Global warming is a pressing issue these days; it is easy to see why it is only relevant to large businesses and organizations. However, thinking that the global warming issue is only the responsibility of such giant corporations is a flawed statement.
Small business owners might think that their environmental efforts won’t matter; truth be told, they matter immensely. Minor changes to become more eco-friendly can impact the environment if put into continuous practice.
Besides being good for the environment, owning an eco-friendly business is also good for your reputation. It also has the potential to increase your sales tenfold, especially as customers are becoming more environmentally conscious. That said, if you want to make your business eco-friendlier, your efforts must be genuine, as your customers will be able to smell your BS if you make false claims. On that note, listed below are a few ways to be an eco-friendly business owner:
Opt For Reusable Office Supplies
William Schantz recommends using refillable pens to help your business reduce the amount of plastic waste it throws out every day. Furthermore, cutting down on paper waste, using mini dry erase boards or notebooks instead of sticky note pads is one of the easiest ways to be an eco-friendly business owner. Electronic note-taking is also another green option.
A good practice is to appoint someone to track all your business’s stationery to help prevent waste from ending in landfills. When you have someone who pays attention to what gets wasted, it can help you make additional changes if necessary.
Introduce A Recycling Program
Recycling is one of the easiest ways to be an eco-friendly business owner. In fact, it will help reduce your carbon footprint. So, whether you own a small office or a large warehouse, you are likely generating tons of waste materials. Schantz suggests Introducing a recycling program instead of throwing away all your trash will make a massive difference in the environment’s health.
You can start by paying close attention to the stuff your throw in the trash. There is a chance that your workplace generates more recyclable materials than you think. For example, cardboard packaging, plastic bottles, or paper products are a few examples of recyclable waste. However, other not-so-obvious items can stay out of landfills through recycling.
For instance, Schantz recommends giving away Inkjet and toners cartridges for refilling or recycling. You can also recycle electronic waste by getting rid of old working computers, laptops, or storage drives to charitable organizations.
Control Energy Consumption
Business owners can deploy tons of practices to lower energy consumption at their workplace. However, William Schantz suggests incorporating small adjustments such as replacing incandescent lights with LED bulbs and fixtures or using alternative energy sources like solar, wind, or geothermal power are easy ways to be an eco-friendly business owner.
As solar and wind energy becomes more viable, businesses, both large and small, can now purchase power from eco-friendly sources at lower rates. Doing thiscan drastically decrease their operating expenses while also lowering environmental impact.
Use Eco-friendly Cleaning Products
What products do you use to clean your workplace? Most commercial cleaners contain a mixture of hazardous chemicals and can sometimes make people sick,from dizziness to headaches to worse. Replace these conventional cleaners with ones that are non-toxic and fragrance-free.
In fact, you can ditch cleaners entirely as you can clean most surfaces with just some warm water and simple fragrance-free, biodegradable liquid soap.
Wrapping Up
As a small business owner, making more environmentally-friendly choices is vital for strategic growth in today’s era. Sure, are various ways to be an eco-friendly business owner. However, finding ones that fit your business model well takes time and patience. Besides decreasing the negative on the environment, you will save money on operating expenses while building everlasting relationships with your customers when you go green.
For more information on running your business with an iron fist, contact William Schantz, and our experts will help you with all your business tasks and processes!
