If you want to live a higher quality of life without compromising the planet, starting an eco-friendly business may have crossed your mind.
Eco-friendly businesses are becoming more and more mainstream as people realize how important it is to care for the planet.
Business owners that do not attempt to conduct their business in an eco-friendly way will usually own businesses with a huge carbon footprint. If you want to make sure you’re doing the best thing for yourself and the planet, read on for advice on how to start an eco-friendly small business:
Limit Office Supplies
Start by making sure you limit office supplies. Don’t limit them so much that there aren’t enough to go around, but ensure there aren’t so many that your team feels the need to use more than they should. Whether you’re purchasing paper, printers, ink, or just paperclips, make sure you only buy the amount you really need.
Work With Eco-Friendly Suppliers
Do your research to ensure the suppliers and partners you work with are eco-friendly too. For example, if you’re hosting an event, look for bamboo lanyards rather than traditional lanyards. This is a small change, but can make a huge difference. You can also look at using recycled paper and ink cartridges, too. You can purchase pretty much anything recycled these days!
Invest In Products That Will Last
When you do need a high quality product, such as a laptop, it’s worth buying one that will last. If you don’t, you’ll spend more replacing these items and they will just end up on a landfill in a few years.
Use Cleaning Products That Are Good For The Planet
You wouldn’t believe just how harmful traditional cleaning products can be to both your business and the planet. By investing in eco-friendly cleaning products, you’ll have a healthier business and ensure your team isn’t breathing in toxic chemicals. Over time, this will make a difference to the planet, too.
Make Sure Your Whole Team Is On The Same Page
If you’re going to make a big difference, then your whole team needs to be on the same page. Make sure being a green business is part of your company culture and that this is an interest you look for in any potential hires. Ensure they know exactly what they should be doing to help!
Use Sustainable Packaging
If you sell a product, ensure you use sustainable packaging. You should be using materials like:
- Biodegradable Plastics
- Plant-based Plastics
- Recycled Products
- Alternative Energy Sources
- Recycled Molded Packaging
Encourage Your Team To Work From Home
Your team probably doesn’t need to work in the office 5 days a week. When you have them work from home, even if it’s only so often, you will have less employees using public transport and fewer cars on the road. You could also offer Flexitime as a bonus. Perhaps consider what it would be like to condense the 5 day working week into 4 days, like some European countries, too!
Which of these pointers will you take on board?