All over the world, businesses are starting to come around to realizing that enforcing environmentally conscious initiatives are good for business. Going eco-friendly will make your company appeal to a wider variety of customers and improve brand loyalty among existing clientele.
Environmentally-conscious practices can help improve the efficiency of your business operations, lower the cost of running the business by saving on materials, and improve the working conditions of your employees.
There is a multitude of ways in which you can choose to make your business more environmentally-friendly. Choose the most effective ways to reduce any hazardous waste from your company and create a cleaner working environment.
Use Post Consumer Waste Materials
These materials have served their primary purpose in the commercial market and have now been reclaimed for secondary usage. Post-consumer waste (PCW) materials can be paper, cloth, or metal.
Using high-quality microfiber rags for different levels of cleaning in your business reduces the need for new cleaning materials to be manufactured. You will get the same level of functionality with much lower costs while generating reduced waste.
Install an LED Lighting System
LED lights convert 90% of the power they receive into light and are unaffected in high or low-temperature environments. This makes them efficient and safe for any business environment. They are unaffected by temperature fluctuations and do not reduce functionality, no matter the length of usage.
LED lights are durable, shock-resistant, and require very little maintenance. Because they emit negligible heat and can provide effective lighting with a low voltage electrical system, they are a very safe choice for factories, warehouses, and workshops.
Switch to Energy-Efficient Appliances
Consider updating your employee communal areas with more energy-efficient coffee machines and microwaves. Work with licensed electricians to adapt large machinery to have a sleep or hibernation mode.
Keeping electronics on even when they are not in active use can use up a lot of electricity. Getting appliances and machinery that can automatically switch over to sleep mode or hibernate when not in use can make a sizable reduction in costs.
Get an Energy Audit
If you are not sure where or how to get started, the best thing to do is get an energy audit. Depending on the state your business is in, you may be able to get a free energy audit conducted by a state-provided auditor.
Also, government-sponsored initiatives to help businesses become more environmentally-conscious means that you could receive tax breaks depending on how green your business becomes.
Invest in a Smart Thermostat
Making the switch from a regular thermostat to a smart thermostat has many benefits. A smart thermostat allows you to automate the process of adjusting the temperature, records power usage data, and monitors the temperature of different business areas.
They can detect temperature changes and automatically adjust to the best setting for the day or type of work being done. Best of all, the smart thermostat can be monitored and adjusted remotely from a smartphone or similar device.
Embrace Telecommuting
The new normal we have all had to embrace has underlined how much easier it is to telecommute for work. Businesses and employees have various options when it comes to working remotely while maintaining efficiency and meeting deadlines.
Consider switching to a system where employees can work from home a few days of the week or a few weeks out of the month. This will reduce transport costs for your employees and the amount of power your office uses in a given week, thus reducing your carbon footprint significantly.
Recycle Printing Supplies
This does not just mean using recycled paper in the office. Most businesses have very high printing demands and thus use many ink and toner cartridges. Ink and toner can be quite toxic to the environment, and it is best to find a way to dispose of them safely.
Staples, Office Depot, and BestBuy have drop-off bins where you can safely dispose of both ink and toner cartridges. Office equipment companies like Xerox offer customers easy ways to ship empty cartridges back to them to be recycled or reused.
If you take it step by step, it can be easy to slow and surely switch over to running an environmentally conscious business. Embrace using recycled materials, refurbishing old office equipment, and using green cleaning supplies.
All of these are things you can do that will benefit your business indirectly and directly. Customers and other business are always much more likely to choose companies that share their values. Include your green efforts into your companies CSR policy. This will incentivize your employees and improve your brand image a great deal.
