Looking for ways to save the planet? Reduce your carbon footprint? Mitigate climate change?
These are not lofty ambitions but very real goals we can reach together if we look for ways to go green.
Have you examined how you can make your business more eco-friendly and up its green credentials?
We have a few ideas…
We’ve come up with a few clever ways you can take a big step towards a brighter future for our planet. Making these small but effective changes in the everyday running of your business could also save you some money!
It’s a win-win: for the planet, and for you!
How to go eco-friendly
Here are 9 green ideas we’ve put in place at SHiDO to make our business more eco-friendly and you can too:
1. Use green website hosting
Web hosting is not something we think about, but if we do venture there, we’ll be faced with the image of a massive temperature-controlled space full of rumbling computer servers. Lots of electricity is required to keep those cogs turning, but what if these were powered by renewable energy sources?
Consider choosing a green web hosting service to reduce the carbon footprint of using the Internet.
2. Go paperless
When you think of it, there are few reasons to use paper in today’s modern office. It’s never been easier to swap paper and go completely digital. Contracts and invoices can be signed and protected digitally, and then forwarded electronically without requiring a print-out. Printers are well on their way to becoming obsolete in the office!
3. Use recycled paper products
Most likely the paper products that you do still use in the office are all found in the bathroom or kitchen. Think toilet roll, paper towels, tissues and maybe paper cups. These are all available as eco-friendly recycled paper products. Consider making the switch! As for the paper cups, it’s time to ditch those and use glass or ceramic!
4. Plant a tree
Carbon offsetting is a way to reduce our environmental footprint by paying into projects aiming to reduce emissions and tackle climate change. For example, you can plant a tree https://onetreeplanted.org/ to fight deforestation, help build solar or wind power generation farms, or support projects bringing clean drinking water and fuel-efficient stoves to people in Africa and Asia. For more carbon offsetting ideas, visit Carbon Footprint.
5. Switch to glass milk bottles
Do you have milk available at your tea and coffee station? Another way to upgrade your office’s green credentials is to avoid buying milk in cartons and getting it delivered in recyclable glass bottles instead. Mylkman is an eco-friendly vegan milkman service in the UK. If you live in the United States, check out Good Mylk Co.’s Super Oat Mylk.
6. Change the lightbulbs
CFL and LED lightbulbs are the way to go if you want an eco-friendly business – and brighter future (pun intended!). These cost a bit more but are worth the little extra because they last much longer than standard bulbs. And they use much less energy which means you get another thumbs up. LED actually uses significantly less energy than CFL and lasts even longer. This Omni Calculator shows you exactly how much you’ll save in money and energy if you switch to LED bulbs.
7. Go plant-based in the kitchen
The future of the planet is vegan. If we want to protect the environment and keep climate change under check, then eliminating animal foods is one of the biggest ways to reduce our ‘foodprint’. Many companies around the world have introduced a Meatless Monday with this goal in mind. If your company has a cafeteria or offers a meal service, consider taking things much further (and set an example!) by making it completely plant-based.
8. Reduce, reuse, recycle
If you haven’t already applied the three Rs to your work space, then you’re way behind and maybe even still living in the last century… If you have adopted them, then pencil in a brainstorming session at your next meeting to examine how to further reduce and reuse the everyday objects and products your use each workday. If you haven’t already done so, find out about how to dispose of e-waste like computers and other electronic equipment in your city.
9. Make your business remote-friendly
Giving your employees the opportunity to work from home at least one day a week is a win-win for everyone. This reduces energy consumption at the office and the carbon footprint of the daily commute. Video chat has replaced the need to travel to meet face-to-face. These are good reasons to consider transitioning to a completely remote work environment. Our team at SHiDO works completely remotely!
