7 Tips To Make Your Business More Sustainable

In 2020, the more your business is marketed as sustainable the better.

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs or Global Goals) offer a framework against which your business can align, measure, and explain its actions to operate more responsibly and deliver positive social, environmental, and economic impacts. The awareness about the SDGs set by the United Nations is growing. What are SDGs exactly and how can your business contribute to, and benefit from these goals?

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Many studies have shown that companies that support a more environmentally friendly ideal are more successful because of it. Other companies will also be more likely to work with you as you will help to promote their image as well. Here are seven easy tips on how to make your business more ecological.

1. Become a “B Corp”

These are a type of business that are awarded by charities for their social or environmental contribution. Do some research on how you can impress non-profit organisations by making changes to your company. If you manage to establish yourself as a “B Corp” early on while you are still a fairly new company you will be able to market yourself based on your exceptional dedication to environmental causes. You can also network with other B Corps and share ideas and experiences. 

2. Promote Green Strategies Online

Use marketing strategies to promote your green image. Utilise social media such as Instagram, to talk about any environmental side projects. Instagram has a billion active users per day, so it's a good way to spread the word about your business. Start an online blog for your company, if you don’t have one already, and create a section for green ideas. These could be simply team building garden projects, or volunteer work, done by yourself or dedicated employees. This way not only will you be doing the community some good, but also helping to advertise your business. 

3. Encourage Cycling and Car-Pooling

If you want to promote a more sustainable image, you’re going to have to make some changes in order to actually reap what you sow. Hold conferences and workshops on how your employees can live in a more environmentally friendly way, and be an example yourself. Topics you may want to include could be commuting and working from home. Be more flexible with the option to work from home and start schemes to encourage car-pooling and cycling to work. This will help to reduce your carbon footprint, and be better for your employees’ wellbeing.  

4. Reduce Paper Consumption

Recycling must be enforced and properly policed. Again, you could hold meetings in order to explain to your staff how to separate their waste correctly. Print on paper that’s already been used on one side, and switch to biodegradable materials where you can. This could be in the kitchen, for example no plastic plates or cups, instead use china or paper. Encourage composting organic waste and an interest in gardening or plants, if you have the opportunity. This could be an example of a team building green project to boost morale and your sustainable image at the same time.  

5. Reuse Old Items

Don’t stop at little things with recycling. Consider second-hand furniture and interior furnishings. Reuse anything that can be reused and keep spending on unnecessary things to a minimum. You could also decorate areas of the office with an environmental theme and also put up posters or information to support your sustainable image. Suitable places could be communal areas such as the staff room, kitchen or bathroom. 

6. Monitor Your Energy Consumption

Keep up to date with advances in technology that might allow you to save energy. Newer models of devices or PCs will be more energy efficient. Change all the lightbulbs to more durable and eco-friendly LEDs. What other products do you use in your business facility that can be swapped for a more environmentally friendly version? How about going for non-toxic cleaning products and paints? Keep the use of heating or air-conditioning to an absolute minimum as these waste a lot of energy. Turn off any lights and electronic devices when they are not in use. 

7. Build a Sustainable Supply Chain

Encourage not only a sustainable production line, but also a supply chain. Opt for more ethically sourced products and look into the transportation and general ethics of the supplier. This may be a more expensive option however you could go over this with your accountant. With Approved Accounting you can organise a strategy on where to spend money to maximise production but keeping to your eco-friendly image. Organise your budget prioritising being sustainable. More often than not by reducing waste and consumption you will save money anyway and your accountant can help you budget for the future. The success that making your company more sustainable will bring will more than compensate for anything you spend now.