How To Green Your Workplace (And Why You Should Bother)
Due to growing concerns surrounding climate change, many people are modifying their lifestyles to minimize their impact on the environment. While individuals are being encouraged to adopt new eco-friendly behaviors, businesses are under increasing pressure too. Industries account for a considerable amount of pollution, for example, so reducing industrial emissions will have a significant impact on the future of the planet. Although many business owners and managers are introducing sustainable strategies for environmental reasons, there are financial reasons for going green too.
Due to growing concerns surrounding climate change, many people are modifying their lifestyles to minimize their impact on the environment. While individuals are being encouraged to adopt new eco-friendly behaviors, businesses are under increasing pressure too.
Industries account for a considerable amount of pollution, for example, so reducing industrial emissions will have a significant impact on the future of the planet. Although many business owners and managers are introducing sustainable strategies for environmental reasons, there are financial reasons for going green too.
How much could your business save by going green?
Introducing new operations and processes usually requires some sort of investment. Indeed, switching to greener materials or more environmentally friendly equipment may require initial expenditure. However, there are numerous savings to be made when you incorporate green strategies into your business.
Firstly, businesses that successfully implement environmentally friendly practices typically use less manmade power and fuel. As your use of electricity, oil and gas drops, your energy bills will reduce accordingly. Representing a considerable saving in terms of regular expenditure, going green to minimize your running costs and help you to generate higher profits.
Secondly, companies are under increasing political pressure to become more environmentally friendly. In some jurisdictions, businesses face tax penalties and sanctions for exceeding emission limits. Conversely, many countries offer tax breaks and financial incentives to companies that adopt green policies and processes.
As the climate change debate continues to gain traction, it’s likely that these initiatives will become more widespread. Due to this, an increasing number of businesses will face financial sanctions unless they modify their operations and reduce their carbon footprint.
Introducing green policies now can help you to avoid these unnecessary financial penalties and reduce your future expenditure. Depending on your location, you may find that you make immediate tax savings by launching green in-house strategies.
Increase your customer base with environmentally friendly processes
Awareness of climate change and pollution has grown in recent years and it is now a mainstream issue. As a result, consumers are changing their behaviors and actively seeking out businesses that prioritize the environment. No matter what industry you operate in, you can increase your customer base by being more eco-friendly than your competitors.
As well as facilitating business growth via customer acquisition, companies can avoid the harmful impact of negative publicity by going green. Many organizations suffer reputational damage when their lack of environmental awareness comes to light. Even major brands have suffered a backlash from consumers, partners, and the media because of their carbon footprints.
Making environmentally friendly processes a core aspect of your business can prevent your brand from facing the same negative publicity. While other firms may suffer a loss of customers due to a lack of environmentally friendly processes, your business can reap the benefits when your eco-friendly operations enable you to acquire these customers and increase your share of the market.
With so many advantages to going green, it’s easy to see why it’s a top priority for so many business owners, directors, shareholders, and CEOs. Fortunately, incorporating green strategies is easier than you might think. To find out how you can make impactful changes and help the environment, take a look at these top tips for going green in the workplace…
1. Ban single-use cutlery, crockery, and glassware
Most workplaces provide meal preparation facilities for their employees to use, while some offer on-site cafes and restaurants too. In addition to this, workplace vending machines and water coolers typically encourage the use of disposable plastic cups, which can harm the environment.
Banning single-use plastics is a great way to make your workplace a greener place. By providing access to reusable mugs, glasses, cutlery, and crockery, you can significantly reduce the amount of plastic your organization uses. As plastic is a major contributor to environmental damage, this is a quick and effective way of becoming more eco-friendly.
2. Reduce water usage
Most of us are fortunate enough to have access to clean running water at all times, which means it’s a luxury we often take for granted. Individuals routinely waste significant amounts of water, simply because we assume there is an endless supply awaiting us. However, cleaning, filtering, and pumping water uses resources. Furthermore, heating water for use in central heating systems or appliances requires further fuel.
Reducing water usage needn’t be a difficult process. Low flow faucets, water tanks, and energy-efficient HVAC systems can save gallons of water a day. When you calculate how many tens of thousands of gallons your company could save over a year, it’s easy to see why businesses are under pressure to adopt greener policies.
3. Go paperless
Technology has already enabled businesses to reduce their use of paper, which is one way of becoming greener. However, many companies could reduce their paper usage even more by making a few simple changes to their operations.
Instead of preparing hard copies of white papers, reports, and documentation, make these available in digital formats only. If you routinely provide customers with invoices or receipts, ask whether they would prefer electronic copies instead. Ensure intra-office communication is carried out face-to-face or via email, rather than using memos and printed documents.
If it’s necessary to use paper for certain documentation, be sure to purchase recycled paper or sheets made from post-consumer content. Following this, ensure your employees have access to recycling facilities so that paper can be repurposed, rather than being sent a landfill.
Becoming a Greener Company
When businesses take a company-wide approach to introduce green policies, they see a staggering reduction in their carbon footprint. It is important, however, that your staff members are on board if you want to really make your business more environmentally friendly.
By educating employees and training them on how to use greener strategies, you can ensure that the organization as a whole is committed to being more eco-friendly. As a result, your company can gain financial benefits by being more environmentally friendly and have peace of mind that you aren’t contributing to the climate change crisis.