We all have a part to play in looking after our surrounding environment, but this is particularly true for businesses. A lot of the time, individuals are encouraged to make more environmentally conscious decisions, which is great, but we must also put the same pressure on businesses. Businesses are often much more polluting than individuals or families, so if you are a part of a business, you should definitely ensure more is being done. You should start by having a meeting with the board, where you can discuss some of the following options.
Join Initiatives to Help Reduce Your Carbon Footprint
If you don’t know where to begin, something great and effective that you could do to help reduce your carbon footprint is to join an initiative that will help you along the way. Many initiatives exist that are completely dedicated to helping businesses reduce their carbon footprint, which can take the pressure off those who are unsure of how to go about this reduction. Joining Forest Founders is one of the best ways to reduce carbon footprint, with your contribution also helping out other businesses.
Recycle or Produce Zero Waste as a Business
Recycling and moving towards zero waste are great ways for businesses to lower their carbon footprint, as they are responsible for waste being produced on a large scale. When buying items, whatever their use, avoid getting things that will produce a lot of plastic waste. Instead, try to invest in things which will produce waste that can be used for an alternative purpose. For example, cardboard boxes could be used for storage. If this is not possible, at a minimum, make sure items purchased are recyclable, so that they can be used again and will not go straight to landfill.
You should also make sure all of your employees or colleagues are on the same page about this, since it will take all of you collaboratively to make a difference. If you introduce sustainability into the heart of your ethos, your team will be more likely to stick to it.
Choose a Power Supplier That Uses Renewable Energy
Even if individuals think they aren’t too irresponsible with their own sustainability choices, if you are using an energy supplier that does not have environmentally driven morals, you are most likely contributing to global warming in this way. You should carefully and thoroughly research any supplier before deciding to use them, especially since there is a lot of greenwashing within the energy industry, where suppliers present themselves as being greener than they actually are. Over the course of a year, you will probably spend quite a lot of money on your energy bills, so make sure you know what it is this money is funding.
Having confidence that your business is environmentally ethical will be very reassuring in the long term, as you will know that it is not responsible for damages. Even if it does take a little more time to make changes, the long-term effect on the planet is so worth it.
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