the environment and even money-making them a win-win solution for us all. If everyone made small steps towards lowering their carbon footprint, we could significantly reduce energy, materials, production, and more.
Another good way to be more green is to choose your suppliers, contractors etc. wisely. Opt for other companies who are doing their bit for the planet to keep the chain of reduced carbon. If you need support with your websites, social media or marketing reach out for a chat here.
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