5 Ways Businesses Can Be More Sustainable

by Startacus Admin

Want to make your business more sustainable? Fin Cope, Co-Founder of sustainable online marketplace GoEthical shares some tips to help you do just that.

“Going green” is no longer a badge of honour for a business; it is pretty much a requirement. Businesses have come to realise that implementing environmentally friendly practices also makes good business sense. The significance of reducing one’s consumption, waste and carbon footprint is an opportunity to operate more efficiently whilst simultaneously impacting positively on the environment and community. 

Fin Cope, Co-Founder of sustainable online marketplace GoEthical, has outlined five tips on how businesses can be more sustainable.

• Set your objectives

Knowing where to start when making your business more sustainable can be overwhelming so it’s essential to set objectives or goals. You should also consider your budget and other restraints to ensure you’re making the best decisions for both your business and the environment. 

Doing the right thing for the environment is of course the primary motivation for going green, but there are many additional advantages as well. Being environmentally conscious will improve your company’s reputation as a responsible, sustainability-oriented organisation amongst not only customers but also shareholders and employees. 

Some tasks may appear costly at first, but the changes can often save you money in the long run, such as changing to renewable energy or installing efficient lighting. Making the transition could also come with some nice government benefits which will also help your business. Other improvements, such as shopping locally and decreasing shipping costs, or introducing better storage solutions, can save your company money in the short run.

• Go paperless

There is no longer a need to post paper bills and invoices. E-bills, app notifications, and online banking are all routine these days, so embrace the digital world and go paperless. If you’ve previously offered customers the choice of paperless billing but had limited take-up, consider an opt-in for paper bills rather than an opt-out. You’ll undoubtedly find that the majority of your customers are eager to go digital.

However, becoming paperless may be used for more than just billing. Avoid using paper and printing as much as possible to make your business more ecologically friendly. You can also get rid of the letterhead by using virtual sign-off, fillable PDF forms, and online ordering.

Also, don’t overlook the use of other papers. In the bathrooms and kitchens, you might also skip single-use kitchen rolls and paper towels by swapping to an eco alternative.

• Swap To Renewable Energy

It’s essential to be aware of how much energy you’re consuming so that you can spot places where changes are needed. Make good use of your smart meter to keep track of your company’s usage and think about how you may cut consumption – if you don’t have one already, make it a priority to get one installed. Also, double-check that your property’s EPC is up to date. This will provide you with a thorough evaluation of your company’s energy efficiency and point out areas for improvement.

Essentials such as lighting, heating, and electrical appliances are perhaps the largest users of energy in office-based workplaces. If your building has a lot of windows, make use of the natural light and think about whether you really need to turn on the lights. Replacement of existing lighting with newer, more energy-efficient options, such as LED bulbs, could provide a significant change.

Make sure your lighting and heating are set on a timer to avoid heating an empty workplace – especially now that so many people are working from home. Many organisations have discovered that installing sensors to turn lights off when no one is present can make a significant difference.

Switching to renewable energy is one of the simplest ways to reduce your small business’s carbon footprint.

• Choose Green Web Hosting

The servers that store a website’s data are always switched on, consuming a lot of energy. Fortunately, companies have the option of choosing where their data is housed. Eco-conscious businesses are increasingly offsetting their energy consumption to become carbon neutral.

Google has made significant efforts to decarbonise its data centres, claiming that its cloud services emit no net carbon emissions. Amazon, the world’s largest cloud computing provider, has pledged to accomplish the same goal by 2040 using wind and solar farms.

You can even get a badge for your website to show your customers your website is causing fewer carbon emissions than your competitors. Check out this website carbon checker. 

• Offset Your Carbon Emissions 

Finally, if a company’s carbon footprint cannot be decreased through changes, offsets can be purchased to bring the company closer to carbon neutrality.

Businesses can quantify and offset their emissions using a variety of carbon marketplaces. When making a decision, look for third-party accreditation and the projects in which the money will be invested.

To begin your carbon-neutral path, here are a few trustworthy carbon offset organisations to consider:

• Earthly

• Cool Effect 

• Terrapass

• South Pole

• Native Energy

• COTAP.org

• Clear

• Myclimate

• Nori

To find out more about GoEthical, visit www.goethical.com. Alternatively, download the app via the App Store and Google Play Store. 

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Published on: 22nd July 2022