AD – this is a paid advertorial but all thoughts are my own.
We all know we should be adopting more environmentally friendly practices in our day to day lives. It’s now more important then ever to try and clean up the planet and attempt to reverse the damage done. Businesses are often responsible for a lot of environmental damage but it doesn’t have to be like that. There’s actually a lot of good environmental practices that business can adopt that are not only great for the planet but will save the business money overall.
Whether you’re a big company or a small businesses there are actually lots of ways to become more environmentally friendly. This doesn’t have to mean spending more money other. Often, adopting eco-friendly practices can actually save your business money too. So let’s take a look at how to make your business better for the planet and your bank balance.
Switch to LED lights
The lights in your business building or office are switched on for hours a day, often every day. That’s a lot of electricity. While to upfront cost of and LED bulb is more then fluorescent or incandescent bulbs then money and energy you can save by switching to LED bulbs speaks for itself. LED bulbs use 25-30 per cent less energy but last 25 times longer. Hello big savings!
Go paperless
There’s little need for business to have things like reports, training manuals, company guidelines etc available as physical copies these days. Going digital means that employees will be able to access all of these things as and when they need them rather than trying to find that misplaced manual they were given when they first started the job. Cutting down on the amount of paper you’re using is obviously a big eco-friendly move but buying less paper will also save your business money.
On the occassions where paper is absolutely necessary look at using recycled paper and look into printing double sided. Make sure you have paper recycling stations available too. The same goes for cardboard. Chances are your company is going to get deliveries, that amounts to a lot of cardboard boxes. Instead of throwing them out with the rest of the rubbish look into cardboard recycling. If you have a large quantity of cardboard it may be worth looking into selling your recyclable materials meaning that they can be used again and you make a bit of extra money!
Buy second-hand furniture
Buying furniture second-hand can cut your costs in half as well as reducing landfill waste. If people or businesses are selling on their used furniture it’s usually still in a good, usable condition. You can usually negotiate on price for second-hand items too which could save you even more money.
Many office items can often by leased or hired too which will save you from buying brand new items. Hiring or leasing reduces costs for you on items you may not need all the time and has a more positive impact on the environment as equipment can be shared out as and when needed rather than individual companies each buying brand new equipment. COS Sales offer photocopier and printer leasing in London so is worth considering if your business only needs things like this for a short period of time.
Consider remote working
The COVID pandemic has hit businesses hard but one big and important lesson that has come from it is that a lot of employees can actually work remotely. There are so many benefits to considering remote working even if it’s a mix or remote and office based. Research has shown that many people feel happier working from home and use their breaks to focus on their personal life. When it comes to the impact of remote working on the environment then it’s simple, there’ll be a reduction in the amount of lighting and heating used as well as reducing paper waste. All of which saves business money while being great for the environment. By allowing employees to work remotely, even just part time, it also cuts down on carbon emissions from commuting.
How important do you think it is for businesses to become more eco-friendly? Let me know in the comments.
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