4 Easy and Cost-Effective Ways To Make Your Business Eco-Friendly

Whether it’s something as simple as establishing an in-house reward system for carpooling or a major change like undergoing infrastructural renovations, taking action is indisputably beneficial for both the planet and your business. The following simple steps are designed to help businesses create a greener future together:

Invest in the Environment

When it comes to climate action, it’s not just about money. However, if you can afford to part with a small portion of your business’s profits, then there are plenty of environmental schemes worth investing in.

For instance, joining an organization like One Percent for the Planet – where businesses pledge to give 1% of gross profits to environmental partners – doesn’t put a hole in your pocket. What it actually does is launch you into a collaboration with other eco-friendly companies while setting an example to others.

Climate actions come in all shapes and sizes. There are many that businesses can take that are simply a one-time decision, such as making a donation to an environmental charity or planting trees. There are also steps that businesses could (and should) take that require a more holistic rethinking of systems and mindsets.

Often this means spending a bit of time figuring out what impactful changes to make. This could be checking whether the products or services your company uses are eco-friendly and if not, switching to green providers.

Similarly, if you offer a pension scheme to employees, then divesting from fossil fuel companies and converting to ESG funds provides many advantages. For one, it benefits the environment as you’re taking money away from businesses that exploit the earth’s reserves of oil, gas, and coal, and investing in responsible, ethical companies instead. You’re also taking a public stand against the misuse of fossil fuels, which will appeal to prospective partners, employees, and customers.

Adapt to a New Way of Working

An increase in remote workers means that fewer people are commuting; therefore, there is less pollution. In fact, studies have shown that working from home half the week could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 54 million tons per year. However, every business is different and not all can facilitate the work-from-home model. If this is the case, then it’s a good idea to encourage team members to use public transport, or better yet, offer a company bus service that takes them directly to work.

Some companies have a physical workspace while offering employees the option of working from home. Instead of keeping the office in its traditional state with fixed desks, convert to hotdesking, downsize to a smaller space, and save the company money on rent and energy bills. This kind of action is brimming with positives: business expenses drop, efficiency increases, and the planet is protected.

Whether transitioning to remote working is a possibility or not, exploring paperless software is a no-brainer for companies looking to minimize costs. Although some services come with subscription fees, all expenditures related to printing, posting, and physical storage vanish, day-to-day administrative tasks become streamlined, and carbon emissions decrease significantly.

Conserve Heat (and Money)

Filling loft space with insulation is the quickest, cheapest, and most energy-efficient environmental step any property owner can make. If your company uses a physical office, remember to get the ladder out and check the loft. This step is vital, especially if you’re located in a region with a chilly climate where there are only a few months in the year when central heating isn’t needed.

The beauty of fitting insulation is that it only requires a one-time fee and the building will always have a greater capacity to retain heat. This means that the heating in your office can be set at a lower temperature and for fewer hours each day than without insulation, keeping your wallet and the earth happy.

But if there’s no room left to insulate, it’s worth inspecting the doors and windows too. Any window gaps letting air in can be filled with draft-proofing strips, expanding foam, or any material lying around that will squeeze into the spaces. Moreover, using a wind stopper to block the draft coming in under the door can also make a surprisingly big difference. These types of changes are arguably the most satisfying because they’re relatively cheap to apply and yield instant results.