As a business, you have a duty to focus on the environment. You have a duty of care that extends far beyond just making sure your customers are taken care of. You need to check that the way you do business ensures environmental and economic wellbeing for generations to come too. If you haven’t yet focused on the sustainability of your business, or if you’re just starting up with your company and want to ensure you have the best foundations in regards to environmental impact going forward, we’re here to help. Keep on reading to find out more about how to make your business more sustainable this year.
Get rid of your waste in a responsible manner
One of the first things you need to do when it comes to making your business more sustainable, is getting rid of your waste in a responsible manner. There is no denying the fact that you need to get rid of items, such as from your kitchen or your paperwork. Yet it’s vital you recycle and don’t just throw everything away. If you are a business who is in charge of waste management, you should find ways to run the operation more smoothly, utilising waste management software which can help you streamline your operations and be more efficient. This in turn will produce less waste, you’ll use less paper and it’s better for the environment.
Discourage employees’ using individual cars to get to work
If your employees use individual cars to get to work, this can be a real drain on the environment. Instead, encourage them to carpool to work, sharing lifts which in turn can reduce the petrol needed, as well as the number of cars on the road emitting toxins to the environment. You could also encourage them to cycle to work, offering an incentive for those that choose to get to work via bike or public transport. Some employees offer salary sacrifice to help employees pay for their method of transport, which can help them to manage the cost and also be much better for the environment at the same time.
Work with sustainable suppliers
You can’t expect to be an efficient business in terms of your environmental impact if you work with those that don’t respect the environment. Instead, when you work with suppliers, ask them what they do to help be more sustainable and check out if they are recognised for their work with the environment. Speak to them and find out what they do or are planning to implement in the future in order to be more sustainable. Check their policies line up with yours and try to only work with suppliers that prioritise the environment. This is a great way to know you’re doing your bit and also encourage other companies to follow suit and see what they can do in order to help the environment at the same time. It’s a win win!
Save water where you can
Water is another huge drain on the earth’s natural resources, not to mention it can also be very expensive when wasted. Try to save water in your business by encouraging employees to turn off the tap when they’re done washing their hands, fix dripping or leaky taps, install water-efficient features such as low-flow toilets and educate employees about how they can conserve water both in the office and when they are at home. You could monitor your water usage and consider using treated wastewater (graywater) for things such as toilet flushing or watering your plants with. This won’t make a difference to you, but can really help the environment.
Encourage hybrid working for your employees
When you have all your employees coming into work every day, it costs a lot for the environment. They will be using petrol and emitting emissions with their cars, then when they are in the office, they’ll be using heating, lighting and electricity for things such as charging and using their devices. When they work from home, this can save you a lot of electricity and be much better for the environment. You could encourage them to work from home twice a week if you still want people in the office, or even go fully remote if this is something that will work for your business.
Go paperless
Paper is one of the most harmful items for the environment and with digital access being easier than ever, there really is no excuse to keep printing lots of paper out. Instead, switch to a fully paperless business, transferring all your documents and files online. Not only is this better for the environment and much more sustainable, but you also don’t have to worry about losing the papers, or them getting damaged such as in a fire or flood. They will be backed up online and available to access on the cloud so it’s much more secure.
Have policies in place for employees to follow
You need to implement policies for your business that your employees can follow. Have them come and do some training sessions where you show them different environmental initiatives they can follow, such as how to conserve water and the best ways to save energy when they are at work. You can do the training yourself or opt for an external company to come in. They can do an audit and advise you on the best way you can improve as a business and be more sustainable.
These are just a few things you can do that can help you to make your business more sustainable this year. Whether you are looking to make changes to the business you already run, or to a new business that you have launching, these initiatives can help you to be better for the environment. What are some top tips you have for making your business more sustainable this year? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you.