HOW TO MAKE YOUR SMALL BUSINESS MORE ECO-FRIENDLY
Small changes breed more significant results. That is precisely the case when it comes to having an environmentally friendly business. According to scientists, around 8 million tons of plastics end up in our seas and oceans each year. The repercussions are so dire that we have started feeling the height of climate change. As an eco-conscious business, you need to take a stance about your energy, waste, and water, and how they have an impact on the surrounding environment. Peruse further to read about tips that will help you have a green small business:
Recycle your e-waste
An environmentally conscious company is one that aims to reduce its carbon footprint. It starts with your electronic waste. Technology is rapidly advancing, and the number of mobile phones, telephones, televisions people throw away is alarming. Unwanted tech devices end up in dumpsites in every corner of a major city. Your business should join other eco-friendly companies and dispose of its e-waste correctly. Search online and identify e-waste recycling locations within your business’ neighborhood. You can also give away unutilized electronic devices to charity instead of littering the environment.
Use eco-friendly cleaning products
Going green starts with how you clean your business premises. Cleaning products contain chemicals that are toxic to the environment. Learn to embrace environmentally friendly cleaning products that are easy on your hands and breathing system.
Utilize energy-efficient appliances
Don’t you think your old office appliances are too hard on the environment? It’s time you replace them with energy-saving apparatus that will help you establish an eco small business. The next time you purchase an office appliance, check the energy rating on it and make sure you pick the one that’s beneficial in terms of less energy usage. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Rent an eco-friendly business premise
When you want to relocate your business to a new setting, make sure you consider a Building Management System (BMS). A BMS encompasses lighting, heating, and Ventilation Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems that will help you cut operational costs by a substantial margin of up to 15%. An updated BMS that makes use of eco-friendly building materials will include a price-conscious electrical system. Such a building will make help you achieve a sustainable small business by potentially saving a lot from electrical consumption.
Make use of renewable resources
As cliché as this sounds, utilizing renewable resources can be your first step in becoming one of the environmentally friendly companies. Add solar panels to generate electricity or heat water. You can also go the extra mile and recapture the heat emitted by your computers and use it to heat your pool. How about you turn to wind or geothermal energy?
Implement cloud computing
When it comes to fostering an eco-friendly environment, no one has put in more effort than cloud providers. Cloud computing is causing an overhaul in computer storage and has emerged as a great alternative to storing your vital files. IT equipment such as servers and other hardware are a massive contributor to energy utilization and harm the environment. You can avert this by adopting host clients in place of typical desktops. Cloud storage will reduce reliance on hardware.
Go remote
A lot of heat and carbon waste gets emitted in tight office spaces. Telepresence and remote working can help you reduce carbon footprints in a sizeable way. Think about how you’ll save on costly office workspace and carbon-intensive commutes? You don’t have to guzzle energy in a suburb while you can relocate your office to a more viable place.
Do away with paper completely
Paper is not one Camong reusable products. Eliminating its use in your work set-up has the potential of creating a small manageable world that is carbon-free. You can cut off paper use by replacing it with a computerized management system that will help you scan and store business information with ease. You will subsequently shed off paper consumption in a big way.
Adopt eco-friendly packaging
If you want to reduce the amount of energy and water used during packaging, you’ll need to avoid a few critical non-bio wastes:
- Polyethylene plastics
- Polystyrene
- Fossil Fuel
- Styrofoam
In their place, use plant-based plastics, recycled material, recycled molded packaging, and biodegradable plastics to pack your products. This way, you’ll accomplish environmentally friendly packaging. You can also try selecting items that require less packaging or tool your products to fit biodegradable packaging requirements.
Curb unnecessary water usage
Be water-wise. Start by auditing your taps. You don’t want to paint a bad image of your firm when you consciously waste away water- which is precious. Make sure all toilet taps hold water that they need and that none spills away. For a small business like yours, think about erecting low-water urinals and low flow restrooms. You can also purchase a water tank to tap rainwater. Another water-smart move would be to replace your dishwashers, laundry systems, and cooling towers to the more energy-efficient and low-water ones.
Give your customers incentives
A business is non-existent without customers. In your quest to use eco-friendly products, you need to incentivize your customers to do the same. Offer them enticing bonuses to turn green. For one, you can offer small discounts for anyone who’d instead use their eco storage bag rather than a disposable. You can also encourage them to use environmentally friendly products by giving away free shopping bags, green Tees, eco wrist bands, or even organize a go-green sensitization program.
Start a carpool or ride a bike to work
You can rally your employees to go green by riding a bicycle to work. Ample benefits will likely include less carbon emission since you avoid commuting. You can also create a carpool with people headed in the same location of work, rather than each one of you riding their car. As the owner, you can establish a ‘Leave the car at home’ policy that will enable your employees to join the going-green movement.
Wrapping up
Going eco is never easy for a small business that is trying to balance the books. However, you can go green by adopting sustainable products and eco-friendly materials in the various phases of production, packaging, and sales.