Today's business landscape is redefining what people mean by sustainability. This label is not only used to attract customers, but also stakeholders and to guarantee long-term success and survival.
As concerns about climate change gain momentum and customers become increasingly demanding, companies of all sizes are being forced to adapt. However, the good news is that becoming more sustainable doesn't necessarily require huge investments or complete operational overhauls. Indeed, some of the most effective environmental changes start with simple, everyday actions that are transformed over time.
Whether you run a small local store or a rapidly expanding business, there are practical and cost-effective ways to reduce your impact on the environment while improving your bottom line. This guide will take you through seven key areas where small changes can make a big difference, helping you build a more sustainable business without disrupting your core operations.
Get carbon offsets
Businesses large and small are transforming themselves into greener business models. Whatever practices you adopt to green your business, there is a single solution you can implement to reduce your carbon footprint. Any company can calculate the approximate number of emissions released and offset them with the help of one of the many specialist organizations. Estimating shouldn't be difficult: there are many marketplaces with the tools you need to improve your footprint estimate and point you in the right direction to buy the equivalent credits. What credits, you may ask?
Carbon offsetting is a system that allows entities to invest in initiatives that reduce, eliminate or avoid emissions elsewhere, in order to offset the emissions of their own businesses. Offset credits, or carbon credits, are received after investment and can be traded between entities. It is comforting to note that a single carbon credit symbolizes the elimination or reduction of one metric ton of CO2.
Several greenhouse gas reduction projects may be eligible for credits and offsets, depending on the program. The key is to find organizations that have received certification from third-party groups, and therefore to be wary of those without such specifications. Transparency is essential - you don't want to send your money to fictitious projects, but see a real impact resulting from your efforts.
Modify procurement policy
Sustainable procurement has a huge impact on businesses and the world. Just as today's consumers are looking for reliable companies that reduce their impact on the environment, your company should also take stock of its suppliers.
A useful starting point would be to audit your suppliers. You can define the expectations your suppliers must meet, and eliminate those who don't meet the criteria. For example, to create a fair trade product, you need to source from fair trade suppliers. More than 1.4 million workers and farmers in 74 countries have signed up to the Fair Trade system - a trading collaboration based on transparency and striving to improve equity in global trade. The Fair Trade brands you'll be buying from are known to trade exclusively with authorized suppliers who, as a result, source from farms that follow sustainable practices and pay their employees adequately. By changing your purchasing policy, you'll be contributing to the general movement to promote economic and social development projects in agriculture.
Or use direct exchanges
When it comes to fair trade, there's a lot of talk in the corridors. If you want to take a different route, you can target entities that practice direct trade and are committed to ethical standards in their supply chain. These companies are transparent in this respect. You can also approach farmers yourself and enter into collaborative contracts with them, in order to publicize this change in sourcing policy to consumers and other companies in your sector. Your company could be considered a leader in sustainable production and trade.
Working with certified companies that measure up can have a lasting positive impact on your company's bottom line.
Sorting organic waste
Composting isn't just a practice that helps keep food waste out of already crowded landfills. It's also a way to create nutritious soil that can be sold, donated or even used if you need landscaping around your business. A growing number of states and cities have found solutions to compost just about anything they can get their hands on.
Here's a fascinating comparison. The banana peel in the garbage can and the one in the compost bin are apparently the same - the difference lies in what happens to them in the two different environments. The peels decompose quickly and turn into soil for the ground in the compost, but in the garbage can they take a long time to break down and decompose. This process releases methane, a harmful greenhouse gas resulting from human activity.
Your workplace is the perfect place to set up a composting system and teach employees about its benefits and use. This will prevent piles of leftovers from turning into methane gas and healthy soil. As far as other types of waste are concerned, you can study the advantages of using a composting system. Mil-tek waste shredder to balers and compactors, and see which solutions best meet your needs.
Choose sustainable products
Companies are likely to unknowingly use products that are harmful to the environment, or products that cause environmental damage as a result of their development process. These materials come in all shapes and sizes, from plastic cutlery to cleaning products to printer paper. Fortunately, office managers can look for products whose labels guarantee the use of post-consumer or pre-consumer waste in their creation. This applies to all the products the company needs to function properly, including printer cartridges, lunch containers and so on. When it comes to cleaners, the market is full of green cleaners that avoid harmful chemicals and use natural ingredients.
Using recycled products can slow down the depletion of natural resources, prevent habitat loss and help improve biodiversity in fragmented habitats.
Your company is the ideal place to initiate a change you'll be proud of later on. The impact will be felt not only on your company's atmosphere, but also on its bottom line, if you implement the right strategies. Customers are becoming increasingly wary of dubiously manufactured products. You can therefore attract a growing category of buyers by respecting sustainability criteria.