Quick wins to make your business eco-friendly

If you haven’t already looked at what you can be doing to your business to make sure that it is operating in a more energy-efficient and a more sustainable way, then it is time to start.

Don’t think that these kinds of things are just for large corporations; all businesses, no matter the size, need to be having a focus on being greener and more eco-friendly. Global warming is something that is happening now, not something that is far off in the future, and we all have some responsibility to change how we do things, so that we can reduce our impact.

When you take steps to improve the environment and do your bit to help, then it will not only mean that you are doing good things for the environment, but will also mean that it could also have a positive impact on your bottom line. There was a report by large corporation Unilever that found that a third of customers prefer to buy from a business that is conscious of the world around them and that are doing good for the environment. So with that in mind, here are some quick wins that are going to help to make your business more eco-friendly.

Reduce your plastic waste

It is no secret that we should all be recycling more, using less plastic, and doing our bit, at work and at home. Things like having mugs for coffee rather than disposable cups, as well as saying no to having straws at work either. But for a small business, there can be much more that you can be doing. Do you use a water cooler, that is filled with plastic cups? Could you provide glasses for them instead? What can you for food waste when you have meetings, for example? Can you use caterers with biodegradable packaging, and things that are reusable, as well as make sure that your own packaging is reusable or recyclable, if you make products yourself? Small steps make a big difference.

Renewable energy sources

More businesses are looking to power their office spaces with renewable energy, which is a great step towards reducing the carbon footprint of your business. This helps you to improve how green your business is, but it can also help to save you money in the long term too. Something like a biogas digester could be worth investing in, as that is where organic material is eaten and then digested to produce biogas. Plus, analysis shows that if biogas is used instead of fossil fuels,  then emissions of greenhouse gases can decrease by up to 90%. Biogas production also has some environmental advantages too.

Green transport and commuting

Transport emissions account for around a quarter of the country’s carbon footprint. So if you can start from the top, encouraging staff to use greener forms of transport, such as carpooling, using the train or cycling, then it can help your business to have a positive impact on the environment and help your staff have a more eco-friendly outlook on things.