Positive environmental change can be enacted by anyone, but business owners can especially make a huge difference. If you are the leader of a company, there are many things you can do to lower your company’s carbon footprint and help the environment. Going green as a business can not only create a good impact, but doing so from a place of authority can also influence others to do the same. Read on for five ways your business can go green.
1. Make a Group Effort
While the leader of a business makes the calls, going green does not lie in the hands of only one person. Do your part as the leader to instill strong environmental practices into your staff. Establish a carbon management plan to craft a strategy for reducing carbon emissions that you and your team can take part in going forward. When you make a group effort, you and your staff members can make positive changes toward the environment.
2. Reduce Energy Consumption
When you operate out of a large office building, the facility’s energy consumption can make a negative impact on the environment. One way to remedy this is to limit the usage of energy throughout your building. A simple solution is to unplug electronics after use and turn the lights off whenever rooms are empty. You can do this manually or put a system in place to shut off lights and electronics automatically after a certain time.
Another way of reducing energy consumption is to change the fuel source your building uses. Installing solar panels can incorporate clean and efficient energy. Additionally, replacing the rooms’ lightbulbs with lower wattage bulbs can reduce the amount of energy your building consumes. Every small effort to lower energy waste can help. Be mindful of energy consumption and let your staff know to conserve energy while at work.
3. Change Transit Methods
When making your daily commute to and from your workplace, the travel methods you and your staff use can make an environmental impact. Reducing the number of individual vehicles on the road can both clear up traffic and reduce harmful outputs.
If possible, find more environmentally-sound ways of getting to work, such as riding a bicycle, walking, or taking public transportation to lower the number of vehicles involved. Alternatively, you and your staff can work some or most days from home, keeping the transit to a minimum.
4. Go Paperless and Use Less Plastic
Choosing digital means of payment such as direct deposit over paper checks can go a long way toward reducing waste. Additionally, replace paper communication with digital means like e-mail and video calls. Conduct work projects online as opposed to needing to print out physical reports. These small changes can not only streamline your work processes, but reduce waste as well.
Plastic serves as a major detriment to the environment as well. If your business involves producing and shipping materials, find alternative packaging means as opposed to using plastic wrapping materials. Try to encourage less personal usage of plastic around the office as well. For instance, see that plastic drink bottles are replaced with reusable aluminum or glass containers.
5. Reuse and Recycle Materials
Reusing materials is both efficient and environmentally-sound. Instead of disposing of everything after a single use, find ways to repurpose those objects to be useful around the office. This can be as simple of a solution as keeping disposable boxes as storage for materials.
Also, place recycling receptacles around the office and encourage your staff members to recycle materials. Use separate containers for paper, plastic, and aluminum and keep these all separate from waste containers. By promoting reusable and recyclable materials, you can cut down on excessive waste produced by your building.
Big changes can start with business owners. If you promote more environmentally-conscious practices around your office, you can influence others and make a positive change toward helping the environment. The more of an effort your business takes toward going green, the more of a change you can make for the better.
