5 Effective Sustainable Practices Which All Businesses Should Implement to Reduce their Environmental Footprint

Are you looking to contribute to the environment as a responsible business owner? Several solutions have been developed to integrate sustainability within business operations. These efforts have not only benefited the environment but have also garnered financial profits for the businesses that have implemented them. If you are looking forward to reducing your environmental footprint, take a look at these 5 effective sustainable practices:

1. Engage Your Employees

The foremost step towards sustainability for any organization begins with its employees. It is essential to ensure that your employees are an integral part of your company’s ‘sustainability vision’. You can brainstorm for ideas with them and chalk out a plan to incorporate greener practices. To make the implementation of this plan more effective, a team can be formed which takes the responsibility of the green mission. This team can collaborate with the workforce, help employees if they are facing any issues with green practices, and assess the overall performance to ensure the desired results.

2. Make it Official

Don’t hesitate to make your vision of becoming a sustainable business official. Putting it on paper lends a certain standard of credibility to your business. Also, having an official sustainability statement in place gives direction to the efforts of your team, and helps them set benchmarks to achieve and stay committed to the purpose of going green. However, it should be kept in mind that the sustainability statement should not mislead your clients or shareholders in any way. An honest option would be to state that your business is more environmentally and socially responsible today than it was yesterday and will strive to be more so tomorrow.

3. Become Energy Efficient

A basic practice that can help cut back your energy consumption and thus the amount of your electricity bills is remembering to switch off all the lights and electronic devices when not in use. You can simply add power strips to electronics so that they can be entirely switched off from a single source. Even temperature control systems should be turned off when no one is present in the building. Your provider can help you choose appropriate timer systems or green alternatives for the systems that run on energy.

Energy-efficient lights can also contribute greatly towards your savings and reduce your environmental footprint. Even motion sensor lighting options are an effective way to curb unnecessary power consumption as they automatically switch off when people leave the area.

4. Reduce, Recycle and Reuse

These three terms can help your business become more sustainable if they are followed religiously. Reduce the amount of waste you generate, and segregate the waste for recycling and reuse. Color code your recycling bins and make sure they are placed at points that are easily accessible to all your employees. Resources such as water, packaging materials, electronic waste, etc., are all opportunities to make your business more sustainable.

For instance, something as simple as paper can help your business become more eco-friendly. Go paperless by embracing technology wherever possible. And recycle paper waste as much as possible.

5. Go Local

Make local suppliers and vendors your priority. This way you can cut back on the fuel and labor costs from transportation. It eventually leads to a decrease in the carbon footprint of your business. Besides, when you deal with locally based vendors and suppliers, you make a positive economic impact by supporting the local economy.

Dedication is the key to getting the most out of these green practices. Also, you must stay updated with green business trends and assess sustainable practices within your organization for any improvements accordingly. Remember, a sustainable business model is a win-win scenario as your consumers are now environmentally conscious and demand that you positively contribute to our planet. You can tap into this new conscious consumer market by offering eco-friendly products and services.

About Author:

Erich Lawson is passionate about saving the environment by effective recycling. He has written a wide array of articles on how modern recycling equipment can be used by industries to reduce monthly garbage bills and increase recycling revenue. You can learn more about environmental savings techniques by visiting Northern California Compactors, Inc blog