The world is shifting towards a closed loop, sustainable future. It’s through necessity yes, but it is also in a bid to attract the next generation of conscious consumers that want to do more with their money than buy just any old service or product. Businesses need to shift their practice to become more eco-friendly.
It only stands to reason that public policy is going to shift to enact more harsh requirements, which, if you prepare in advance and start the shift now, will be as easy as pie. Ignoring the shift means you may very well lose customers and, more importantly, risk running directly into strict legislation and harsh punishments.
Becoming more eco-friendly offers so many benefits, and every business needs to start today. Having a product to make your supply chain more transparent is a great place to start, but this guide is going to help you learn how to green your operations right at your office.
Switch to a Renewable Energy Provider
You won’t be able to always add renewable energy sources right to your office, which is why the next best thing is to see if you can change your electricity provider. There are many upstart companies that will provide you with electricity sourced entirely from renewable sources, so you can drop your CO2 footprint immensely.
Tip: Follow up with replacing electronics as you can with highly efficient
alternatives. Light bulbs are a great place to start, as
this will reduce your footprint and your energy costs all at once.
Opt for Eco-Friendly Office Supplies
These eco-friendly office supplies can come in many different formats, and largely steer away from using single use plastics. In some situations this might seem like a very difficult thing to ask. In hospitals and dental clinics, for example, single use plastic is key to keeping the area sterilized. That being said, there are plenty of great eco-friendly dental supplies for you to stock up on that will help reduce your impact where you can. Every little bit helps, remember.
Switch to Electronic Record Keeping
Using recycled paper and paper from sustainably sourced forests is a good place to start, and it’s best to try to switch to a paperless system. Cloud systems offer redundancy features, meaning your data is backed up in several locations. Yes, the total footprint of their servers is high, but your personal footprint of using them will still be very low, and you can cut down on paper use.
Encourage Bike to Work Schemes
Bike to work schemes and other systems that encourage individuals to bring their lunch to work will help to encourage each and every one of your employees to reduce their footprint and become healthier. If you offer free sustainability lessons right at work, then you can encourage them to follow through with the green-message you are trying to push at work at home.
Give Back to the Community
The last market of a sustainable company is not that it produces zero emissions. It’s that it gives back to the community. Use this as a means of bettering the world and marketing your services to your community and to your customers.