Sustainability is a simple concept that emphasizes human beings’ ability to meet their own needs without jeopardizing future generations’ ability to do the same. In layman’s terms, it refers to the coexistence of human civilization and nature.
Nowadays, as consumers are becoming more and more conscious about the environment, organisations need to adopt sustainable business practices. So, let’s take a look at the different practices that a business should implement.
#1. Understand and Incorporate the Concept of Sustainability
As a business owner, it is essential that you understand and incorporate the principles of sustainability into your company’s business goals and corporate strategies. After all, as the leader, you will need to set the example for your staff to follow. By prioritizing sustainability in all your business operations, you will be able to ensure that your team does the same thing.
#2. Partner with Your Workers
As we mentioned above, as a green business owner, your entire team should be aware of the importance of sustainable business practices. It is therefore vital to invest the time in training your employees on the importance of a green approach to business. Make sure to foster a two-way communication path when discussing the organisation’s aims and methods to conserve environmental resources with your employees. By doing so, you can even get some new and additional ideas from your employees. Believe me, sometimes you might even be surprised by the ideas that your workers can come up with.
Let me give you a simple example. A Walmart manager once noticed that vending machines in the employee’s lounge had lights that were always switched on even though workers could see the products without additional lighting. As a result, Walmart decided to turn off all the lights in all the employee vending machines. Can you guess how much Walmart saved in energy costs? $1 million!
Now, we’re not saying that every idea will save you that much money, but you never know.
#3. Water and Electricity Conservation
One of the best green business measures to reduce waste is to conserve water and electricity. There are a few easy ways to save big on your water bill. First of all, consider installing a rainwater harvesting system that will collect rainwater from the roof and then store it in a tank. The collected water can be used for other purposes, such as irrigating gardens, toilets, and much more.
Another major water saving measure you can introduce is installing low-flow toilets to reduce the amount of water each flush uses. This can help you to save approximately ninety litres of water a day. I’m sure you can do the math and see how much money that will net you in savings.
Now, let’s talk about the wonder of solar panels for electricity conservation. Do I really need to tell you that the sun is a source of clean and renewable energy? If you are wary of the high initial costs, let me reassure you that solar panels will save you much more money in the long run.
#4. Adopt a Recycling Program
It is recommended to develop an in-house program for recyclable products such as paper products, some supplies, fluorescent lightbulbs, electronics, and computers.
#5. Chemical Management
Even elementary students are being taught about the negative impact of chemicals on our environment. Therefore, it is essential that you start to use green and non -chemical cleaning products if you are in the pest control or weed management sectors. You can also train your workers on the proper use and disposal of chemicals through your chemical vendors.
#6. Use Only Environmentally-Friendly Products
If you want to adopt green business practices, it is recommended to purchase only energy-efficient and sustainable office material. For instance, it is recommended to buy computers and electronics that are EPEAT registered. What is EPEAT? It stands for Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool and is a label in the IT field that certifies environmentally preferable electronic products.
What do you think of these green business practices? Please share your comments!