Some have started, others are giving it serious consideration. If you haven’t yet begun, start small and keep it going. And don’t look back.
Environmental sustainability has moved to the forefront of the news headlines especially with COP26 taking place on a doorstep in Glasgow and the noticeable changes we are all beginning to make as consumers to the choices we are making about how we live, work, eat and enjoy our leisure time.
Buying habits are changing as people seek to minimise their impact on the natural environment.
By incorporating eco-friendly ideas into your business, you can align your brand’s ethos with that of your customer base. (also see: Plastic packaging tax from April 2022).
If you are running a small business, you might think that your environmental impact is inconsequential but the people buying your products or services don’t or may not see it that way.
Customers are starting to vote with their wallets first – they want to support the green agenda.
Businesses can start their eco efforts by choosing to purchase and use sustainable products from paper through to packaging. You can go a step further and introduce recycling facilities in your offices too.
Your business could make efforts to reduce its carbon footprint by switching to energy efficient appliances, LED lighting, smart thermostats and so forth.
Encouraging staff to work from home where possible can also help to reduce CO2 emissions by reducing the number of cars on the road.
Your business can also make an effort to reduce its waste or even reduce its water usage in order to help to protect the environment. Conservation is just as important as recycling, after all.
Your firm can choose to do business with green suppliers only. Whether that is net zero emission web hosting or carbon neutral suppliers in your supply chain – every little bit helps.
Finally, for whatever parts of your firm’s operations that can’t become more environmentally friendly (for whatever reason), you can look into offsetting your carbon emissions.
There are a variety of carbon offset credits available on the market today. A carbon credit represents either the permanent removal of a tonne of CO2 from the atmosphere or the avoidance of one tonne of CO2 being emitted in the first place.