5 Ways To Make Your Small Business Eco-Friendly

In today’s day and age, there is a rise in eco friendly businesses especially because an increasing amount of consumers are looking into going green and wanting to help in doing their bit to look after the environment. Making your small business eco friendly means using energy and resources efficiently as well as taking into consideration how business processes affect the environment. Here are a few ways that can make your business eco friendly:

Use eco-friendly packaging

Switching your packaging to recycled materials is the first step to making your small business eco friendly. For example, restaurants can switch to takeaway packaging which is more sustainable. You could also look into introducing bio-degradable materials into the workplace and packaging. One of the most popular ways to reduce package waste and to help save the environment is by using plantable packaging which has zero waste and helps the environment by growing trees.

Aim to go paperless

Going paperless is another thing your small business can do to help the environment. Millions of trees are chopped down every year in order to produce paper, causing a huge negative impact to our environment. So, a transition into the online world can be very useful to cut down paper waste. This can be done by using emails to communicate or collaborating on cloud platforms as a group in order to make it easier to finish off projects. If you still require waste bins to keep your office space tidy, be sure to implement the correct waste management systems in your business to dispose of rubbish in an orderly manner for effective environmental and resource protection. For example, opt for waste paper bins with a slot to keep unwanted confidential documents secure until they need to be shredded and use recyclable waste bins to easily collect and sort recyclables in the business environment.

Use alternative energy resources

Renewable energy plays a large role in reducing the carbon footprint, so looking into an alternative energy method is a good idea, for example a solar panelled office that converts sunlight into electric is brilliant, whilst battery powered equipment or buying energy efficient appliances is an excellent way to cut billing costs as well as help the environment around you. Small changes in the office such as using reusable cups and dishes, refillable ink cartridges as well as installing hand dryers rather than utilising a towel dispenser can aid in becoming an eco friendly business. Renewable energy is the future and can help every business, big or small, become eco friendly.

Offer remote work

Giving your employees an option to work remotely is also beneficial for the environment as most people tend to drive to work due to distance issues. The usage of transportation releases toxic emissions and harmful fumes which cause a negative impact on the environment. Working from home helps lower the carbon footprint of individuals and can drastically reduce air pollution, as travelling to and from the work place is not required. This also helps decrease acid rain and fights against the negative impacts of climate change.

Reuse and recycle waste

Donate unused furniture or equipment in your office for it to be reused by someone else. Consider setting up recycle bins around your work place; one for plastic, paper and glass separately to recycle them. Choose sustainable suppliers that stock natural bathroom and kitchen products as well as biodegradable cleaning products and recycled office supplies or eco friendly packaging supplies.

Whilst there are so many other ways your small business can become eco friendly, this post just scratches the surface, so it’s worth doing your own research or giving someone in your business the responsibility of helping your workplace become more eco friendly (if you have the funds that is). Otherwise, the internet is your best friend!

Until next time.