Three of the focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money, Business/Entrepreneurship and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. Whatever your business is, its important to think about how you can make your operations eco-friendly. The following contributed post is thus entitled, How To Make Your Business More Eco-Friendly.
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With global warming becoming an increasing concern, it’s more apparent now than ever that more businesses need to do more to help the environment and be more eco-friendly. So here are a few ways you can make your business a little greener!
Go Digital
A lot of businesses can end up using monumental amounts of paper and other stationery every year. Not to mention the cost of it can really impact the profits made on a business. Therefore, it’s beneficial to go digital with as much of the organization as possible. If documents can avoid going to print then save them on your computers. A lot of businesses are going digital because there’s plenty of positives to it. It’s greener, and it’s much more cost effective.
Recycle
It’s no surprise that a lot of businesses, particularly those within cities, may not be so hot on recycling. If your business is unable to print less, then at least you can make an impact by recycling it. The paper and waste you do recycle can go back into making recycled products and materials that are biodegradable. Encourage this practice around the workplace, having clear bins for general waste and recycling. Put up signage and tell heads of departments to take charge of their own area’s waste.
Energy Efficient Equipment
Nowadays, there’s a lot more choice in equipment for the workplace whether that’s a certain type of printer used in the workspace or a kettle for the kitchen. If you have the budget, try buying new appliances for the office that are energy efficient. Yes, it might be an expense, to begin with but over time it could end up saving you a lot of money on utility bills and overall running costs within the company. It’ll also cut down those scope 1 emissions if you’re currently using a lot of fossil fuels in your business.
Introduce Flexible Working Hours
Fewer people in the building means less energy used in the workplace on a daily basis. Introducing flexible working hours has plenty of benefits if it’s something you are able to do within the organization. A lot of employees are after the right balance of work and life, and with flexible working, this gives them the freedom to work smarter and enjoy life more. The business will earn more loyalty and respect, but it’ll also mean the cost of running the office will be noticeably less.
Encourage Staff To Go Green
As a business, you have a certain influence over your employees, and if you promote a greener environment in the office, you could also make a change to your staff’s own lifestyle at home. Do your best to encourage a greener living environment from giving incentives like cycling to work schemes or gift cards for promoting greener living.
Being more eco-friendly is going to save money for business, helps with the health of your staff and benefits your local community. So what are you waiting for? Go green today and contribute towards a better earth.
