Green consumerism and sustainable business practices have stayed consistently popular since their inception. With global temperatures rising at an exponential rate, environmentally-friendly habits are becoming more and more crucial to adopt. As an entrepreneur, you are a pioneer for change and have an innate ability to lead. So to help the planet (and your business), here are a few tips to guide your company into becoming a more sustainable organization.
Define and track your goals.
Establish a clear sustainability goal for your business and track your company’s progress using Objective and Key Results (OKR). This goal management strategy improves focus and helps your company better align with their goals. An OKR is made up of an Objective defining the set goal and up to five Key Results, which help determine your progress toward the Objective. You can set up and track your company’s goal through OKR software provided by Profit.co. Profit’s OKR tool allows you to apply task management to sustainability projects and workflows. This new application could do wonders as an incentive for employees and project managers to reach eco-friendly goals.
Conserve energy when possible.
Energy consumption is one of the biggest drivers of climate change and global warming. From appliances to generators to utilities, so much of the modern working world generates a lot of energy. By understanding how much energy your business consumes, you’ll be better able to develop solutions that can reduce your electric usage. A great way to do is this through a demand response program offered by Centrica Business Solutions. This service helps you understand the energy usage of your devices and then manage that usage accordingly. Centrica Business solutions also offer energy intelligence with demand response, which minimizes the risk of nonperformance. With the proper demand response service in place, you can even generate revenue by reducing your consumption during peak times.
Establish an eco-conscious work culture.
Encourage incentives for biking or carpooling to work. Transition away from single-use paper cups and provide your employees with reusable water bottles. Recycle materials and start a composting bin. Change the light bulbs to LEDs, which use less energy and last longer. Set up bulk containers in the kitchen rather than relying on single-use products. Implementing greener initiatives and procedures in the office can help your staff think more consciously about their choices inside and outside of work.
Make the every day more eco-friendly.
Take a look at your everyday operations. Most likely, there are plenty of opportunities right there for energy and waste reduction. Set up cloud computing formats to share documents and exchange information. Doing so can reduce your printing costs and reliance on expensive server equipment in addition to helping the environment.
Aim for a sustainable supply chain.
Start practicing green procurement. You can do this by working with local suppliers whose goods are manufactured sustainably. Aim to have materials that aren’t toxic but are easily recyclable and reusable. They also shouldn’t require excessive packaging and should be made from renewable resources.
Package the right way.
While the United States only makes up 5% of the world’s population, the country generates 40% of its packaging waste. Your company can significantly cut down this waste by reducing the amount of packaging in your shipments and using recyclable packaging materials. Also, consider the carbon footprint of your package distributions. You might want to consider greener modes of travel like an electric vehicle to cut down on carbon emissions.
Green your supplies.
Office supplies—like disposable pens—contribute to millions of pounds of unnecessary waste. Start by making your supplies more eco-friendly. Switch to reusable pens where the ink simply needs to be refilled. Instead of purchasing expensive office furniture, consider buying used or having chairs and desks made from renewable or recycled materials. And rather than rely on a hefty server to keep your website running, consider choosing green hosting—where part of the energy comes from renewable resources—for your web hosting needs.
Recycle electronics.
Many businesses rely on electronic devices like computers, telephones, chargers, and batteries to operate. Instead of throwing out old devices, work with electronic waste programs to safely recycle your electronics once they’ve stopped working. Also, buy refurbished technology when possible!
