Franck Wang 
In our day and age, we cannot ignore the significance of climate change and the importance this poses on all aspects of our life. It’s important to be conscious of the way we interact with others, how we carry out our daily tasks, and especially, how we do business.
Not only is being eco-friendly a great way to help the environment, but it’s also a differentiator from competitors that have no regard for our planet. There is a select part of the market that truly cares about their environmental impact, and these individuals are willing to spend more to make up for this.
Becoming environmentally friendly as a business isn’t just about removing plastic straws and replacing them with paper ones. It’s about integrating these values throughout your ethos and making sure your employees stick by them.
If you’re worried about the current climate crisis, and you’re willing to make a positive difference in the world, here are five ways that you can make your business eco-friendlier…
Reducing or Eliminating Single Plastic Use
Single use plastic includes items such as water bottles, straws, Styrofoam containers, shopping bags, and disposable cutlery or plates. Although these items may be cheap and convenient, they do a lot more harm than good.
These plastic items can’t biodegrade, they simply break down into smaller micro particles that pollute and destroy the environment. Try and reduce the use of these plastics in your business and offer your customers alternative incentives. For example, instead of giving out plastic cups, ask them to bring their own reusable coffee mug and get 20 cents off of their drink.
Donating a Percentage of Your Profits to Charities
If you can’t find a way to reduce the environmental harm that your business creates, why not choose to neutralise it instead? You can do so by donating a portion of your profits every month. You can even survey customers and create a poll to see where they would like their money to go.
Another way you can go about this is by choosing a charity that relates to your business. Let’s say you own a swimsuit company, you can use part of your profits and donate them to charities associated with the ocean. You can even organise charitable events, such as a beach clean-up.
Make Use of Greener Sources of Energy
One of the easiest ways to become an eco-friendlier business is by adopting greener sources of energy. For example, you can reach out to your energy provider and ask them to switch to renewably sourced energy.
Adversely, you can take matters into your own hands and set up some solar panels to fuel your business operations. It can even be a very cost-efficient way to do business. For example, solar panel tax credit in Oregon encourages businesses to adopt better energy practices.
Source Your Products Sustainably, Ethically, and Locally
If you are a manufacturer or seller of products, you can make a conscious effort to source or create inventory that is sustainable, ethical, and local. The closer the products are made from the point of sale, the smaller its carbon footprint. Even if you are just an office offering employees free food once a week, reach out to local sellers and small businesses to source your produce.
Similarly, if you agree to work with ethical brands that take environmental issues seriously, you can use this as a differentiator between you and your competitors. Not only this, but you can charge a fair premium for using materials, fabrics, or products that are sourced as sustainably as possible.
Recycle and Donate Old Stock
The amount of clothes, food, and usable items that end up in landfills every year is truly disgusting. Many of these items can be recycled or reused by others, so make sure to include this in your company policy. If you are a clothes shop, and you accidentally manufacture an item in the wrong colour, try to find a way to salvage these items. Adversely, you can reach out to local charities or shelters and donate these.
At the end of the day, we only have one planet, so we may as well look after it. Make sure that you let your customers know all the steps that you are taking to become a better business. It’s important to create awareness around this topic and encourage other companies or consumers to adopt a similar approach. Together we can make a notable difference.
