Most companies today understand the value of making their business more sustainable. You see it every day in ads from many big-name companies who have figured out how important it is tell their customers and employees the difference they are making by being eco-friendly. The good news is that you don’t have to be a Fortune 500 company to improve your business and tell your green story. No matter the size of your business, there are many common sense things you can do to impact your bottom line operations and enhance your green credibility. Here are just a few:
Invite Your Employees to Help You Design Your Sustainability Program
Engaging your employees in designing and implementing your sustainability program is one of the easiest and most important ways to ensure the success of greening your business. More importantly, the impact of working collaboratively with one another on a green program extends well beyond just the campaign – it can positively impact morale, retention and more! Even if you initially start with small changes such like using disposable cups in your break room or distributing personalized water bottles, the likelihood of your program succeeding is greatly enhanced if those you are hoping will implement the new company procedures actually have a hand in developing them. Looking for another easy green idea? Ask employees to use reusable silverware and plates instead of throwing away paper or plastic products.
Fix Up Your Space
You might not even realize the small ways your office space is wasting energy. Especially if you’re in an older building, you might have leaks or cracks in the foundation or around windows. These are easier to fix than you realize, and you can make it a company project to contribute to these changes little by little! Not only will these changes save your business money, but they’re a another way to encourage team building around a green project.
Use Green Cleaning Supplies
Cleaning supplies can be harsh on the environment. The good news is that there are a lot of environmentally safe products available today that are effective and affordable. Some examples include Ecos, Seventh Generation and Simple Green. If your business uses a service to clean the office space, see if they offer a greener alternative or ask if you can provide products that are more environmentally friendly.
Unplug your Office
There are a lot of ways your office probably wastes energy every day. Not only is this expensive, but it’s bad news for the environment. One way to combat energy usage is by getting your employees in the habit of turning off appliances and electronics when not in use. For example, ask yourself questions like: does the spare computer need to be on all day when nobody is using it? The answer is probably not! Look for ways to cut back on unnecessary electronics and be sure to power down all devices at closing time, unplugging them from the wall for extra energy savings.
Switch to Digital
If your business hasn’t made the switch to digital files, now’s the time to stop relying so much on paper documents and make the switch. Instead of using printed timesheets, consider using online timesheets. Rather than printing memos, use an online cloud notetaker. Not only are digital files easier to share with your entire company, but they’re easy to organize as well – that’s something every company can get behind! Evernote, Microsoft OneNote, Google Keep and Quip are several apps worth considering.
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Author Bio:
Wendy Dessler
OutreachMama
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