Reputation is everything when you run a business. If you have a bad one, it will lead to a whole host of negative issues. However, a good reputation can help drive your business forwards and help you gain more customers.
As such, building a good reputation is key, and there are many ways to do this. One of the best ways is to make your business more environmentally friendly. Doing this improves public perception of your company and can also lead to additional benefits. So, here are five easy ways you can become a more environmentally friendly business:
- Switch to LED Lighting
One easy way you can be more environmentally friendly is to tone down your energy bill. A business will use up so much energy every day – usually via their lighting. You’ll constantly have lights on inside and let’s not forget any exterior signs you have lit up too. With standard lighting, you can accrue a huge energy bill which is bad for the environment. The more energy you use, the more fossil fuels get burnt powering your business. The easy idea is to switch to LED lighting instead of the lighting you’re using now. LED lights are far more eco-friendly and energy efficient. There are various savings calculators available online to determine how much you could save. You can use them inside and can even get your hands on LED signage too. LED lights can last up to 25 times longer and use 75% less energy than standard lighting. Making this switch is such a simple way to make your company more environmentally friendly. In fact, converting to LED in your business can be as easy as retrofitting existing light fixtures with LED. In simple terms, you keep your existing light fixture shell and replace the bulb rather than replacing the entire fixture.
- Turn Off Your Equipment
Another way you can become a greener business is by turning off your equipment when it’s not being used. Again, this is a fantastic way to reduce energy consumption in your company. No doubt there will be loads of appliances and equipment that are turned on throughout the day. Offices are serial offenders when it comes to leaving equipment on when it’s not in use. If you switch things off when they don’t need to be on you can reduce energy consumption by around 25%. A huge mistake businesses make is leaving the equipment on overnight, this can add an extra 50% onto your energy bill. Turn everything off when you leave the office at the end of the day, it’s so easy and so effective.
- Start Recycling Your Waste
Over the course of a week, a business will create plenty of waste. You’ll fill up your bins and put them outside for refuse collection. This is a common thing to do, but it’s not the best solution. If you want to be more environmentally friendly, then you should start recycling your waste. Get on the phone to your local council and arrange the recycling dates. You can also receive the relevant recycling bins to help you as well. Now, you can put everything that can be recycled in separate bins to the non-recyclables. A large percentage of your business waste will no longer get sent to landfill sites and burnt creating CO2 emissions. Instead, it’s recycled and won’t harm the environment.
- Use Environmentally Friendly Carriers/Delivery Companies
As a business, you will have relationships with many other companies as well. Most notably, you’ll need a carrier/delivery company to help move goods to and from your business. The main issue with this is that a lot of delivery services aren’t good for the environment. They use transport that gives off lots of carbon emissions, and this reflects badly on your business. What you need to do is look for environmentally friendly delivery companies. Search for companies that are green and don’t damage the environment when shipping goods. This way, you will have a more eco-friendly business as you’re using green delivery methods.
- Decrease Your Paper Usage
Using too much paper is a surefire way to have a negative impact on the environment. Deforestation is a serious environmental issue and businesses are contributing to it. The thing is, you don’t need to use much paper in your company. Send messages via email instead of printing out letters and mailing them. A lot of things that used to be done on paper can now be done digitally, like note taking. If you have to print things out, print them out on double sided pages instead of using two separate pieces. Of course, when you’ve finished using the paper make sure you throw it in the recycling bin!
By making a few simple changes, you can become more environmentally friendly. Now, you can sit back and enjoy the benefits this brings to your business.
