Greener Business – A Call to Action
Is your business going green? And if not, why not? Today’s consumers want to know that the places where they spend their money have the greenest of green credentials and if your business isn’t thinking about the environment, then it will be left behind. If you’re worried about getting started, here are some tips to make eco-friendly business part of your business.
Consult the Experts
A good starting point is an expert consultation, but who’s the expert? There are two approaches to this. One is to consult your employees who are probably carrying out eco-friendly initiatives every day at home. Start an office competition for the most innovative green ideas and put your money where your mouth is by providing a prize worth having. There’s nothing like a little financial reward to get those creative juices flowing.
At the same time consult with a business lifecycle expert and get an analysis of what’s really happening on your business. You will soon see where you can improve efficiency and do your part for the environment.
Make it Policy
Once you have consulted put a plan into place and make it part of company policy. Saving the environment is everyone’s business, so everyone in the office has to take part in green initiatives. Support your policy with the needed infrastructure. This could mean setting up a recycling area with appropriate bins to reduce the amount of waste going into landfill.
You can also make reusing items part of the company culture, doing things like using the other side of used printer paper for making notes instead of buying brand new notepads for something that will be thrown away. In addition, try fostering eco-consciousness by putting signs up about water wastage in the bathrooms and installing energy saving bulbs for all office lighting, from ceilings to desk lamps.
Transport Initiatives
Encourage employees to walk or cycle to work by installing a shower so they can freshen up when they arrive. Give kudos to employees who car pool rather than traveling alone. Even better, allow employees to work from home for part of the week. They will be twice as productive and will reduce the carbon emissions going into the atmosphere.
And you can go even further, by checking the eco-credentials of all your vendors and only dealing with those that also have green policies. Out in the community, your business can take part in environmental clean-up schemes so you are visibly doing your share to safeguard the environment.
As you see, being a green business isn’t so hard – all it takes is the will to get started. What are you waiting for?
A freelance writer, Sharon Hurley Hall is committed to recycling. She writes here for Eden Springs, the UK’s first water machines company to achieve carbon neutral certification.
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