According to Statista, 44% of consumers throughout the world are more likely to do business with companies that are committed to sustainability. As more consumers shop with these values in mind, now is the time to figure out how your small business can go green.
To get started, here are some efforts your business can make to become more sustainable:
- Recycle. It’s the most basic tip we hear for going green, but many businesses don’t have a space for recyclable waste. Keep a separate bin to dispose of paper and plastic items.
- Compost. For items that break down naturally, such as food waste, coffee grounds, and tea bags, you can keep a composting bin in your business. Composting helps the environment by producing natural soil for growing crops and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. If possible, you’ll want to keep the bin outside to minimize the scent. You can also work with a composting partner that picks up your business’s composted waste so you don’t have to manage the bin.
- Go paperless. One of the easiest ways to go green is to go digital. Your small business can significantly lessen its waste by eliminating all paper materials. You can establish the paperless rule for general business documents, but you should also encourage employees to go paperless in their own work routines.
- Work with other sustainable businesses. If sustainability is an important value for your business, work with other businesses that share it. Choose suppliers that have their own sustainability practices and collaborate to make your shared processes more ecofriendly.
- Encourage remote work or public transit for commuting. The carbon emissions from individual commuters add up to have a major impact on the environment. If possible, allow employees to work from home or in a hybrid arrangement. Reducing their communing frequency will minimize their individual and your overall business’s carbon footprint. For employees who need to commute, incentivize them to use public transportation with public transit benefits. Helping your team save on the cost of commuting will make them more likely to do so in an environmentally friendly way.
- Package sustainably. Plastic is out; green alternatives are in. Packaging goods in compostable or reusable materials can reduce your business’s waste by helping customers reduce theirs.
- Switch to green office supplies. Many everyday office items can be switched out for more ecofriendly versions. Think reusable kitchenware and printing supplies instead of single-use, and minimal plastic varieties of frequently used items.
- Donate items you’re not using. When you no longer need certain supplies, someone else might. Look for a local nonprofit that can give these items a new home to avoid wasting materials while helping those in need.
Committing to sustainability is one of the easiest ways to set your small business apart as consumers’ environmental concerns grow. Even by starting small, your business can make a big difference and take pride in doing right by its customers and the planet.