How to Make Your Business More Green

If you want to make your business more environmentally friendly, you might not know where to start. Going green is a big step and a big idea, which can make business owners stop and think, or even change their minds. However, you don’t have to wait, and you don’t have to worry. Going green isn’t as tricky as it might seem, and there are many small things you can do to get started and work up to the bigger things. Continue reading to learn more.

Use More Natural Light 

The main motivation for going green and becoming more sustainable and environmentally friendly is to save the planet, not just to look good in front of your customers or to save money (although it will bring you these benefits). In light of this, why not make use of the earth’s natural resources to advance your cause? In particular, why not use natural light?

It has been shown many times that exposure to natural sunlight has undisputable positive effects on mood and productivity, so it makes sense to let as much of it into your business as possible. Not only will your electricity bills go down, but your carbon footprint will shrink as a result of your reduced energy consumption.

The first step is to make sure the curtains and blinds are open, and nothing is blocking the windows. Think about getting some windows put in if there aren’t any or there aren’t enough to make a difference. Make sure that everyone spends some time outside every day.

Think About Your Heating 

After lighting, heating is probably the next biggest energy user in your business. The Health and Safety Executive says that an office should be at least 16°C, but if the job requires a lot of physical work, it can be 13°C.

A comfortable place to work should be a top priority for your business, and the level of heating will undoubtedly play a big role in this. However, heating and cooling a building too much can cause it to use a lot more energy overall.

Even though you don’t have to stop using central heating or air conditioning, you should ask your co-workers to bring extra layers of clothing in the winter and use the windows when it’s hot to cut down on the need for air conditioning. You can also look at different energy providers and try to find a better deal or one that is explicitly good for the environment (in any way you can).

Go Paperless 

A paperless office saves trees. Keep this idea in mind and try to turn your business into a paperless one where possible. When you’re used to printing out anything you might need, it can be difficult to break the habit. The excellent news, however, is that modern technology has made printing unnecessary; files can instead be kept in the cloud or on separate drives, eliminating the need for physical filing cabinets and reducing paper consumption. Your documents will always be where you need them to be, and you may be able to downsize your office or work from home if you no longer have as much paperwork to store. This will save you money and help the environment by completely removing the need for daily commutes. If this idea is of interest, speak to an expert Bristol removal company to find out how much it would cost to move everything from your office to your home.

You can ask your bank to stop sending you paper statements and your vendors to start sending you invoices via email instead of regular mail. If you do need to use paper, make sure it’s recycled.

Use Email Marketing 

Direct marketing is still used by many businesses in the UK. In the past, this would have been a good way to market, and sometimes it still works, but it wouldn’t be considered an eco-friendly method. People don’t think it’s good for the environment to print and send out hundreds or thousands of flyers or leaflets at once.

If your company is putting a lot of effort into direct marketing, you are adding to the stress. Marketing is not only expensive, but it is also bad for the environment because it fills up landfills and makes harmful CO2 emissions when it is made, delivered, and thrown away.

Sending marketing emails won’t have the same effect on the environment, and it can also help your business by letting you track success rates and figure out how to improve your marketing methods. With direct marketing, you don’t know who reads or throws away your company’s message.