Being a sustainable small business is about doing what we can to maintain an ecological balance, everything from reducing greenhouse gasses to using more sustainable materials that aren’t damaging to the environment. As a small business, there are so many easy changes you can make to become more sustainable. Although you may think these changes are small, the more people who actively try to be more sustainable, the more of a difference it makes for our environment.
Go paperless.
This is an easy transition as most companies offer a paperless service nowadays. From switching to online accounting services to storing all of your data online on a cloud service, you can completely transition over to paperless. This is great for the environment as it reduces waste.
There are also many other benefits to going paperless, including improving the safety of your data as everything is in one place, meaning it’s easier to find and harder to lose. Finally, your information can be accessed from work or home in an instant, instead of having to wait for your statements to arrive in the post.
Work remotely (if you can).
If you’re able to work from home, it’s a good idea to try and incorporate it into your routine – perhaps working from home a couple of times a month or even a week.
Working from home reduces the number of times you’re commuting to work, reducing the amount of petrol and pollution. Now that working from home is more common, people are more adapted to it and there are so many apps and software out there that makes it easier to work remotely. It’s also important to consider the time you save by skipping the work commute.
On top of this, there’s also the cost and environmental impact of grabbing lunch on the go when you’re in the office. Working from home means you can use what’s in the fridge for your meals, rather than getting a takeaway coffee and sandwich.
Reusable materials.
A good way to be sustainable is to ensure you are using reusable products, such as paper cups or even better, using a refillable water bottle and encouraging your employees to do the same.
Instead of ordering in for lunch, try a packed lunch with reusable utensils and packaging, like a lunch box. These small changes will make a huge difference if you make them in your business and personal life. Using reusable products will also save you money as once you have purchased these items, you won’t have to buy them again.
Waste.
Make sure you are getting rid of your waste in the right way.
It’s as easy as having a recycle bin in your workplace, where you can recycle any items. If you’re getting rid of any old electrical items, make sure you are disposing of them in the right way. There are designated recycling areas or websites where you can send these items to ensure they are being recycled in the correct way. Just throwing an item like that away can be damaging to the environment. It’s also beneficial to you as while disposing of these items, they ensure all your data has been wiped, ensuring the safety of your business and all its data.
Switch packaging and shipping materials.
If your business is selling and shipping physical products, then it’s a good idea to look at your options for packaging materials and choosing a more eco-friendly option. Additionally, using more sustainable materials is good for brand reputation – consumers are more aware now than ever and may be more likely to buy from your business if you are more sustainable.
Digital signage of documents.
Printing out a document every time you need to sign something is not only time consuming, but it’s also not very sustainable either. Using digital signage software is such a simple solution to sustainability, and it also offers many benefits to you including saving you time, money and space.
As you can see, making an effort to be more sustainable is not only great for the environment, but also for your business, saving you money, boosting your reputation with customers and helping you become more efficient.
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