Starting up an eco-friendly business is something that many people want to do, but it can seem like such a big task that it’s difficult to know where to start. Of course, it won’t be possible to be viewed as the perfect green company straight away, but you can take incremental steps to improve as your business grows.
These top tips can help you on that journey and give you a starting point to become an eco-friendly startup.
Opt for Remote Work.
Bringing all your employees together in one place every day is not the most eco-friendly way of doing business. Just think, if you took 50% of the people traveling to work every day off the roads, how much better it would be for the environment?
In the past, everyone working in offices might have been the most efficient way to do business, but this is not so true anymore. Technology gives us the ability to work effectively from home without having to constantly be tied to the office. Deciding to run a startup that is entirely remote-based is not only an eco-friendly way of running your business, but many studies also show that remote workers are often more efficient than their office-based colleagues.
As a bonus, you don’t even have to worry about finding a suitable office and so you will save money, too!
Limit Unnecessary Travel.
We live in a world where it’s easy to jump on a plane and travel to the other side of the world in no time at all. However, just because we can, doesn’t mean we should.
There’s always going to be some business travel that’s completely necessary, but how much of it can be replaced by video conferencing? Many companies find they’re spending far too many resources on travel that’s not essential, and this can really affect their eco-friendly credentials.
As you build your business, ensure that you consider the international travel that’s taking place and see if there is anything you can cut out.
How You Can Still Be Eco-Friendly Even With an Office.
If you decide that you need an office, then there are still ways that you can be an eco-friendly startup. This includes:
Using alternative energy sources.
Using alternative energy sources will help in your efforts to make your business eco-friendly, but it can also save you money. Many big businesses consume huge amounts of energy that can place a strain on energy supplies, so investing in alternative energy can be a means of taking control of your energy needs before you get started.
Many states run schemes to help incentivize businesses to move towards alternative energies, so you might just find it ends up costing you less than you think.
Recycling.
Businesses are getting pretty good at recycling these days, but there’s always more work to do. A good goal to aim for is zero waste sent to landfill, and it’s something that is possible to achieve.
Using sustainably sourced, recyclable products from a reputable supplier like APP is a great help. Businesses are responsible for huge amounts of paper-based waste, and it’s an area where small changes can make a big difference with the help of other businesses such as Asia Pulp & Paper.
E-Waste.
When we think about recycling, we almost always think of things like cardboard and paper. However, another big issue is what happens to electronic products such as computers and phones once a business has no more use for them.
Global e-waste seriously adds up, and these devices often end up in landfills or being shipped to developing countries where they’re disposed of in less than environmentally friendly ways.
There are lots of options that you can consider if you ever need to recycle and repurpose your electronic goods, though, and they won’t cause your business any extra inconvenience. One good option is to donate them to charities or, you can recycle them with an electronics recycling company.
Water Usage.
It’s easy to think of water as something that we have an unlimited supply of, but it’s not the case. Again, big businesses can consume huge amounts of water, and at certain times of the year, this puts big strains on the supply.
It’s a little more difficult to be conscious of water usage in a big office than it is in your home. If someone leaves a tap on in your home, then you’re going to notice pretty quickly, but if it happens in an office or factory, it can go on for a long time before somebody notices.
This is why making sustainability a part of your business culture is important right at the very start. If you can have staff who are on the lookout for these things, it’s much easier to work together to make your business more eco-friendly.
