How To Build An Environmentally-Friendly Business
With the growing awareness of problems facing the planet, such as plastic pollution and carbon emissions, many people are starting to take serious action. The need to make lifestyle changes for the sake of the environment is an issue weighing heavily on many people’s minds right now. This shift in attitude towards society becoming more environmentally aware is beginning to filter down to businesses. Consumers are now more likely to question a company’s ethical and environmental credentials than they would have done in the past. If you are looking for ways to create a business which is unashamedly environmentally friendly, or want to boost your current company’s eco-credentials, read on to find out how.
With the growing awareness of problems facing the planet, such as plastic pollution and carbon emissions, many people are starting to take serious action. The need to make lifestyle changes for the sake of the environment is an issue weighing heavily on many people’s minds right now. This feeling is demonstrated by the number of people cutting down on single-use plastics.
This shift in attitude towards society becoming more environmentally aware is beginning to filter down to businesses. Consumers are now more likely to question a company’s ethical and environmental credentials than they would have done in the past. In response to this, businesses need to take action and be proactive in their approach to the environment to keep customers buying from them. Establishing a company that embraces being eco-friendly and isn’t afraid to tell people all about it, allows you to build a forward-thinking brand, with a strong brand identity.
If you are looking for ways to create a business which is unashamedly environmentally friendly, or want to boost your current company’s eco-credentials, read on to find out how:
Shout About It
Want to build up your reputation based on being kind to the environment? If being environmentally-friendly is an integral part of your brand, then you need to let people know that. If you want to go full-on eco, then this attitude should encompass every element of your branding, and the tone of voice which it uses. The look and feel of your website should have a ‘green’ feel to it. This also applies to your logo, your product packaging (recycled, of course), and so on. The more consistent your branding is, the stronger and more authentic it becomes.
Along with looking green, you will need to tell people all about it too. On your website include a ‘corporate social responsibility’ page which details all of your ethical and eco policies. This section must be honest and open. Make sure that your corporate social responsibility blurb is based on fact. Any false claims will backfire seriously and can cause damage to your business’ reputation. It is worth bearing in mind that positioning your brand as ethical and environmentally friendly opens you up to heavy criticism if it is found not to be the case. By being eco-friendly and using eco-friendly polythene you can lower carbon footprints and contribute towards a cleaner, more sustainable carbon economy, with that building a better world for tomorrow.
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Don’t Neglect the Details
As mentioned earlier, an eco-friendly brand must be precisely that. Any slip-ups, such as using suppliers that don’t have the same robust environmental credentials, could cause significant damage to your business’ reputation.
To keep your reputation intact, you need to ensure that every detail embodies the brand and what it stands for. Promotional items are a great example of this. You want promotional items that get your name out there but aren’t throwaway items made from single-use plastic, for example. Using a promotional goods supplier such as Earth Friendly Promos will solve this problem. Biodegradable and sustainable promotional items are the perfect way to communicate your business’ values.
Engage Your Employees
Engaging employees in the company ethos is crucial for any business, but especially so if yours represents strong values. These values should be an active feature of the company culture, and as such, your employees should be up to date with them, and work in line with them. Employees that don’t embody your environmental standards when representing your business can cause a significant amount of damage to your reputation.
Creating a Greener Workplace
An environmentally-friendly company requires business premises that match. There are plenty of changes that can be introduced to create a greener work environment. Here is a little inspiration to get you thinking about what will work best for you:
- Eliminate single-use plastics by providing staff with refillable water bottles for them to use instead of plastic cups.
- Offer a secure space where staff can store their bikes if they want to cycle into work.
- Use natural light as much as possible to reduce the amount of electricity used, and switch to energy-saving bulbs.
Create a green outdoor space, even a small one such as a patio area with plants for your staff to take their breaks outside. Being outside in a natural environment and fresh air offers a wellbeing boost and is an excellent way for employees to feel relaxed and refreshed on their breaks.
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Cut down on the amount of printing that you do, and you will save money while helping the environment. Using less paper, electricity and printer ink is the ideal way to reduce business costs while also being kinder to the environment.