How to Make your Business Eco-Friendly
While everyone knows that we all have the responsibility to protect the environment, business has more responsibility than most, because most environmental damage is caused by industry. But there are ways that you can make your business more environmentally friendly while saving money in the process.
Start by looking at how much energy you use
You will probably be able to think of obvious things you use in your business that use a lot of energy, such as refrigeration units, conveyor belts, and electric motors, but what you really need is an energy audit to find out where your biggest energy expenditures are. This way you’ll be able to find ways to reduce energy usage and save money by installing measures like water usage meters and motion sensitive lighting for example.
Invest in energy efficient equipment
When you’ve completed your energy audit, so might see that certain items are eating up energy. Where possible, invest in some energy efficient equipment which is better for the environment and which saves you a lot of money in the long run.
Use more recycled materials
You might be recycling everything you can, but do you use recycled items in your production processes? Items like steel, cardboard, paper, and glass are the easiest items to recycle and using them in your production processes won’t affect the quality of your products and it will save energy and precious natural resources.
Reuse materials where possible
Before you put items in the bin, ask yourself if there is any way that you could reuse them somehow. Reusing them will save you money on your recycling and waste management contracts, and less waste being sent to landfill is good news for the environment.
Use renewable energy
Have you considered using renewable energy? Maybe you think that it’s too expensive or that it won’t generate enough heat or electricity for your processes? Well the fact is that fossil fuels won’t last forever and they’re incredibly damaging to the environment, so what better way to counteract these problems than using the sun, the wind or biofuel to power your business? Do your research and find an energy provider that focuses on green energy. It will likely save you money over time and it will future proof your business.
Become eco-friendly and be in great company
If you make your business eco-friendly, you’ll be in the company of big names like Nike, Johnson & Johnson, and Dell, and let’s not forget IKEA, who is a leader in the field with its commitment to using sustainable forests to make its goods and its plans to use 100% renewable energy by 2020.