It seems that now, regardless of the business idea you have, it’s not just the overall profitability that you need to consider, you also have to consider your impact on the world. Not just in a business sense, but in an environmental one.
Keeping a company environmentally sound is something that we all have to have basic schooling in. It enables us to keep on top of the modern rules and regulations imposed by governments, but it is a way to communicate our ethical standpoint to customers. What are the best ways to keep a company environmentally sound nowadays?
Green Procurement
Reviewing your procurement policies when you are on the lookout for suppliers can help not just improve your environmental ethics, but your perception from the outside as being environmentally sound when it comes to your business dealings. This is something that a lot of companies might not consider, especially when the cost is the overriding issue. But, it depends on the industry.
When you are working with water, and ensuring that the supply is clean, there are various filters and oil-water separators that can be procured in the marketplace for cheap but may not have that extra environmentally conscious ingredient. The best way to do it is to find suppliers in your local area. Not only does this result in cheaper transportation costs, but it is a very simple way to reduce your carbon footprint.
Minimizing Furniture Waste
Amazingly, over 17 billion dollars of office furniture and equipment are sent to a landfill every year in the United States. This is down to various factors, but predominantly, businesses moving around a lot in order to capture a target market is the primary culprit.
If you’re looking to improve your business in an environmental sense, keeping still in one area is going to be beneficial to your carbon footprint, but you might want to reconsider the amount of furniture you use generally.
Something like standing desks appears to be a bigger investment upfront, but it’s been shown to have positive impacts on workers’ productivity, and because of that extra cost, especially in comparison to office chairs, desks, and other accoutrements, standing desks will certainly be a leading light in the productivity and environmental stakes.
L-Shaped Electric Standing Desk, 55 Inch Height Adjustable Stand up Table, Sit-Stand Desk with Splice Board, White Frame/White Top,
Reducing Paper
Hopefully, you are going in this direction anyway, but while a lot of businesses believe a reliance on digital processes to be environmentally friendly, there can still be overuse of technology, which will impact your carbon footprint. It’s a very difficult balance to gauge, but producing paper, as well as implementing ethical practices on the ground floor, will help you to improve your overall ethical approach.
Keeping a company environmentally sound is about complying with rules and regulations, but it’s also related to the best practices you can implement in your company. It’s not just about the ability to recycle anymore, there are far more dense layers to get on board with. From your clients to your suppliers, to your in-house approaches, it is all relevant to securing an environmentally sound business.
This is a collaborative post.
