5 Ways To Make Your Business Eco-friendly
As a business owner, devising ways to make your business eco-friendly should be top of your priority list. An eco-friendly business benefits the environment and boosts employees’ productivity, and reduces the cost of running your business. In the long run, running an eco-friendly business distinguishes you from your competitors, which in return has a positive impact on your brands’ image.
Read on to discover different ways to make your business eco-friendly.
Why Should You Make Your Business Eco-friendly?
An eco-friendly business not only reduces the impact of your business on the environment but also helps in the preservation of natural resources. When you make your business eco-friendly, it has several positive effects on the environment and your business, which include:
Cost reduction through recycling
Businesses that adopt recycling have mastered the art of cost reduction. For instance, changing how you use paper can save your business some money while involving your staff in an eco-friendly way. Here are some ways you can protect the environment through the use of paper.
- Make use of paper only when necessary.
- Encourage your staff to print on both paper sides instead of one when printing documents.
- Recycle excess paper by shredding and using it for compost. E.t.c.
Attracting new customers
Running an eco-friendly business can help you stand out among your competitors. Customers are naturally drawn to businesses that provide unique and quality services. The moment you establish your business as an eco-friendly one, customers in need of such eco-friendly services will begin to patronize you.
Improved sustainability
The lower the environmental impact of your business, the higher its sustainability. Take, for instance, you depend less on natural resources to keep your business running than your competitors. It’ll give your business a greater chance at sustainability.
How To Make Your Business Eco-friendly
Set up a long-term plan
Building an eco-friendly business is a great start. However, you need to put a plan in place for that to be successful. The first thing to do is create a plan outlining your goals and action plans for making your business eco-friendly. With electricity, for example, outline ways to reduce your energy demand and consumption. You can achieve this by reaching out to companies that offer a wide range of energy solutions. Ensure the alternatives provided are in line with the goals of your business
Make use of recycled and reusable materials
As much as you can, make use of recycled materials for your business. One particular material this applies to is paper. According to Recycling Facts, a ton of recycled paper saves 7,000 gallons of water and three cubic yards of landfill space. These benefits apply to other recycled resources as well.
Instead of buying brand new papers for your business, opt for recycled papers instead. Also, try as much as possible to make use of products made from sustainable resources. Another way to use recycled and reusable materials is by serving your employees coffee and water in their reusable coffee mugs and water bottles. By doing this, you will reduce the number of bottles and coffee pods that get thrown away.
Use eco-friendly cleaning chemicals
The use of harsh and toxic cleaning chemicals in your business place is harmful to the environment and your employees. In the environment, these chemicals negatively affect water quality, thereby making it inhabitable for animals and humans. To get rid of these harmful effects, use eco-friendly cleaning chemicals like biodegradable sprays, animal-free soaps, e.t.c.
Switch off electronics and lights at night
This is one of the easiest ways to be eco-friendly as a business owner. If you have an office or warehouse, make it a habit to turn off all lights and electronic appliances at night. One easy way to go about this is by configuring a time in the day when all lights and electronic appliances go off. In a situation where your business involves information and products that need to be kept safe every time, motion detected lights are your best bet.
Alternative energy sources
A conversation with your utility provider as a business owner will provide you with alternative energy sources for your business. Some alternative sources of energy include wind, solar, e.t.c. If possible, consider setting up solar panels for your business. Adopting solar power will positively affect the environment and help you save costs on electricity bills.
In some states, business owners that make use of alternative energy sources are granted tax incentives. This initiative encourages more business owners to run eco-friendly businesses. Other ways you can save energy while running your business include using LED lighting, fixing hand dryers in the restrooms to cut down on toilet paper usage, e.t.c.
Conclusion
If, as a business owner, you’ve never considered making your business eco-friendly, now is the time to do so. Running an eco-friendly business comes with many benefits that you might never experience until you give it a try. When you make your business eco-friendly, you appeal to people who care about the environment as much as you do, thereby gaining their trust and patronage.
Make your business eco-friendly today, not just for the sake of the environment but also for business sustainability.
