7 Cheap & Big-impact Actions to make your Businesses Greener

Written by Oscar Fuentevilla

ECOCEPTIVE

Our company’s footprint? But we don’t sell shoes!

As business owners, we are always looking for ways to cut expenses, increase profit and have a healthy work environment. That’s been the story for years, but as society evolves we’ve realised there’s something else we can’t ignore as a business: the planet we live on.

We are usually presented with expensive options to contribute and most businesses are not in the position to invest even if they want. This is why we want to share these 7 super simple and affordable (or free even!) actions for business owners to take and significantly reduce their operation’s footprint:

• Make sure you’re using LED lighting in your office A very easy one! These lightbulbs are made to last for at least 5 years and use 75% less energy compared to conventional bulbs. Save on energy costs and save the planet!
• Separate recyclable trash, at least recyclable and non-recyclable We all know what recycling is about but many don’t do it. Ideally we would have it separated in at least 4 groups but for businesses it is easier to just separate organic and non-organics, and this allows for recyclers to separate clean materials afterwards.
• Offer remote working to your workers and commute pollution After almost 2 years of pandemic, remote working is a proven work scheme that cuts a lot of commute and eating-out pollution. This applies to many but not all workers/businesses.
• Provide benefits for using public transport to commute or bicycle Offering your workers a flexible time schedule, an extra day of holiday, or whatever benefit you can think of for workers who commute in green vehicles or public transport. This will incentivise them to do so.
• Offset your footprint (or a part) by contributing to green projects There are many options from tree-planting to green energy projects, and this usually offers a public profile that companies can share with their customers to prove their contributions. Ecorely is offering a deal where each tree planted is only $.50!
• Reduce your paper use, use their digital counterparts, Is there something we really need paper for other than the bathroom? I’m kidding, of course there is, but most of it can be replaced by a digital document.
• Switch to local providers as much as possible Locally-produced products don’t have to be transported to you from far away and their owners are conscious about your environment as it is theirs as well.

But… What is my business footprint? Why am I hearing so much about it? It refers to how much the operations of a company impact on the environment directly and indirectly. Consumers are getting more and more conscious about where they buy from, making businesses and supply chains greener to fit this.

How can I know how much is my footprint? It is a complicated task to measure your footprint as it varies depending on the business. Learn about the best footprint calculators for businesses in the market.

Written by Oscar Fuentevilla

@fuentevilla

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