How to Make Your Business More Eco-Friendly

With environmental concerns growing, customers increasingly expect companies to operate sustainably. An eco-friendly approach can also cut business costs, attract top talent, and give companies a competitive advantage.

Improving Energy Efficiency

Heating, cooling, lighting, and powering facilities uses a lot of energy. Upgrading to energy efficient LED light bulbs, programmable thermostats, and ENERGY STAR certified heating and cooling systems can significantly reduce electricity usage. Installing occupancy sensors, optimizing HVAC maintenance, and setting office temperatures a little warmer and cooler also trim energy needs. Switching to renewable energy sources like solar or wind power shows leadership. Conducting periodic energy audits pinpoints savings opportunities.

Enhancing Resource Conservation

Advancing responsible resource use in day-to-day operations is central to enacting sustainability. Simple changes like adjusting printer and copier default settings to double-sided and black-and-white, shifting customer bills and statements to paperless digital distribution, and providing reusable glassware in kitchen areas cuts paper and plastic consumption substantially over time. Setting up clearly identified centralized collection points across office areas with appropriately sized recycling bins and signage for paper, plastic, glass, and metals ensures more of these materials get properly diverted from landfill waste streams.

Greening Transportation and Commuting

The transportation sector generates over 25% of the total U.S. carbon emissions when direct tailpipe and upstream supply chain impacts are tallied. Businesses serious about reducing their carbon footprint need to address vehicles and commuting for both goods delivery and employee travel. Installing electric vehicle charging stations accommodates the growing roster of EV car, truck, and fleet vehicles. Gradually converting company cars, vans and trucks to hybrid, plug-in or all-electric zero emission models directly shrink corporate transportation emissions.

Rethinking Packaging and Shipping

While packaging protects products in transport, the packaging itself increasingly adds to global waste and pollution. Conducting a product packaging audit by SKU provides visibility on exact specifications, dimensions and material constructions used. This data then enables assessing where right-sizing opportunities exist to eliminate excess materials and space without compromising product protection during handling. Any steps to optimize cubic volume utilization in packages and truck trailer space pays efficiency dividends too.

Many packaging material and chemical manufacturers have responded to environmental concerns by developing alternative options marketed as recyclable, compostable or biodegradable. Companies like Epsilyte, for instance, have introduced recyclable EPS beads and biodegradable starch-based foams to replace standard extruded polystyrene forms. Seeking paper-based cushioning materials using higher recycled content lowers impact as well.

Eco-Conscious Procurement

Purchasing selections affect sustainability metrics. Analyze expenditures to favor eco-certified vendors of office supplies, kitchen items, giveaways etc. Specify need versus nice-to-have and buy quality durable goods built to last using non-toxic, sustainably sourced components. Seek local, ethical brands aligned to green values. Favor reusables over disposables in food service items and event supplies with reusable cutlery, linens, decor, and furnishings.

Waste Reduction and Improved Recycling

The environmentalist mantra “reduce, reuse, then recycle” very much applies to organizations as well as individuals. Simply put, not generating waste in the first place is better than even recycling from both emissions and cost perspectives. Conducting periodic waste stream analyses by volume and type identifies excess generation points and improvement opportunities. Gathering baseline waste metrics shines light on just how quickly trash cans fill up and what materials they contain.

Conclusion

With some upfront effort and investment of both management attention and operating or capital expense dollars, organizations of any size can embed environmental stewardship principles into everyday facilities and business operations in ways that also improve efficiency and lower overhead. Employees, customers, and supply chain partners increasingly demand and reward companies demonstrating authentic eco-awareness and action towards shrinking their environmental footprints.