Being entirely sustainable is difficult for many companies, mostly because they did not begin their company with sustainability in mind when they started, and completely changing their productions can be both expensive and disruptive. However, instead of trying to do a complete overhaul to eliminate your carbon footprint, work on making small changes throughout the year. This is how you’ll become a more sustainable company, save money, and better the environment:
- Choose Quality Over Quantity
Stop buying disposable items that do nothing other than cost you a lot of money and fill up a landfill. Instead, use stronger, more stable materials that will last longer and can be reused. Use this mentality for everything you purchase, including items like galvanized wire for packaging. Instead of plastic ties, buy single loop ties from balingwiredirect.com. The more durable, the better. Not only will you produce less waste, you’ll save money in the long run.
- Go Paperless
Everyone has a phone and other electronic devices that, for the most part, make paper defunct. Therefore, try, as much as you can, to go paperless. For the items that you need to have printed, use recycled paper; limit notepads in the office to reduce temptation, and reward your employees for recycling instead of producing waste. It is a small impact, but if everyone opted to use recycled paper instead of new, we could potentially save a lot of forests.
Going paperless is also useful when it comes to finding information. Instead of writing down job notes and contact details, input them into a system so that you will never lose the information. Your work can be backed up to a cloud system or a server so that you never need to worry about your system failing. Not only is this better admin practice, but it is also a lot tidier. Filing cabinets are a thing of the past; instead, online data basis’ can save you time, money, and de-clutter your office space.
- Use Energy-Efficient Technology
A great way to save money and the environment is to opt for more energy efficient solutions. This means everything from changing your lightbulbs to even installing solar power panels. Other ways you can reduce your energy usage is to ask employees to open windows rather than use the AC, or bring a jumper to work when it starts to get cold. Of course, this doesn’t mean you have to suffer, however, as a society, we take advantage of the technology and, in turn, the environment.
- Source Locally
When you need to buy products, try to buy them from your local producers, instead of overseas. Being sustainable also means that you are furthering your community, instead of exploiting those overseas. Local products and produce – even if it’s just for free food you offer to your employees – have a reduced carbon footprint simply because they didn’t have to be transported anywhere.
- Recycle Over Trash
Have a dedicated recycling program in place. Encourage your employees to dispose of everything, from plastics, to paper, to food waste in the proper location. This way you reduce the landfill deposit and increase the life of the products that you and your employees use.
Being sustainable is how we’ll save the environment, and it’s also how we’ll save a lot of money on everyday costs. Choose quality items that are stronger and can be reused, go paperless, use energy efficient and renewable energy technologies to reduce utilities costs, buy what you need from the local area, and have a dedicated recycling program. These changes are simple, but implementing them can help the environment and reduce your bills.
