6 Ways Your Business Can Be More Eco-friendly

Global warming is such a monumental issue. It has never been more important to do what you can as a business to ensure your impact on the environment is at the very least not directly negative. You would be surprised at what simple, everyday changes you can make within your business over long periods of time have a huge impact.

As a zero-waste chef, Anne Marie Bonneau once said, “We don’t need a handful of people doing zero-waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”

Here are our 6 top ways your business can be more eco-friendly:

Go paperless

In the 21st-century, it’s impressively possible for a business to be completely virtual and online. There are plenty of options to invoice clients through online software like PayPal, Xero and Quickbooks. Some businesses even onboard employees through online portals and have remote HR departments outsourced to a HR specialist organization.

The majority of paperwork related to business operations is used only once, and then filed away forever. Only pulled out again when taxes need to be filed or books are being audited. Therefore, reducing this single-use paper by moving operations online as much as possible, is a sure way to have a more positive impact on the environment.

Source goods from sustainable suppliers

This could be something as simple as purchasing supplies that are non-toxic, recyclable and made from renewable or recycled materials. You need to have some understanding and knowledge of the business you’re purchasing from. How do they operate and where do they source their materials from?

Furthermore, Gen Z and millennials are today found to be much more likely to purchase from a business that is sustainable in its operations and outputs than one that isn’t.

Recycle electronics

If your business incorporates a strong virtual-working style, you’ll rely on your technology on a daily basis. But devices get old, they break and there are a wide variety of elements that can be or need to be recycled or disposed of in specific ways to not harm the environment.

Many electronic retailers also offer a recycling programme to safely dispose of your unwanted tech. Or to trade in your old items to get discounts on new ones.

Save water

Here are just a few ideas:

• Fix leaky faucets in your office space
• Install barrels, buckets or pots outside to collect rainwater for your office plants
• If you have a dishwasher, do all your dishes together at the end of the day instead of separately throughout to reduce use

Create a green space

You can do this in your office space or even your home office…

• Have a compost heap for food leftovers and peelings
• Is there a space you can devote to creating a home for insects and bees?
• A famous study from NASA in the 80s concluded that humble house plants could successfully remove nasty indoor odors (plus they release fresh oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from the air)

Offer more work-from-home flexibility

For those who can, offering a WFH option to your employees means less commuting and therefore less of a negative impact on the environment. While you can encourage employees who live closer to the office space to walk or cycle, those living further away would need to drive or take public transport.

Many companies today offer a WFH option with regular monthly or quarterly meetings in person for the whole team to catch up.

At Everything Answered, we have many practices in place that help to reduce our carbon footprint. Contact us to discuss our outsourcing services today!