Businesses in all industries need to take action to reduce their impact on the environment. This is an enormous global issue and one which will take a collective effort to combat but when all businesses take action it will start to make a difference. In addition to the environmental benefits, becoming eco-friendly can also often help a brand to reduce costs and improve reputation.
Here are a few of the best ways of doing this.
Increase recycling
One of the easiest ways to be more environmentally-friendly is to increase recycling. Opting for easily recyclable marketing materials, having recycling bins in easy-to-access parts of the office and encouraging staff to do so are small changes but ones which can make a big difference in the long run.
Use alternative energy
If possible, switching to alternative energy is a brilliant idea and one which will make an enormous impact on your carbon footprint as a business. Not only this, but alternative energy can help companies to make enormous long-term savings so it is a smart financial move to make.
Turn it off
Installing socket timers to your electrical appliances is a cost effective way to improve your carbon footprint. Having plug socket timers also eradicates manual checks that all devices are switched off or haven’t been left on standby/ sleep mode.
Energy efficient appliances
Energy efficient appliances and equipment can also be a highly effective way to reduce impact while also lowering your utility bill. Additionally, you should only use appliances when needed and turn them off when not in use.
Remote working
Many employers are encouraging remote working in 2020 and this is for good reason. It can bring many benefits to both the employer and the employee, plus it helps a company to reduce its energy usage (and also lower bills).
Sustainable suppliers
It is also important to look outside your own business and to the suppliers that you use. You should find sustainable suppliers and ideally ones from the area so that you can reduce transport while also supporting the local economy.
Encourage walking/cycling to work
It is intelligent to encourage staff to walk or cycle to work to possible so that fewer people are driving – it is also a free and healthy choice. This won’t always be possible in which case you could start a carpool to reduce the number of vehicles being used.
Look at other brands
It is also important to look at other brands to see what they are doing to reduce impact. Instantprint, for example, perform annual inspections, only use sustainable sources and recycle as much as 97% of their waste output.
These are a few of the best ways to reduce your environmental impact and you will find that they are easy to implement and can bring other benefits, including a better brand reputation and lower expenses.
