5 ways you can easily make your business more environment-friendly

“Go Green.” We often see this call-to-action in advertisements, advocacy campaigns and establishments. Businesses have become more conscious of their impact on the environment and have joined efforts in minimising their carbon footprint to help preserve our planet’s biodiversity. But how do you get your business and your entire team to go green?

Making your company more environmentally friendly entails great responsibility as it involves the way you do business. However, you can always start with a few steps that can lead to achieving greater things.

Before you map out how to make your company be a green business, it is good to first take a look at companies that practise eco-friendly methods or consult experts that are knowledgeable on this area, then have a committee within your organisation that will help plan and execute your initiatives.

At EO Melbourne, we are privileged to have all these businesses that are operating in this field: Energy Ease, Pacific Solar, Sunwiz, Sunpower Renewables, TCK Solar, and Your Energy Partner.

To give you ideas on where to start, here are five ways on how your business can become eco-friendly:

1.       Reduce, reuse, recycle

Minimising waste, utilising things again after use, and making new products from waste or used items are among the basic methods of being an environmentally-responsible citizen. These three words summarise the ways we can help our planet. To put these into practice, you can segregate your wastes so that you can reuse bottles and plastic containers or create something from fabric or paper products.

To cut down on waste, avoid the use of paper cups, plates or utensils and instead choose reusable mugs and utensils in your office. Go paperless by having forms or documents in electronic copies. If printing on paper is necessary, use both sides or utilise again the blank pages at the back of old files. Also, brief your employees the proper way of doing this because educating your team is key to getting them on board and encouraging them to take action.

2.       Use products and supplies that are energy-efficient or from sustainable sources

Make sure you use non-toxic cleaning products or you buy organic products for your meals and other supplies. Replace old appliances with energy-efficient ones and use LED lights instead of incandescent bulbs. Prefer recycled products as much as you can. Choose suppliers that are also practising eco-friendly ways and look for local vendors for your materials and equipment.

Also, check out your office design and find alternative ways where you will be able to use more energy-efficient materials or tools in your day-to-day office activities. Carpool if you must, and limit transportation by doing online meetings or voice calls.

3.       Conserve water and electricity

Water and electricity are a staple for every household and most especially businesses. As we use them every day, we need to be conscious of their usage as there can be activities or practices that result in a lot of wastage of these resources. Use as much natural light in your offices as much as possible. If the design limits having natural light in your workplace, consider installing motion sensors for lights in your meeting or rooms and faucets in your toilets and pantries.

Another option is to observe lights-off hours during breaks or after office hours. You can shift to desk lights when there are fewer people in the office. Always put reminders to turn off lights and electronic appliances when not in use.

4.       Put plants or have a garden in your office

Plants not only make an office attractive but they also clean the air. Also, plants help reduce noise levels, relieve people from stress, increase productivity, enhance creativity, combat illnesses and lower absence rates.

Aside from that, having some greens or a garden in your office also reminds you and your team to be always conscious of the environment. Assign them a plant or give them a schedule to take care of your office garden so that everyone takes accountability in looking after them and carries these responsibilities wherever they are, being mindful of their duty in protecting our planet’s resources.

5.       Use alternative sources of energy

You can install solar panels, windmills or rain catchers in your work areas to utilise alternative sources of energy. While this may be easier said and done, it can be achieved with careful planning and good execution. It is a good step towards becoming a more environmentally friendly business.

You can start with these initiatives and expand your company’s green campaign as you go along. And before you bring this to your external audience, be sure to run an internal campaign among your team members so that it becomes part of your corporate culture. The important thing is to embed the mindset and values of being responsible for taking care of our environment within your organisation.

Do you have other suggestions on how to make a business eco-friendly? Share with us in the comment section below.

Why make your business green

Our planet is aging. It is a fact that we cannot ignore. Harmful products and activities contribute to the worsening of our ecological problems. The rising concern on our environment has heightened the awareness of several industries and markets to take steps in preserving our ecosystem. Going green has become a buzz word where small to large companies implement ways to lessen the negative impact of their operations on the environment, society and the economy.

You, too, can be part of this undertaking by shifting your venture to become a sustainable enterprise. It starts from the vision, mission and values of your company where you take to heart environment principles in every aspect of your business. You can go paperless, plant more trees, conduct regular clean-ups, limit utility and energy consumption, remove hazardous ingredients in your products, recycle and reuse materials and wastes, lessen the use of natural gas, utilise renewable energy, carpool, and many other methods that can minimise your outfit’s negative effects to the earth’s natural environs.

It may take a lot of major changes to convert into a green business, but the rewards are huge and with a lasting effect. It can outweigh the birth pains that you have to go through when you transform your business. The advantages can benefit greatly your enterprise as well as stakeholders and other sectors of society.

Good for the environment

We only have one earth, and we are its stewards. Whatever we do to our biodiversity will eventually come back to us because we live in a network of ecological units. When you make a move to protect the environment, you will also reap the fruits of your labour, which can even extend to your family and loved ones, the future generation, and those in your community. Who wouldn’t want to see our planet lush and verdant? A clean environment can make us healthy and well, while the opposite can bring us many problems.

Less cost and more savings

If you keep track of your company’s usage and limit your wastage, you can lower your spending and secure some savings for your business. You may have to invest in executing changes and adjustments in the onset, but you’ll save a significant amount in the long-term.

Positive image and brand reputation

Your sincerity to push for sustainable development will see through your messaging, actions, initiatives and the endeavours that you support. It will appeal to the government, communities, industry players, and the general public. Running a green business will earn the trust of various sectors and enhance your brand’s reputation. A positive image is essential in the entrepreneurial space because things can work favourably for you. To maintain the public’s confidence in your venture, you have to be consistent in your fervour of making your business green.

Marketing advantage

Letting the public know that you are a sustainable business will give you a bigger chance of earning their support. They may patronise your products and services and keep you top-of-mind. Whether it will lead to bigger sales or not, it will allow your enterprise to be a vehicle for educating people about protecting the planet. You can even take your advocacy further by creating cause-related marketing campaigns that will benefit a non-profit or local community.

Stronger team satisfaction

Another benefit of becoming a green business is the increased morale of your internal team. They will work harder, knowing that there is a bigger cause than just aiming for targets and securing sales. Going green also means looking after their welfare and the people they love, advancing their wellbeing and those of their families and friends.

The age-old proverb “You reap what you sow” is an assertion that when you do good deeds, such as care for the environment, you will also enjoy its benefits. Becoming a green business will create ripples of progressive impact to more generations in the future. Imagine if several businesses will take this direction. Surely, many people will enjoy the positive change it can do to our communities.

With all the natural calamities and changes our planet is experiencing, it is never too late to take action to save Mother Earth. All it takes is the conviction to take action by going green and helping protect our environment. After all, we only have one earth, and we have to do everything we can to preserve it.