If you’re a business owner, one of your focuses should be on how you can minimize your business’ impact in the greater world. We all know resources on earth are limited and with the total population just soaring above 8 billion people, it’s more important than ever to be mindful about how our businesses impact ourselves and others in the long run. There are a few changes you can make that may feel small but can have a big impact over the course of a year or a decade. Keep reading to learn more about my top 4 tips for making your business more sustainable.
Use Sustainable Packaging
Do you use any packaging? If you have any physical products, then chances are you use at least one form of packaging. If you use plastics, start thinking of creative ways you can reduce, recycle or even cut out plastic all together. One great option is to use containers made from hemp instead of traditional plastic. Not only are they aesthetically pleasing and line up well with a modern and sustainable brand, but they can give you the piece of mind that you’re minimizing your environmental impact in terms of the packaging you’re using.
Conserve Energy
There are so many small things you can do to conserve energy which by themselves might feel a bit meaningless. One thing is to change all the bulbs in your office, factory, or commercial space to LCD lights. If you install smart switches, you can automatically turn off lights on timers so that no one is accidentally leaving lights on overnight and wasting power. Depending on your business, it may be worthwhile investing in solar power or some alternative power production so you can minimize your electric energy use.
Go Paperless
Most homes don’t even have printers anymore because so many things are now digital. Why not make your office a digital space? Not only will it help reduce clutter and minimize the amount of paper used, but it will ensure that all your documents are safely stored on the Cloud, meaning you don’t have to worry about water damage, fire or even just losing the documents! Not only is this great for the environment, but it can be great for your business’ organization and accessibility too.
Reduce Travel
One of the benefits of the pandemic is that I feel it normalized online meetings because we had to adapt to travel restrictions and lockdowns with close to no forewarning. Oftentimes we arrange for business trips to attend meetings and conferences that could potentially be handled online, saving hundreds or thousands of dollars in business expenses, and so much time spent traveling. When you also consider the environmental impact of flights etc, it’s a no brainer that more meetings should be remote. If this is an option for your company, consider using remote meetings more often to cut down on the emissions you’re responsible for while saving more money to invest elsewhere in the company.
We have a responsibility to future generations to be mindful of how we treat their home. I hope these small changes inspire you to lead your business in a more sustainable way.
