There are many factors that we, as consumers, have to be aware of when we’re considering a purchase. One of those is how our new acquisition will affect the environment – such as the packaging, from what materials it is made, where it was manufactured and how it will be delivered to you. Even as a business owner, you’ll have to think about how these points can also affect your brand.
If you run your own online business, consider what you could do to make your company more eco-friendly. You may not have a physical store to think about, but there are many other factors you can improve to ensure your brand has as small an impact on the environment as possible.
Sign up to renewable energy sources
More businesses are using renewable energy to power their digital platforms and premises, and it is one of the many ways you can reduce your carbon footprint. It means you reduce your reliance on our decreasing fossil fuel supply, your green credentials are given a boost, and you can also save money.
To do this, you could start using a renewable energy supplier or think about using a green web-hosting service. You may even want to install solar panels at your place of work. It’s worth taking the time to look into the benefits of switching to renewable energy.
Use eco-friendly promotional products
You may have a range of promotional products for your brand, such as notebooks, pens and business cards, but they may not be made in a sustainable way. Yet there are manufacturers who can offer eco-friendly products, using recycled or natural materials. They won’t increase your carbon footprint, plus these materials will create a positive talking point.
Reduce plastic waste
Have a think about how your business is contributing to plastic waste. With a water cooler, for example, instead of having plastic disposable cups you could gift staff a reusable water bottle. Also, When dispatching orders to your customers, you could use Eco Packaging to send products out to them.
Recycle e-waste
We produce a lot of electronic waste as technology advances, such as phones, computers, tablets and televisions. Unwanted devices can either end up in landfill, or shipped to other countries where there is damage to the environment and human health from emissions because of the dismantling of these items – plus burning and shredding of them.
So make sure your electronics are recycled correctly: search for nearby e-waste recycling locations. You could also consider donating your items to charity organisations.
Work remotely
This is an effective way of making your brand more eco-friendly because employees aren’t commuting and wasting energy (and their time) in traffic. Working remotely can reduce pollution and save you some money. You could introduce an initiative where you all work from home on the same day, for instance.
There are a number of resources available that can make it easy for colleagues to stay connected, too. These may include Zoom (for video meetings), Slack (for workplace communication) or Asana (for task planning).
