5 Tips To Help Build A Sustainable Business

Everyone needs to do their part to limit their impact on the environment, and this includes business owners too. You can learn more about the need for reducing the environmental impact of your business over at https://www.cooleffect.org/why-carbon, but doing so will help you build a sustainable business, and can even help you attract more customers. Here are 5 tips to help you limit your business’s carbon footprint and do your part by the environment.

1. Reduce your office’s energy consumption.

The less energy your office needs to operate, the less your carbon footprint. Consider purchasing more energy-efficient office equipment (e.g., computers, monitors, fridges, etc.) to reduce your energy consumption. Many organizations pay annual bills of £5,000 or above just for the water supply alone. By switching to a new efficient water supplier, you can reduce the cost by half at the very least (compare business water suppliers here). The energy-efficient machines and appliances are usually marked with an “Energy Star” logo. Also, consider using fluorescent light bulbs instead of the normal kind. The former uses far less electricity and will make a big impact on your overall energy consumption. If you can, install a solar hot water system and some rainwater tanks to reduce your office’s consumption of water. This can also make a positive difference to the cost of your water bills too, but if it has only increased them, you may want to take a look at somewhere like https://www.h2obuildingservices.co.uk/ to see how you can start the process of switching your water supplier.

2. Use recyclable materials.

In the office, only use recyclable products such as recyclable paper and plastics. This can greatly reduce your impact on the environment. For example, recycled paper uses 90 percent less water, and requires half the energy needed to manufacture normal paper. Also, ask your suppliers if the products they supply are made from recyclable materials. Depending on their response, you may consider changing suppliers.

3. Try and limit the number of materials you use.

We often waste a lot of materials in the workplace, and this is ultimately bad for the environment. For example, we often use paper unnecessarily – i.e., using paper to write a message that can be sent as an email instead – and fail to recycle it properly. This is pure wastage, and your business should make it clear that such practices are not on. Instead, use electronic forms of communication as much as possible. If you use a CRM software package such as Axcelerate you can communicate with other staff members electronically. Finally, make sure your staff uses both sides of paper when printing, and that any scraps are used for those times when you really do need to write something down.

4. Video calls instead of business meetings.

Save money and reduce your carbon footprint by scheduling a Skype or Google Hangout call instead of an in-person business meeting. Taking advantage of this kind of technology reduces our air and land travel considerably – which both release considerable amounts of pollution into the atmosphere. It’s also much more convenient to have business meetings this way too.

5. Allow more flexible office hours.

By allowing your employees to work outside of the morning and evening rush hours, you can help them save fuel, which helps the environment. You can also help your employees organize carpools to reduce the number of cars on our roads.

We need to look after the environment for the sake of future generations. Look into ways to reduce your company’s energy consumption, use recyclable materials as much as possible, and don’t waste valuable resources. Finally, take advantage of available technology (such as Skype) and encourage flexible working hours for your staff. By operating in a sustainable way, you may also attract more customers, as more and more people choose to only do business with “green” companies. And this would be a win-win situation for both you and the environment.