Your
business will have an impact on the environment, no matter what you do, but you
have the power to minimize this. There are many ways in which you can make your
business more environmentally friendly and, in this article, we will be
covering our favorite tips on how to achieve this.
easy way that your business can do its bit is to ensure that you have an office
recycling plan in place. Use separate recycling bins for plastics, metals,
glass, cardboard and paper. You can also use food cady to recycle your food
waste and turn it into compost. Many local councils will have a recycling plant
or recycling scheme with local businesses. They will be able to support you
through this change and will be able to accommodate any bin collections.
Recycling is the easiest way that we can all ensure that less waste ends up in
landfills.
business creating lots of plastic waste? Not all plastics can be recycled so
it’s important to consider how much plastic waste you as a business are going
through every year. By making simple changes you can help cut down on this.
Ideas such as replacing the plastic cups in the water cooler with glasses,
buying sandwiches and snacks that don’t come in single-use plastics, purchase
items from companies who use biodegradable plastics and offer your staff
members plates and cutlery, so they aren’t tempted to use plastic
alternatives.
only will cycling to work help keep your employees fit and healthy, but it will
also cut down on carbon emissions. It is also a great way to relieve stress for
employees. Offer a scheme to encourage your employees to make the switch. If
the journey to work is too far to cycle, then you could offer a work carpool
scheme also. This would mean fewer cars traveling to the office and will cut
down on fuel emissions. It will also save your staff money, as they will split
the petrol costs. If you wanted to encourage this message you could have a
monthly day dedicated to leaving the car at home. This would mean staff are
encouraged to use greener forms of transport, carpool or use public transport
to get to work.
If
possible, you could look into powering your workplace with a renewable form of
energy. Switching to solar power or wind power would be a great way for you to
create energy without impacting on the planet. You may be able to get
investment or grants from your local council to help make the change, so it’s
definitely something to consider. Another added benefit is that if you create
more power than you use through your renewable energy source you can then sell
it back to the electricity grid.
is essential, so it is important to make sure you aren’t unnecessarily wasting
it in your business. Make sure employees don’t leave taps running in the
bathroom or kitchen. Also, check that your plumbing is in good working order
and you are not having costly leaks in your pipes. If you really want to cut
down on your water wastage you could invest in an environmentally friendly
water system.
Planting
trees, shrubs, bushes or even investing in office plants are all ways that you
can tackle climate change. Not only will it brighten up the office but the
plants will improve the overall air quality. By planting greenery outside your
office you could even create a staff garden for the summer months. This will
provide your workforce with a relaxing place to unwind during their lunch break
and will help boost office morale. You could also take it a step further and
consider setting up a staff vegetable garden, you could then offer the
vegetables to staff members. Little ideas like this, can go a long way in
helping your business become eco-friendly and also by encouraging your staff to
do so also.
cleaning products are full of harmful chemicals that have an impact on your
health and nature. Although it may be more costly, making the switch to
non-toxic cleaning products can have health benefits for your staff and also
helps keep toxic chemicals out of the workplace.
buying goods or using a service, choose companies that are ethically and
environmentally sustainable. It might take a little more research but by
investing in sustainable suppliers you will ensure that you do not purchase products
that aren’t damaging to the environment or have unnecessary excess packaging
that will end up straight in the landfill. You can use this to set your
business apart, make it part of your policy with supplies and actively engage
and develop relationships with environmentally friendly suppliers.
you are promoting your brand at events, why not use products that are
environmentally sustainable? Forget the pens and instead opt for a reusable
water bottle or a cotton tote bag. By providing products that consumers will be
happy to use again, you are not only getting your brand name out there but you
are also creating a branded item that will be reused time and time again and is
less likely to end up in a landfill.
last one goes without saying, but you still find that some companies will put
old tech equipment in the landfill. Instead of this, you can recycle them.
Computers especially which may no longer be of use to you will be in demand and
there are plenty of charities you can get in touch with to learn about how to
donate them. Recycling electronic items are easy, if in doubt on how to do this
get in touch with your local council. Please remember to wipe everything off your
items before you recycle them.
by Sarah McCann, Blog Editor and environmentalist at MyBaggage.com.