The universal question that’s sweeping the minds of everyone is who is responsible for taking action on climate change? Is it the government, large companies, or each person individually?
The answer lies in all three of those options, and as an entrepreneur, environmental concerns should be a priority in your processes.
Whatever kind of work you do, there are always ways to reduce any negative environmental impact your business has. Let’s take a look at how you can be more sustainable as a business.
Go paperless
One of the easiest ways of making a huge impact on your carbon footprint is by going completely paperless, and it’s now easier than ever. You can store important documents using a cloud service, and even your receipts can be delivered digitally to your customers.
Instead of printing memos to your workforce, use online messaging apps like Slack to convey important messages, or communicate face to face. Even those who need to take notes for their work don’t need a notepad, as pretty much every device they could be working on will have a notepad app.
Not only will doing this help reduce your carbon footprint, but you’ll save money in the long run.
Switch providers
If you’re not already using a provider that’s not offering you 100% renewable energy, then now is the time to switch. Companies that don’t use it by now have no excuse as it’s widely available and so much better for the environment.
Try out this Octopus Energy referral link to see if you could save yourself some money on your energy bills.
Turn things off!
It sounds obvious, but when you’re not using something, turn it off. Computers, light switches, machinery, even your radiators, when they’re not being used, turn them off! The amount of energy that goes to waste through leaving something on unnecessarily is staggering.
Create a culture in your workplace to turn things off when not in use, and reward those who consistently remember. While we’re all only human and forget from time to time, the expense of the earth isn’t something to mess around with.
You may also consider installing sensor lights as a good measure to ensure that if there is human error, the lights will turn off soon enough anyway. Encourage your team to have energy saving modes enabled on their computers too.
Introduce travel incentives
If every single member of your workforce drives to work alone each day, then now is the time to see what kind of travel incentives you can introduce.
Suggest those that live close or on the same route carpool and share the fuel costs, and encourage those who have bikes to cycle to work as much as possible.
Reward those who follow these suggestions with incentives such as breakfast paid for by the company or the ability to leave half an hour early.
Getting everyone involved in ensuring your business is as eco-friendly as possible might not be easy. However if you achieve it, your carbon footprint will reduce dramatically, and you may save some money along the way!
