As a small business owner, you have to deal with numerous tasks, including finding new methods and techniques to help your business grow and business more sustainable. One of the most challenging tasks may be finding strategies to transform your small company into a more sustainable one. 

Yes, maybe you don’t think your company’s production affects the environment as much as the one of a bigger business, but in reality, they both pollute, so it is vital to develop eco-friendly strategies. So, whether you have a big or a small business, ensure every action and activity encourages sustainability. 

If you decide to start your green journey, you can consult the 5 Rs guide:

Refuse unnecessary items, including junk mail and extra quantities of paper and plastic;

Reduce the consumption and stop the waste;

Reuse materials as much as possible;

Recycle everything you can;

Rot (compost) food and paper waste.

The five steps presented above will help you manage the process of becoming a greener business. Besides, for better management, encourage the working team to join and sustain all your initiatives.

Reasons why you should consider creating an eco-friendlier business:

The audience will grow

Today, more and more people search for products and services that sustain a healthy environment. This is one of the reasons why you should consider creating eco-friendly habits as a company. Many customers will buy sustainable products and even pay extra to encourage the initiative.

Besides, if you create a business that sustains nature, the usual clients will be encouraged to buy eco-friendly products more often. When you start building a business, one of the main goals is to transmit a message to your clients. You can use the exact mechanism for your sustainable initiatives. Think that once you choose to use the five Rs listed above, you’ll send a message through the products and services that protect the environment. Here are some examples of environmentally friendly products and services:

  • Second-hand items;
  • Rechargeable batteries;
  • Reusable water-bottles, straws and grocery bags;
  • Paper cups and straws;
  • Natural cleaning products.

The productivity of your team will raise

You may wonder what the connection is between a sustainable business and productivity. As said before, customers will support businesses that encourage environmentally-friendly actions. But what about the employees? How do sustainable initiatives influence them?

The eco-friendly changes can increase your team’s productivity because the employees become conscious of their role in saving the planet. Yes, some of them may tend to believe that their actions can’t change the sad reality in which the planet becomes more and more suffocated by pollution. But teamwork can help in this situation. Every step matters, so ensure everyone joins your sustainable project.

You can save money and make business more sustainable

Saving money and investing them in innovative solutions for the business can help your company grow. A great way of increasing savings is by using environmentally friendly solutions. For example, reduce your carbon footprint by replacing traditional energy equipment with a more efficient one. This way, you’ll lower the energy costs, which usually is considered one of the top business expenses.

Now that you know more about the advantages of a greener business, get everyone on board and go ahead with the eco-friendly journey. Here are some tips that can encourage the whole company’s team:

Save energy

Saving energy is one of the main goals when you want to start an eco-friendly journey. How many times did you pass by office buildings, seeing the lights on in the middle of the night? If the answer is too many, you already know that leaving the lights on while nobody uses them is a waste of money and energy.

If you want to help the environment, ensure you choose the best options for saving energy. Here are some suggestions that can transform your business into a more energy-efficient one:

Use LEDs instead of incandescent lights. LEDs use less energy and have a longer lifespan;

Replace your HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) system. HVACs older than ten years old can increase by 20% the energy consumption;

Choose proper dishwashers and refrigerators. If you are a restaurant or bar owner, investing in energy-efficient equipment will help you reduce consumption;

Conserve energy by using smart power strips. You can plug the electronics into this kind of equipment to stop the electronics from drawing additional energy.

Use renewable energy. Using solar, wind, hydro, geothermal or biomass energy will reduce your company’s energy costs and contribute to climate change.

Recycle and reuse

Recycling and reusing are the main characteristics of a successful eco-friendly transformation. For example, if you are an office business owner, place recycling bins in every corner of the working space. This way, the employees will be encouraged to recycle. 

To reduce waste, retail businesses can create reusable products, including coffee cups or refillable bottles. Besides, you can choose blikkenpers’. Blikkenpers is can crusher in Belgian, and they can help you minimize waste. They are the perfect option for hotels, restaurants or hospitals.

Reduce paper use

Paper is a material used in all offices, and daily, employees waste it without thinking about the consequences. Thanks to technology, there are many strategies for reducing paper waste. For example, you can switch physical paper bills and invoices with e-bills and internet banking, so ensure you update the company’s system by including apps and online services.

Besides, you can use digital documents to store important information without using a significant quantity of paper while printing. Plus, you should consider the other sources of paper waste, such as paper towels or single-use kitchen rolls, usually used in kitchens and bathrooms. To reduce consumption, make sure your team is informed about paper waste’s impact on the environment. This way, they will be encouraged to pay more attention to how much unnecessary paper they use.

Making your business more sustainable can be challenging, but remember that you are not alone. So, if you are determined to make a change for the environment, check the information above and encourage your team to sustain your ecological initiatives.