How To Make Business Sustainable in 2023?
Green tips to become more eco-conscious this year
With many of us returning to the office, we’re focused on ways to keep safe but shouldn’t let eco-friendly practices fall by the wayside because we’re in full-on survival mode.
A sustainable business approach is more critical than ever and is far easier and effortless to implement - even small changes are far-reaching in the long run!
Here’s how you can reduce your environmental footprint in 2023 by educating, recycling, reducing energy usage and working towards making business sustainable.
Commit To Recycling
This might seem like obvious advice, but recycling is so important, given how much waste a single business generates.
Setting up recycling bins in commonly used areas of the flex space (which people have easy access to) will serve as a daily reminder to staffers to reconsider what they’re throwing away.
Most people know that they should recycle but get confused about what waste goes where. Mark sure these bins are clearly marked and if that’s not enough, send out a refresher email, so everyone is mindful of the ins and outs of recycling.
Put up posters around the workplace listing recyclable office material and equipment, including ink cartridges (if you don’t plan to refill them), old laptop batteries and similar items that shouldn’t clog up landfills.
This might seem like obvious advice, but recycling is so important, given how much waste a single business generates.
Choose To Reuse Items
During the early stages of the pandemic, people resorted to using single-serve plastics and cutlery because they were frightened of catching the virus via surface transmission.
Now that we have a better understanding of how COVID-19 spreads and how we can protect ourselves, reusable items are back on the table.
Encourage everyone to use the ceramics, coffee mugs, water glasses and utensils supplied by the office, or bring their own to work. Washing a dirty dish won't take long and is less likely to end up at the bottom of the ocean.
Keeping hydrated during a long workday is clearly essential, but individuals don't require bottled water to reach their daily intake.
Investing in a water cooler or a filter for the office will keep your plastic usage as a company down.
Replace Outdated Equipment
Holding onto monitors and laptops beyond their shelf life might keep costs down, but it’s not at all energy efficient.
Update the office with new equipment and consider donating the old appliances to charity.
Holding onto monitors and laptops beyond their shelf life might keep costs down, but it’s not at all energy efficient.
Printing
Before the advent of the digital era, we were increasingly reliant on paper and filing systems for inventory and storage.
Now that almost everything can be done electronically, printing has become less necessary and going paperless is now achievable. Additionally, with Cloud and other computing systems storing everything online, remote employees have shared access to data and resources, rendering the need for hard copies moot.
Refrain from printing out meeting agendas but choose to display this information on an electronic device for everyone to see and send digitised versions afterwards.
Enforce rules that only allow printing when it’s strictly necessary.
Electricity Usage
Small things can also make a difference when it comes to making business sustainable. Turn off lights that aren’t strictly necessary to use and replace standard incandescent bulbs with LED ones. These use approximately 75% less energy while offering the same output.
Make the most of ambient lighting by opening closed binds and letting sunlight fill the office. Painting your office walls with light hues and high gloss sheens will also brighten up dark spaces.
Power down work computers for the night or activated standby mode if PCs go unused for long periods to reduce your consumption. Better yet, completely unplug your device overnight to avoid wasting energy on phantom power.
If you’ve got the budget and are looking to improve energy efficiency in the office further, motion-activated light sensors are the way to go. These save you from having to switch off lights upon your arrival in rooms that aren’t constantly occupied and remembering to turn them off when leaving, thus saving energy automatically.
Travel
With remote working being the norm, people don’t need to be incentivised to rethink their commute because they’re spending a substantial amount of their workweek in their home office.
However, for those who are spending more time at the office than before, it might be time to rethink work commutes.
Encourage workers to walk or cycle to work - not only is this efficient in reducing their carbon emissions but also increases the activity levels of workers.
If your business headquarters are too far to walk or ride, consider setting up a location that’s closer to home - there are a multitude of workspace options from which to choose.
Encourage workers to walk or cycle to work - not only is this efficient in reducing their carbon emissions but also increases the activity levels of workers.
Consider Greener Office Supplies
Select greener alternatives to disposable pens and stapleless staples. Refill your pen with new ink instead of purchasing new ones when it runs dry.
For office supplies, such as rubber bands that don’t have eco-friendly substitutes, think about eliminating them entirely.
Literally, “Go Green”
Plants create oxygen and put workers in a calm and happy frame of mind. There are no disadvantages to having some greenery around the office space.
Your commitment to sustainability should extend beyond the office walls and into the local community.
Take a step further by planting trees in your area. Not only will your reputation as an eco-friendly business among potential customers pay off, but you’ll be forming part of an army of companies dedicated to making the world a better place, one eucalyptus tree at a time.
Partner Up With Eco-conscious Groups
If you’ve explored all avenues and want to learn about more green practices worth implementing, partnering with eco-conscious groups can be highly informative and enriching.
Changing The Way You Clean
Following last year’s upheaval, offices are being cleaned and disinfected more regularly than ever before.
Some of these contain toxic chemicals that aren’t good for the environment or our health. Substitute these for eco-friendly cleaning prod.
Following last year’s upheaval, offices are being cleaned and disinfected more regularly than ever before.
Challenge the mindset of your employees
Setting up recycling bins and slapping up signs to remind workers to print only when necessary won’t count for much if your staffers can’t understand why their actions matter.
Investing in training is essential if it helps your employees to see why eco-friendly practices in the workplace and beyond is impactful. Another idea is to create a sustainable group to get workers more actively involved.
Changing this complacent mindset could result in transformed behaviour and attitude toward saving our planet.
Change Is Possible!
From recycling and waste management to energy conservation and office-wide bans on single-use plastics, there are several different ways for companies to revolutionise their business practices for the sake of our planet affordably.
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