How to Update Your Small Business with Green Solutions

Whether you are just starting out, or have an already established business, it is a great idea to consider going green. This is beneficial to your company and the environment. Consumers have shown that they would choose green businesses over those that cannot prove their sustainability. Corporate social responsibility plays a big part in making one company more successful than another. Every business is unique, so there is no one size fits all solution, but here are a few tips on how to update your small business with green solutions that can be used and modified across most major industries.

Green Business Model

It is beneficial to your business to prioritize minimizing your company’s impact on the environment by making green awareness part of your mission statement. There are so many ways you can accomplish this, by just thinking ahead and investigating all options. Find like-minded businesses and support each other by all pledging to use sustainably sourced products preferably from local suppliers.

Consider alternative sources of energy for your business: wind or solar power, geothermal or hydropower. Change all globes to LED varieties that last longer and use less energy. Make sure all appliances used are energy efficient. If the building is due for an upgrade, prioritize the insulation to save on heating and cooling. There are numerous green options available like sheep’s wool or straw bales. Make sure all faucets and plumbing leaks are repaired and fit low-flush toilets in your facility.

Sell used or excess business equipment. Donate. Recycle. Explore sustainable and safe ways to dispose of old electronics instead of throwing them right away and adding to the e-waste problem. 

Greener Locations

If you are just starting, consider finding a base that is close to public transport systems and encourage employees to use these. This significantly cuts down on the carbon footprint of your business. You could even offer public transit benefits in the form of subsidized passes. If this is not viable, encourage employees to walk, cycle, or carpool. Offer remote work where possible. This means less traffic and less energy used for keeping the workplace heated, cooled or stocked.

When decorating or re-decorating your workspace, consider vintage, recycled or upcycled furniture. Buying second-hand does not only save money, but it also saves the environment. The less energy, water, and raw materials that are needed to create something from scratch, the better.

Choose green housekeeping. Use eco-friendly biodegradable cleaning products that are beneficial to you and your employees’ health and the environment. These contain natural ingredients and ensure that toxic chemicals do not end up in streams and landfills.

Make sure all employees remember to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Use sustainable packaging and discourage single-use items in the company. Have marked recycling bins in highly visible areas. Start a compost system in the kitchen area: leftover lunch scraps are ideal for this. Waste Away Systems waste management services offer custom made plans to commercial facilities. They will quickly and efficiently dispose of your waste and ensure your recycling is correctly sorted and dispersed. They even offer safe disposal of items that require special handling such as e-waste. This has become the fastest growing waste stream. These items can also be handed on to schools or charities that could still make use of them to encourage less landfill waste.

Green Systems

Switch to cloud computing and green web hosting services. This allows you to choose where your data is stored, making your business carbon neutral. This can also assist in reducing travel costs, carbon dioxide emissions, and printing costs. Plus, there is no need to purchase or maintain energy-intensive servers. It’s all in the clouds! At some point, on some level, we are all contributing towards climate change, pollution and the waste crises on our planet but, if every business makes an effort, we can hopefully slow and even reverse the effects of climate change and save our planet from premature destruction.