Before we begin, let’s consider why your business should set eco-friendly initiatives in the first place. The answers obvious you might think – it’s to save the world, right? – and you would be right, but there are other benefits to going green in your business.
An eco-friendly business will allow you to save money. If this was the only other reason why you should go green, this should be a real incentive. Going green will also secure the future of your business. As customers become more aware of environmental concerns, they are more likely to choose a business that has actually bothered to implement a few eco-friendly initiatives over a company that hasn’t. And as government legislations get passed down on to businesses regarding their environmental stance, you will already be doing your bit to protect the planet ahead of time if you make changes now.
Save the planet, save yourself some money, and save your business. What’s not to love? Setting eco-friendly initiatives should be a necessity, so start to prepare your policies, and hold meetings with your employees. These are the initiatives that will serve your business well.
Initiative #1: Go paperless
In theory, you don’t need to use a lot of paper at all. Living in the digital age, much of your business can be operated online, with such things as email communication and digital invoicing. Documents can be stored in cloud storage services, rather than your filing cabinet, and even note taking can be done through software apps such as Evernote, so there is no need to grab a piece of paper to scribble thoughts on. Make it a policy that employees go paperless as much as possible, and give examples how. Then donate your filing cabinets and (costly) energy-intensive photocopiers and printers to charity, as practically, you shouldn’t need them anymore.
Initiative #2: Recycle waste
Many of us know that recycling is a good idea, but we don’t always know what can and can’t be recycled, or where to put the waste when we have it. Help your employees get to grips with the process by clearly labelling recycling bins, with a box for paper, ink cartridges, plastic, batteries, electrical equipment, cardboard, and metal. In short, you’re going to need a lot of boxes! There may be other things you can recycle that we haven’t thought of, so do your research. And then get in touch with a waste removal service who will collect your recyclable waste for you, or if you or any of your employees are heading near a waste plant on your commute, drop anything off yourselves.
Initiative #3: Turn off and unplug
When a computer or other piece of equipment isn’t being used for an extended period, encourage your employees to turn them off. However, it’s not enough to simply power them down as energy is still being consumed, so make it a habit to unplug items too. Not only will you reduce your carbon footprint in the workplace, but you will also have less damage inflicted on your utility bill! Continue the habit with your lights. Stick up signs to remind employees to turn lights off when they leave a room, or to not turn a light on at all when there is natural daylight seeping through workplace windows. You might even install motion-activated light switches for particularly dark areas, as these will prove useful should you have forgetful employees working for you.
Initiative #4: Ditch the car
We know that our cars are responsible for damaging the environment, so where possible, encourage employees to use an alternative mode of transport. You might set up bike racks outside your workplace to encourage your employees to cycle to work, or you might set up a car-sharing system so at least a couple of cars are off the road. Encourage them to get the train or a bus too, especially if there are easily commutable routes from their homes to the workplace. Or you might implement a policy where your employees work from home one or two days a week, especially if your business model can accommodate this.
Initiative #5: Set up a Green Team
We have given you a few ideas on how to go green in this article, but to stay in touch with the latest developments in eco-friendly technologies and practices, set up a Green Team within your employees. It can be their job to both future-proof your business, and to monitor the green initiatives you have already set up. By holding regular meetings with them, you can stay in touch with developments both in and out of your workplace, and formulate plans to stay rooted in your green credentials.
So, what are you waiting for? Use our green ideas, continue your research, and then set those eco-friendly initiatives that will benefit your business.
No comments yet.