5 Ways Your Business Can Reduce Its Environmental Impact

5 Ways Your Business Can Reduce Its Environmental Impact

More and more companies are looking for ways to adopt a greener mindset. After all, it’s no secret that the effects of climate change are taking its toll across the globe. Not to mention, a more eco-conscious way of running your business can actually save you money in the long run.

Not only can you keep more money in your pocket, but many eco-conscious behaviors can even improve your productivity. Here are some of the most practical ways your business can reduce its environmental impact.

Reduce Paper Waste

One of the biggest causes of wasted resources in businesses is paper.  In reality,  chances are that a considerable amount of the items that you print end up going immediately in the recycle, or worse— trash. Consider looking for ways to digitize whenever possible. Whether it’s your marketing efforts, invoices, or internal communications, consider eliminating print wherever you can.

You won’t just save your business a significant amount of money per year, but you’ll also find you make a significant contribution to the earth.

Switch to Electric Vehicles

If your business has company cars, you should consider switching from gas powered vehicles and consider going entirely electric.  Not only can making the switch significantly reduce the amount of carbon emissions you produce, but you can save your business thousands a year on gas powered vehicle costs.

Educate Employees

The best place to start with being eco-conscious is in your own backyard. You can start by having a meeting with your employees and explaining to them your intentions of reducing your carbon footprint.

This can be an opportunity for everyone in the office to share ideas for how they could reduce waste and create a greener office environment.  It’s also a chance to educate employees who may not be aware how their behavior could be negatively impacting the planet.

Encourage all your employees to recycle whenever possible, and be more conscious of waste in the office overall. You may find that offering an incentive program motivates your employees even more to adopt green habits at work.

Be Aware of Energy Consumption

It’s important that you reduce your energy consumption whenever possible. Be aware of lights that don’t need to be on, and consider turning off idle technology that isn’t in use. The great news is that being more energy conscious can save your business a lot of money. Even a few small efforts every day to consume less electricity can add up to serious savings at the end of the year.

Encourage Remote Work

While not every business may be able to permit virtual work, many businesses can. If there are any employees in your business who can work from home, encourage them to do so more often.

Working online from home means fewer cars on the road, and ultimately less carbon emissions. In addition to remote work, you can also encourage an employee carpool program.  This won’t just reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere, but it can also save your employees big money on gas costs!