3 Ways To Green Your Business

We often talk about what consumers can do to protect the environment, but what about the role of businesses? Maybe sometimes we forget that sustainability is a two-way deal. Businesses should also look to be more conscious of their impact on our planet. After all, they do work on a larger scale and consumers are loving companies that are socially responsible. (Look at Patagonia)

Look, we get it. ALDA is most definitely familiar with how hard it can be to shape a green company, especially if you’re a small business. But fret not my friends! We’re gonna walk you through some basic and affordable ways to start making your business more environmentally friendly.

01. Energy

Energy is a nice starter for most businesses because you KNOW there will be an eventual reduction in costs. What gets most businesses is that the initial costs of renewable energy are higher than conventional energy sources.

That’s the thing about taking leaps in making a more sustainable business in general though — the initial costs will most likely be higher. BUT you’ll pay less for energy services in the long run. I mean, let’s not forget that sustainability is about having a long term view. So you’ll save more money for a longer amount of time than if you stick to using conventional energy

How To Do It

• Sustainable Energy Fund (SEF) provides sustainable energy financing for various types of companies. Whether you’re a nonprofit, a commercial-oriented company, or an industrial business (or other), SEF will guide you through the savings you can make from switching to renewable energy and help with financing along the way.
• P.S. You can always check your local (or state) government’s energy program to see what they’ve got going on as far as green energy options go, and any discounts they may offer.
• TURN OFF YOUR OFFICE COMPUTER WHEN YOU LEAVE FOR THE DAY. You only worked for 8 out of the 24 hours in the day. Don’t waste the 16 hours of electricity just because it takes an extra 45 seconds for the computer to start in the morning.

02. Waste/Recycling

Recycling is a bit trickier because it’s harder to create a single financial incentive to do it. Instead, recycling and waste management in general has to be an entire system. Because of this, it’s better to include recycling into your overall business plan.

In case it’s too intimidating to remake your business plan with recycling right this second, there are step-by-step guides hanging around to walk you through the process without getting stir crazy (that’s overwhelmed in normal people speak.)

How To Do It

• This is another one that’s good to check your local options first, especially because most recycling programs have to go through municipal waste programs. So again, don’t forget to ask for discounts that may be available! You can also check this state-by-state list for good recycling organizations.
• Oh yeah, and in case you’re a company that goes through a lot of tech products, you can donate anything unwanted or unused to a local charity or thrift store.

03. Emissions

Oh, the hot button topic of climate change. Yes, it’s something we all contribute to in one way or the other. Some carbon footprints are bigger than others of course, and the footprint for businesses tends to be bigger than individuals. That’s not to say that driving less, buying electric cars, or using public transit aren’t important; but factories and regularly transporting products via truck and/or airplane tend to outrank other causes of CO2.

So with THAT being covered, here are simple ways that help you decrease that carbon footprint of your business.

How To Do It

• Carbon Neutral is a certification program that has a 5-step process to getting their carbon neutral stamp of approval. Not only is the process taken care of by one organization, you get a shiny ecolabel that communicates an environmentally friendly part of your business to sustainability-minded customers.
• In case you’d rather ease into carbon neutrality by taking some simple steps first, you can always go with some classic eco-moves that can help reduce the carbon footprint of your company. Some of them are things that you’ve probably been encouraged to do at home at some point, like unplugging shit you’re not using or doing carpools. Not convinced that doing things like that actually help the environment? You may be surprised at what a difference they make.

Bonus! Green Event Planning

Maybe office parties are a drag, but don’t we all kind of want the opportunity to see that ONE person we’re not totally fond of getting just a little too hammered? So let’s not nix office events just yet, but let’s try to make them more sustainable why don’t we?

Green event planning agencies aren’t much of a thing quite yet, but there are things that you can do without an event planner to cut down on things like energy and waste during your annual Xmas party.

• There are a ton of guides out there to walk you through the process if you don’t want to do the guess work for what you should be addressing and how. Even posh places like Johns Hopkins University has guides on how to green your event.
• While it would be dope if you could tick all the eco friendly boxes for a sustainable event, don’t throw it all away if you don’t manage to cover all categories. Do whatcha can rather than nothing at all.

In the midst of greening your business, don’t forget that sustainability is a PROCESS, not an end goal. Making a 100% eco friendly business isn’t realistic, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take steps to decrease the environmental footprint of your company, even if you’re on a tight budget.

“Sustainability is a PROCESS, not an end goal…Do whatcha can rather than nothing at all.”

Of course what you can and can’t (and should and shouldn’t) do depends on the type of business you have, so maybe don’t feel too inclined to hyperfocus on cutting emissions if your business generates more waste than CO2. But either way, remember that there’s always a way for you and your company to #protectyourwild.

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By Darian Williams, ALDA’s Blog and Digital Marketing Specialist Intern

Originally published at alda.life.