An eco-friendly business is not only good for the environment, it’s good for your business reputation and, potentially, your sales too. After all, small changes to become greener can have a significant impact.
However, all businesses need to grow in order to survive, and it can seem almost impossible to remain eco-friendly while your business expands. In this article, we provide a few tips to keep your business green.
Calculate how much your waste is costing
Growing your business requires financial investment, so it’s important to keep your costs as low as possible. Waste prevention can save you money, and through WRAP’s online “waste calculator”, you can see how much money your business could save.
This practice means you can identify any inefficiencies your business has when it comes to waste. So not only will you begin to improve your business operations, you can also carry on these practices as you grow.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
As a business owner, it’s important to use your resources efficiently and as your business expands this continues to remain a key principal. This is where “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” comes into play.
For business operations, switching to paperless options such as emails or using the cloud to store documents digitally for example reduces paper usage. Why not try reusing any packaging your business is sent for storage? For newer office spaces make sure to include clearly labelled recycle bins are available for your staff and compost your kitchen waste.
Look for sustainable suppliers
According to findings from a Blue and Green Tomorrow, UK consumers would be willing to pay on average 10% more for products that have a positive impact on society.
Looking for sustainable suppliers as your business expands could lead to your customers being willing to pay a premium for environmentally beneficial products. Look to areas that have sustainable local suppliers as this could increase your reach to new customers and build trust amongst locals who associate your business with them.
Getting it right first time
As your business grows, so do your business activities and operations. When it comes to choosing new space, whatever its use may be, it’s important that it can accommodate your current and future needs.
Of course, when it comes to moving to your new space, there are still ways to remain eco-friendly. In busy cities, such as England’s capital, Man and Van in London would allow you to choose the right sized vehicle for your move. This would mean your move could be completed in one trip, avoiding the multiple journeys if you were to go it alone – as well as the congestion.
How can staff be eco-friendly?
Expanding your business also means recruiting more staff – and tackling the convenience of single-use and throwaway products. However, with a few simple changes, sustainability is still possible.
You could switch to tins for beverages such as coffee rather than single-serving coffee pods, lowering costs and increasing sustainability. Encourage employees to use their own mugs and avoid contributing to the 6 billion polystyrene cups binned in the UK every year.
