by guest author Allison Hail
As the symptoms of climate change and global warming become increasingly apparent, the question of how to save our planet before it’s too late is proving impossible to ignore.
For business owners, this question has incited further discussion around corporate responsibility, how companies can contribute to everyone’s well-being, and the role that companies large and small should play in the fight against environmental degradation.
Given that more and more employees and consumers now prefer working for and buying from eco-friendly outfits, everyone benefits if you institute a green working ethos for your business. Whether you’re a small business owner or lead a large operation, you can implement many measures to reduce your business’s environmental footprint.
- Optimize office space
The truth is that you don’t need expansive, Pinterest-looking office space to get good work done. Optimize the use of your office space to reduce energy consumption (a smaller area means less electricity and water down the drain).
If you’re looking or needing to expand, be creative with your materials. For example, a shipping container space can constitute an easy-to-rustle-up extension to house extra employees, or even for use as your own private office.
- Cut your fuel emissions
Even the smallest businesses can rack up massive fuel emissions – but this doesn’t have to be so.
Keen to try out an electric car? Perhaps now is the time to upgrade your business fleet.
If many of your employees drive to work, yet live relatively close to each other, you could incentivize carpooling (and take part yourself) with an offer such as free parking space for people who ride together.
To cut down emissions further, you might hop on the telecommuting bandwagon. Allowing employees to work from home and communicate digitally, even if only for part of the week, goes a long way to reducing your business’s cumulative carbon footprint.
Additionally, telecommuting allows you a far broader reach when it comes to recruiting talent. Rather than choosing from slim pickings in your local area, you can search high and low for employees who are the best fit for the task.
- Turn off any appliances that aren’t being used
Leaving appliances – especially computers – running after hours is a massive drain on energy resources. Even on standby, computers use significant amounts of electricity (especially when multiplied by each group member). As the boss, it’s up to you to shape office practices so that shutting appliances down becomes a habit and your culture’s norm.
- Recycle, recycle, recycle
Reducing waste should be high on your business’s planet-saving agenda. If you haven’t already, implement a site-wide scheme that will see recyclable materials sorted from non-recyclables (and so saved from becoming landfill). You can also cut down on your paper trail by digitizing bills and invoices.
If you’re a restaurant owner, you can minimize your establishment’s food wastage by cooking to order, and by offering any remaining produce (that would have otherwise been discarded) to food banks and shelters at the end of the day. Your in-house cafeteria could do the same. You could also investigate sustainable packaging options, and entice your customers to use their own beverage or takeout containers by offering partial discounts at the register.
- Support or organize local environmental events
Saving the planet doesn’t begin and end at your door. To truly show your business’s commitment to the cause, you need to make waves in the wider community.
Whether you organize a tree-planting trip or a beach clean-up for your next team-building activity, buy a patch of tillable land to acquaint local schoolkids with gardening, or sponsor an eco-friendly local event, you’ll win a real following if you establish your business as a community player.
Your company’s ability to have an impact is greatly affected by your choices both in and out of your office environment. Every contribution has value and what you do matters – you are helping to preserve the natural beauty and resources of the planet for many future generations.
About guest author Allison Hail:
Tropical vacations and work for sites such as Tanoa Tusitala, instilled in Allison the value of caring for the environment and living a sustainable lifestyle. As an advocate for the environment, she tries her best to share her knowledge through various sites and blogs. To learn more about Allison, visit her Tumblr page.