For small business owners, the bills never seem to end.
There are outgoings for technology, services, and external providers. There’s a never-ending list of office supplies to buy and staff wages to pay, along with overheads for workspace rental, power, and other utilities. While you’re busy managing day-to-day operations, it can often feel too hard or costly to investigate more sustainable ways to do business.
But it doesn’t have to be.
Running a more environmentally friendly business can start with just a few small changes to your current processes. With more resource-saving initiatives and technological advances introduced to the market all the time, it’s never been easier to make sustainable improvements across all areas of business operations.
Try adopting one (or all) of these simple strategies into your organisation, and rest easy in the knowledge that you’re doing your small part to reduce your business’ carbon footprint.
- Power operations with solar power
If you live in a country where sunshine is plentiful, it’s a no-brainer to capitalise on solar energy to power your business. The most cost-effective and energy-efficient way to do this is to instal solar panels at your workplace premises. It pays to investigate any incentives your government may offer business owners for installing solar panels to take their operations partially or entirely ‘off the grid’. If having your own solar energy system doesn’t suit your region or fit your business purposes, explore energy providers that harness green power from natural or renewable energy sources.
- Switch to a biofuel generator as backup
Industrial workers, care facilities, hospitality venues, and retailers all rely on a generator as a backup plan in the event of a power outage. This safeguard allows operations and trading to continue, even if mains power is offline. While traditionally, industrial generators run on diesel, gasoline or propane, there are now sustainable replacements on the market. An eco-friendly biofuel or biodiesel generator procures electricity using renewable biofuels from organic materials. They also have lower emissions of greenhouse gases, making it a much more environmentally friendly option.
- Use filtered rainwater as drinking water
Another way to reduce the resources your business consumes is to utilise rainwater instead of mains water for cooking, washing, and drinking. You can do this by setting up a rainwater collection system with the installation of a water tank, filtration system, and pump to distribute water around the building. Natural rainwater is collated from gutters and downspouts and held in a storage tank. Before it’s safe to drink, this water needs to be treated to remove any impurities and contaminants. While the set-up requires an upfront investment, using filtered rainwater for drinking water empowers your business to go ‘off the grid’, saving you money on water bills and reducing your environmental impact. Before making any changes, be sure to get in touch with your local council to check your plans are compliant with local regulations and obtain any necessary permits.
- Turn leftover food waste into compost
A particularly effective way for hospitality businesses to reduce their impact is to embrace a food recycling system. An organic waste bin allows food offcuts and meal scraps to be composted instead of sent to landfills. To keep the organics bin clean and contained, it’s best to use a compostable bin liner and regularly dispose of waste in a composting environment to mitigate any smells in the kitchen area. Other small businesses, including office spaces with lunchrooms, should consider waste reduction strategies such as compost bins and recycling bins to funnel food scraps, plastics and glass away from the rubbish dump.
- Choose uniforms made from recycled fabrics
It’s widely known that fast fashion has a negative impact on the planet. The same can be said about cheaply made staff uniforms. The production, transportation and disposal of clothing items contribute to carbon emissions at each stage of the item’s lifecycle. When choosing a uniform, it’s good practice to choose high-quality and durable materials to avoid the need for frequent replacements, along with the use of compostable garment bags when shipping new items from the manufacturer. Sustainably-minded employers should explore the option of clothing pieces made from renewable and recycled fabrics, including organic cotton, recycled polyester, reused plastic from bottles, and even pre-loved items.
This list gives a small insight into the many resource-saving possibilities available to businesses of all sizes. And there are more earth-conscious inventions released all the time. While these initiatives may come with an up-front cost, the shift toward sustainability will pay off dividends for your future business operations – not to mention the positive impact it has on the planet.
