September marks the first day of Spring (for the Southern Hemisphere, anyway). And while we often spruce up our homes at the start of a new season – pack away the winter woollies and refresh our space – it’s also a great opportunity to assess any antiquated practices in your business.
Re-look at your outdated, ecologically unfriendly processes and put some new, environmentally aware, future-forward procedures in place.
Now, if you’re based in the Northern Hemisphere and are moving into the cooler months, you’re not off the hook here. Take this change of season as an opportunity to revive and reinvigorate your business practices as summer draws to a close.
Inspired to begin a business spring clean but not sure where to start?
Here’s a quick reference checklist to help focus your energy on manageable, incremental changes that will position your business for more sustainable months ahead.
- Reuse your boxes. If you already have a recycling area where you break down boxes and used packaging materials, challenge yourself to go one step further and REUSE those boxes again. You might offer them to customers in place of a plastic shopping bag or incorporate them back into your supply chain to box-up deliveries.
- Get a green bin going. Are lunch food scraps going into the general waste bin? This is your chance to step it up by introducing a bin for organic waste alongside your recycling and waste bins in the tearoom. The worms will thank you for it!
- Go plastic free. Rip off the band-aid and transition over to plant-based bin liners and compostable delivery packaging. These products are more accessible than you might think, and they’re robust enough to do the job. The best part is, that they’ll return to the earth after you’ve finished using them.
- Invest in solar. Let’s face it – clean energy is the future. So whether you choose an energy supplier that prioritises wind and solar energy, or you take an ‘off the grid’ approach and install some solar panels on your office rooftop, you’ll be reducing your impact on the earth.
- Reduce your use. Are lights and air conditioning on in rooms that no one is using? Automate your operations with simple sensor mechanisms on lights and timers on other appliances. This will minimise your energy consumption and consequently, your power bills as well!
- Gather supporters. The great news is you don’t need to champion all these changes all by yourself. Start an environmental committee within your company and task them with workshopping and implementing small, employee-led changes throughout the year. Many hands make light work, as they say, and with each modest victory, your business will be moving closer to a more sustainable market proposition.
- Scrap your non-compliant suppliers. If you have long-term business partners who won’t get on board with your eco-focused vision and mission, it’s time to finally cut ties. Take this moment to go to market and start the search for a new supplier that’s more aligned with your sustainability goals over the next five years..
Feeling eco-energised?
There’s no time like the present to enact some small changes in your business that will see you powering through the months ahead with a clear environmental conscious.
