You don’t have to be a big business with big ideas to have an eco-friendly ethos. Even the smallest of businesses can make their company more eco-friendly, and here are some ways you can do it.
As a small business owner, you will likely be working on a limited budget and time, so these tips may require some creativity on your part. It won’t be easy — but that’s what makes it fun! After all, challenging yourself will take you to new places. So here are some unconventional ways to make your small business more eco-friendly.
Go Digital
The business environment is constantly morphing. And that means almost everything is going digital. So if you can do without a printing press, you can use digital media for marketing and promotional material. Going digital with your printed materials can help save you a ton of money on printing and distribution costs. This can be especially helpful if you are working with a small budget.
You can distribute digital copies of your magazines, newspapers, and flyers via email, corporate websites, or even social media. And you can save a lot of paper and money by setting up a private intranet for your employees. This way, you’ll be able to share files, documents, and calendars with your employees, but others outside your company will not have access.
Diversify Commuting Options
One of the easiest ways to improve your company’s eco-friendliness is by diversifying your employees’ commuting options. If everyone drives to the office, you’re likely leaving a massive carbon footprint. If you provide opportunities for other modes of transportation, you’re creating an eco-friendly workplace. If you can’t offer all these options, you can focus on the ones that will have the biggest impact. Such as carpooling arrangements for employees who live near each other or providing transit passes for those who take public transportation.
Utilise Renewable Energy
If your business can harness renewable energy like solar, hydro, or wind energy, it can help reduce your carbon emissions and contribute to a greener world. Even if you don’t own the building where your company is located, you can still try to negotiate with the landlord to install renewable energy sources.
If you are currently out shopping for a new space to rent, you can also try to negotiate with the landlord to install renewable energy sources before you sign the lease. If you are an employee at a company currently renting a space, you can also try to get your bosses to install renewable energy sources. Going green is not limited to just eco-friendly businesses, so you may want to consider this for your career.
Change Your Printing Habits
If you are in the habit of printing everything out, try to change your printing habits. Start by reducing the amount of paper you use and the use of printer ink. You can do this by printing emails (especially for work-related tasks) and documents as two-sided, and avoiding printing photographs. Instead of printing pictures, you can use an online image or social media repositories.
Try to avoid printing out pamphlets or flyers unless it is absolutely necessary. A cheaper and more eco-friendly way to distribute this information electronically may exist. Or you can make your printing habits more eco-friendly by using managed print services to save money and reduce waste.
Make Travel More Eco-Friendly
If your small business involves a lot of travel, try to make your trip more eco-friendly. One way to do this is to try to reduce the amount of air travel that is done. Book flights with a longer distance between the cities you are flying between. You can also try to minimise the time spent in the air by booking flights with a longer layover.
Reduce the amount of fuel used by aeroplanes by booking flights that are operated by more fuel-efficient aircraft. You can also try to reduce the number of carbon emissions from flying by booking flights that are operated by less polluting aircraft. Reduce your carbon footprint by finding hotels that use renewable energy sources.
Allow Flexible Working Styles
Small businesses don’t always have the luxury of having a designated office space and employees. A small team that works remotely can significantly reduce the eco-impact of your business — and create more freedom and flexibility for your team members. However, you need to strike a balance between flexibility and structure. A lack of structure can lead to disengaged employees who are unproductive, and a lack of flexibility can hurt your company if you’re unable to adapt to emergencies and other unexpected situations.
Collaborate With Your Community
If you are in a business or industry related to the arts or cultural sectors, try to find ways to collaborate with your local community. For example, if you are in the food or beverage industry, you can try to find ways to collaborate with local artists who create posters or album artwork for your company.
Find ways to collaborate with local artists in any creative industry, such as graphic designers, musicians, photographers, writers, and actors. This can help your small business feel more a part of the community without costing you a lot of money. Plus, you may also gain some new friends you can call on for future projects. The arts are criminally underappreciated, so boosting local creatives means you help them and yourself in the process.
Re-Use And Recycle
Always strive to find ways to reuse and recycle everything that you can. This can help reduce waste and save money on paper, pens, and binders. If you have old office supplies that are still in good condition, reuse them. For example, you can try to reuse paper binders, file folders, and paper clips. This means you’ll reduce the amount of waste you produce, so you aren’t adding to the global plastic problem.
You can also try to find ways to recycle as much as possible. This can include old newspapers, binders, and old office supplies that are still in good condition.
Small Businesses Have Big Advantages
One of the advantages of starting a small business is that you can be more green than a larger business. This is because you’ll be able to make more eco-friendly and sustainable choices for your company that a larger firm may not be able to do. For example, you may be able to source your products ethically and sustainably. You may also be able to use renewable energy to power your company. And you might also reduce the amount of travel your business does by collaborating with other companies in your industry.
