A Guide to Sustainable Living — For Businesses
The world is gradually becoming more and more environmentally conscious about our depleting natural resources which have led to many people and businesses making a conscious decision to implement more sustainable practices in their respective workplace whereby the maximum sustenance of their current resources is their main priority.
This is done with the very real concern that the survival of our planet depends on it as well as to ensure that our planet remains habitable for our descendants. Our planet is moving in a direction that won’t support a viable future according to many renowned marine biologists, archaeologist and geologists.
Make Your Business Sustainable with these 6 Steps:
1. Focus on the 3R’s Principle
The 3R’s principle is the most basic way to initiate an eco-friendly environment within your workspace. Adopt a minimalistic lifestyle by recycling any materials or products that have no purpose. Consumers while buying any products from the market need to understand exactly what they need those products and if they will serve their purpose efficiently. The three R’s are comprised of the concept of minimum use of material and maximum methods to reuse and recycle. This approach will reduce the burden on landfills, lower the use of electricity, reduce carbon emissions and also save your company’s money.
2. Practice Sustainability in Your Workplace
Workplaces tend to generate a lot of waste which makes it a good idea for you to implement sustainable practices in your workplace such as using office products that are earth-friendly and can also be reused and recycled as well as affecting your bottom line in a positive manner.
Encourage your employees to practice sustainability and lead by example. You can reduce paper usage in your office, if you are unable to make this change then you can simply shred your paper waste with industrial paper shredders which will make it a lot easier for your company to recycle, repurpose and even reuse your waste in your workplace.
3. Consider Organic Composting and Urban Farming
Our office waste can produce both dry and wet waste. The dry waste can usually be recycled and reused whereas the wet waste is usually easily biodegradable can also be reused for landscaping. Composting your waste does not require any complex methods and is quite easy to practice on an individual level.
Growing your own produce can reduce your carbon footprint and improving your employee’s health as traditionally grown commercial produce is usually grown with irresponsible farming techniques.
4. Harness Sustainable Technology
Switching to solar energy from regular energy will reduce the amount of energy your office consumes as it is a natural and non-harmful alternative. If you are unable to make this change, simply switch your lights out with energy saving light bulbs.
5. Save the Blue: Water
Save water by reducing the amount of time that you spend in the shower, reduce the pressure of your taps and collect any of the used water after showering or washing dishes, you can reuse this water to water your plants or flush your toilets.
6. Reduce Vehicle Usage and Opt for Eco-Friendly Transportation
Using eco-friendly transportation is one of the best sustainable practices to reduce your carbon footprints.
The main cause of global warming is greenhouse gases with cars emitting the majority of destructive greenhouse gases such as methane, nitrous oxide, and carbon dioxide. Encourage your employees to walk, ride a bicycle or use public transport as much as possible. You can also opt to use a hybrid vehicle for better efficiency and always use the shortest route to reduce the consumption of petrol.
Author Bio:
Erich Lawson is very passionate about the environment and is an advocate of effective recycling. He writes on a wide array of topics to inform readers on how modern recycling equipment can be used by industries to reduce monthly wastage bills and increase recycling revenue.
This post was created by an amazing GREEN ZINE volunteer contributor, and opinions expressed may not represent the views of Greenpeace. If you are interested in volunteering as a GREEN ZINE contributor, visit this link.
