While the advances of society have been great in many ways, they have also led to a lot of negative impacts on the planet. With worry increasing over the state of climate change and it becoming ever more important to do something about it, it’s time for businesses to look at what they can do to help. A lot of companies have already started doing this, but if you’re a business owner or are planning to become one soon, below are some easy suggestions for how you can make sure your company is eco-friendly.
Reduce the Use of Paper
Considering that so much is now done on computers, there shouldn’t be excessive paper use in any workspace. Of course, you will still need to print off some documents, photos, etc., but anything that can be shared digitally should be. For example, when you’re having a team meeting, do there need to be individual handouts, or can this all be shown via a PowerPoint presentation? Can your employee handbooks be emailed to staff members and kept on their computers rather than printed off? Think about ways to reduce the use of paper in your workspace as you move toward eco-friendly practices.
Recycle
As well as not using so much paper, you should also be encouraging everyone in the office to recycle. Put on specific bins for paper, general waste, food waste, plastic, etc., so there is no excuse for your employees not to use them. If you’re getting rid of old electronics, find centers that can take them off your hands to use the parts to make something else or destroy them responsibly.
Water Pollution
This point might be more relevant to manufacturing businesses or power plants, as these are both big contributors to water pollution. Chemicals, metals, oils, and other things get swept away in the wastewater from these factory environments and can do a lot of damage when it’s emptied into surrounding rivers, lakes, oceans, or any other bodies of water. To help reduce the water pollution your business is responsible for, look at using technologies that can separate water from contaminates.
Encourage Employees to Cycle to Work or Car Pool
Another big contributor to pollution is how much traffic there is on the roads. Although some companies might be moving towards remote working in the wake of the pandemic, if your employees will be returning to your usual office, think about other ways to reduce traffic. Encourage your staff to cycle or walk to work where possible, and provide safe storage for their bikes and showers they can use at the office. You could also suggest that they carpool with each other if staff live close to each other, or perhaps subsidize part of the cost of public transport. It might not seem like a lot, but every little bit of effort can help.
Donate to Environmental Charities
Finally, you can help do your bit by supporting charities and other organizations that focus on helping the planet and combating climate change. Donations to these groups can help them continue to carry out their work as well as raising awareness for the cause.
If you want your business to become more environmentally conscious, use these simple but effective tips.
