To mark World Environment Day (Saturday 5 June) we have been thinking about some small changes business owners can do to have a positive impact on the environment. Below are a few ideas to help your business become more sustainable and do your part in tackling climate change.
Save energy
- Switching to LED bulbs from incandescent bulbs can save you 70-90% on your energy bill, saving the planet and your money.
- Ensuring lights are turned off in rooms that are not constantly in use such as the toilets or kitchen/dining areas.
- Only boiling the kettle with the amount of water you need and not leaving taps running will reduce your energy usage and save you money.
- Turning electronics off when not in use instead of leaving them on standby.
Go paperless
Cloud-based working is more efficient, more secure, and more accessible, yet paper waste is still a big issue in most offices. Unnecessary printing and meaningless storage of records means that money is being wasted on replacing ink cartridges and on paper itself. If you must use paper get a blue recycling bin from a local resource management provider such as Riverdale so you know this doesn’t go to waste.
Travelling to work
Have you considered travel to work schemes for your business? Your company could promote car sharing schemes or cycling to work incentives, which will also positively impact your staffs’ health and well-being. Rising popularity of electric cars may also be an attractive scheme for your business, especially with Government grants which are now available to assist in the cost of charging point installation. There is more information on this in one of our previous blogs: https://www.robson-laidler.co.uk/is-2021-the-year-to-get-an-electric-car/
Recycling
It has been reported that the UK is currently not on track to meet EU targets, but businesses can be the driving force in meeting these standards. It’s as easy as getting recycling bins for the office, buying products that are made from recycled materials, and encouraging your staff to use reusable items such as ceramic coffee cups as an alternative to one-use paper cups.
Another way of recycling is to consider purchasing second-hand items such as office furniture. Most things are in great condition and pieces that may not necessarily be ‘up to scratch’ can be a fun upcycling project.
Sustainable suppliers
Although it is important to be conscious of these environmental issues under your own roof, it is also crucial to extend this outwards and have it reflected in your suppliers. Search for suppliers who will take back their own packaging and recycle it for future use, endeavour to use local suppliers rather than national or international suppliers, this will reduce your carbon footprint. Ensuring that your main imports and exports are as environmentally friendly as possible is the perfect way to do your bit.
Join the B1G1 movement
What if you could change lives every day just by doing what you do. Create your own Giving Stories so every time you sell a product, create a new client or celebrate a milestone, something great happens in the world. Learn more about becoming a business for good.
To protect the environment, we all need to work together to do our bit, but don’t forget that most of these changes will benefit your company too, saving you money, improving staff welfare and increasing productivity. For more generic business advice visit our accelerator.