How Your Company Can Go Greener

Every company wants to make a difference, and these efforts usually focus on their consumer base. It results in better products and faster response times so customers know they’re taken care of. Now, people are asking, “how can businesses be more sustainable?” and looking to make a worldwide difference by focusing on their office practices and making the choice to go greener.

Brands can help the planet and their team members by going green. It may require changing business practices and shifting your focus, but any eco-friendly operations can work smoothly alongside already-established plans and protocols.

Read on to learn how your company can go greener so your business becomes more eco-friendly — your employees and customers alike will want to support a company that does its best for the planet.

Unplug Every Evening

After a standard workday, how many electronics run during the night? You might not think about it, but printers, copiers and computers all require constant energy even when they’re left unused. Consider unplugging electronics every evening and encouraging your employees to do the same. You’ll notice a difference in your monthly energy bill and help the planet by using less of this resource.

Research Your Suppliers

Even small companies depend on suppliers to ship their copy paper and other necessities. Research each supplier you contract with to find out if they have an eco-friendly mission statement. Check to see if they offer green alternatives to their traditional products.

If your current suppliers don’t have any ongoing sustainability efforts, you might need to switch to companies who do, so that when you place an order it doesn’t hurt the earth.

Install Recycling Bins

Any eco-friendly business can install recycling bins around the office and support employees who want to recycle plastic, aluminum and paper products. Connect with a pickup company that will take your recycling regularly and dispose of it properly. It’s hard for everyone to avoid making waste entirely, but onsite recycling bins and programs help transform a good portion of that waste into reusable products.

Change Cleaning Materials

Whether your employees clean your office or you hire a cleaning service, consider the materials that sanitize your workspace. Most of them likely contain chemicals that pollute the local environment by washing out into waterways. Nearby farms and wildlife can become poisoned or sick from that runoff, so consider a switch to eco-friendly cleaners.

Green cleaners rely on all-natural ingredients to accomplish the same job as traditional products. They sanitize and polish just as well, so you won’t sacrifice the quality of your cleaning for a greener alternative.

Install Solar Panels

Many people don’t realize just how much electricity impacts the earth. In generating electricity, power plants produce CO2 around the clock. When you install solar panels, you’ll reduce CO2 emissions by 14,440 tons each year, which is a huge difference when it comes to your carbon footprint.

When you rely on solar energy, you can store energy for rainy or cloudy periods and immediately switch to electric power if your solar batteries run out. Investing in solar panels saves money in the long run and reduces your CO2 emissions, so it’s worth looking into if you want to become an eco-friendly company.

Use LED Bulbs

Switching your light bulbs may not seem like it could make a big difference, but it definitely does. When you use LED bulbs instead of incandescents, you’ll save 75% of your electricity because they use less power and last longer. You’ll replace bulbs less frequently and watch your energy bill decrease each month. Another bonus is that LEDs are some of the most affordable light bulbs, too, so you can make them fit any budget.

Conduct an Energy Audit

It’s challenging to know where to start making changes when you don’t know how much energy your business uses every day. It helps to conduct an energy audit, which you can usually find through state policies and guidelines. Research what your state recommends and then request a no-cost audit from utility-sponsored programs. They’ll show you how much energy you use and when your peak usage hours occur, so you can decide how to start going green.

Talk With Your Team Members

When you decide to go greener, it’s a team effort, so talk with your employees to hear how they’d like to make your business more eco-friendly. You can suggest some environmentally friendly business practices and discuss how the company can change — so it becomes greener sooner and better for the future.

This guest post was authored by Alyssa Abel

Alyssa Abel is a college and career writer who offers advice on strategies to success. Read more of her work on her blog, Syllabusy.