As a small business owner, you probably have a lot on your plate: accounting, taxes, partnerships, advertising, and production all require constant attention, and it can be difficult to allocate time to anything else. While it might not be on your priority list yet, however, eco-friendly business practices are currently rocketing to the forefront of the marketing scene – and setting your sights on ‘Net Zero’ may well be your next step towards success.
Small businesses are the backbone of positive change, be it social, economic, or environmental. Hundreds of hardworking companies across the UK are focusing on meeting their eco goals, impacting the carbon footprint of the customers, companies, and partners they work with. If you’re trying to work towards an eco-goal of your own, here are 10 tips to help your small business to become more sustainable.
Sustainable Waste Management
In 2020, the government estimates that 40.4 million tonnes of commercial and industrial waste was produced by companies in the UK. As a small business, your practices contribute to that number every year – so taking steps towards sustainable waste management is essential for your carbon footprint! If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few ideas to help your company take steps towards reducing, reusing, and recycling.
- Use Recyclable Resources
Whether your business packages and ships items daily or goes through hundreds of paper reports a week, you’re probably ordering plenty of fresh resources regularly. From office stationery to boxes and polystyrene packaging, whatever comes in must go out – and it often ends up in the waste bin.
If you currently have business waste going to landfill, the easiest method you can use to reduce it is buying in recyclable materials. Plastic, paper, cardboard, electronics, and even pens can be recycled – it’s up to you to choose which sustainable products to use.
- Digitise Office Work
In a similar vein, excessive paperwork doesn’t just take up space: it brings a new struggle to the environment, too. If you use a lot of paper for your business, it might be time to consider digitising your work. Investing in digital storage solutions and tools can save you a lot of money on resources, and it can be a lot easier to track your business activity, too!
- Compost Organic Waste
Whether you’re a tree surgeon or rent a workspace with a kitchen attached, your business is probably producing organic waste. Investing in a compost bin and allowing your greens to decompose is a great way to redirect food waste away from landfill, a practice that can reduce the amount of methane gas being released into the atmosphere. On top of that, your compost pile is also a great place for native insects to thrive!
- Categorise Your Waste
Before you can get your waste taken care of sustainably, it needs to be separated. Going through your waste labels and dividing it into the relevant categories can make a huge difference in the amount of business waste heading to landfill. You’d be surprised how much debris ends up in ‘general waste’ that can be recycled – and it’s a very easy issue to fix! Simply add several categories of bin to your workplace and run training for your employees on how to identify and separate waste.
Partner with Carbon Neutral Companies
As a small business, your carbon footprint is defined by the companies and services you hire. If you purchase from sustainable packaging companies, partner with carbon neutral waste management services, and hire transport companies with eco-friendly fleets, your actions will have a ‘ripple’ effect on the businesses around you. One of the best ways to lower your carbon footprint is to look at the companies you do business with and make changes to reward eco-friendly business practices.
- Invest in Carbon Neutral Transportation
Every year, new innovations pop up to make the transport industry more sustainable. From HVO fuel to EV cars, there are plenty of options to make commuting, travel, and deliveries more eco-friendly. Consider your company’s mileage: office workers, shipping distances, and stationery orders can all increase your carbon footprint considerably. Research the most sustainable transport companies available to you and choose your favourite eco-friendly fleet to spend your budget on.
- Arrange Sustainable Production Lines
Whether your business produces its own products or purchases products from other companies, you have a say in the sustainability of your production lines. Depending on your contracts, you can swap out the factories you use according to their sustainability or negotiate established deals to place more emphasis on eco-friendly production. Making a change like this can also benefit your business in other ways, as your products can be advertised for their sustainability.
- Hire Eco-Friendly Waste Management Companies
When it comes to waste management, cheaper isn’t always better. Investing a little more into your rubbish removal budget can allow you to hire a sustainable company that prioritises recycling, reducing your carbon footprint even further. Pair up this change with categorising your waste and rest guilt-free with the knowledge that your rubbish is going back into the world to be recycled and reused.
Invest in Energy Efficiency
Whether you operate a fleet of vans or sort digital accounts from an office block, you have the power to make your business more energy efficient. From LED lights to insulation and double-glazed windows, a few investments could make a world of difference to your carbon footprint – and your energy bill, too!
- Swap Out your Fleet
While it’s not possible for every small business to do, swapping vehicles from diesel to petrol, from petrol to EV, or from diesel to HVO can make a huge impact on your company’s eco footprint. This applies to any vehicles you use for business, such as trucks, vans, and commuter cars.
- Upgrade your Workspace
Whether you work from home, own a brick-and-mortar shop front, or rent an office space, there’s a lot you can do to increase the energy efficiency of your workspace. Investing in double glazing and insulation can help to reduce the amount of time your heating is burning through energy in the winter. You can also replace incandescent bulbs with LEDs, which produce a lot more light with far less energy. The good news is that swapping a light doesn’t require any building work at all; all you need to do is replace a bulb.
- Go With Sustainable Energy Providers
There are plenty of energy providers in the UK that prioritise renewable energy production. Shop around for the best companies in your area and swap the provider for your workspace if you believe your current utility company isn’t prioritising eco-friendly energy as much as you’d like.
While making sustainable choices for your business can cost a lot of investment upfront, the long-term benefits can often help you save money in the day-to-day. Eco-friendly business practices are invaluable to global sustainability efforts, and even if you only have the means to apply one or two of these steps, you’ll be making a big difference to the environment.