Article by InnoHub
Nowadays consumers pay a lot more attention to corporate social responsibility of companies’ products and services. Making it important for business to hop on the trend and as well, it’s very important that corporations and consumers to start taking care of the environment.
For a business to be sustainable, it needs to focus in using very little water, energy, raw materials, cut down carbon emissions, and/or reuse materials. This can be a bit difficult to achieve but with new technologies arising, it’s getting easier. As well, with a great business model sustainability can be achieved. To make sure that you choose a good eco-friendly business, you need to think of a service that is currently not being offered or it can be a service already offered but that’s not good for the environment and how you can improve it. If you are still uncertain here are some ideas so you can start your eco-friendly business:
- Ink Refill Business – Apart from being a very profitable decision, its environmentally conscious. By reusing old ink cartridges, it reduces the amount of non-biodegradable waste accumulated in landfills.
- Solar Panel Installation – Solar power systems derive clean energy from the sun and contribute to energy independence. The installation of solar panels combats against greenhouse gas emissions and reduces the dependence on fossil fuel.
- Composting Business – Organic waste such as leaves and kitchen waste in landfills generates a potent greenhouse gas, methane. To reduce this, composting works best as it decomposes organic materials. Composting provides many essential nutrients for plant growth which is why it’s often used as a fertilizer and enhances water retention in soils.
- Garden Planning – Landscape sustainable gardens for families and businesses to feed themselves. This not only reduces carbon footprint, but it promotes healthier eating habits.
- Green Cleaning – Many home cleaning products can be toxic to families and are bad for the environment when disposed. In addition, cleaning products create a lot of plastic waste. You could instead replace the cleaning agent, so the bottle is not thrown away, and as well, make your own organic cleaning products.
Once you have your business idea down, you will need to get a business license and start pitching your idea to investors. Building a business requires a lot of paperwork, planning, and time, but it will be worth it at the end.
However, if you already have a business and you want to reduce its environmental impact, here are some steps you can take to make your business more sustainable:
- Offer remote work – it reduces time spent commuting, so it there’s less CO2 being emitted in the air.
- Use sustainable products – look for products that say it’s made from post or pre-consumer waste. This reduces the overall waste that circulates.
- Make use of secondhand finds – new furniture requires a lot of energy and raw materials so opt for vintage or recycled furniture.
- Use sustainable packaging – use packaging that comes from 100% recycled materials and/ or make it reusable – extends its life cycle and usability.
- Do business with green businesses – the supply chain of small businesses can have a huge impact on their own footprint.
The road to becoming a sustainable company is a process, but the stakes have never been higher. All companies have a role to play, regardless of their size. If we take responsibility for our individual carbon footprint and try to reduce it, slowly but surely, we can reverse the effects of climate change.
Are you interested in this topic? Learn more about sustainable consumption and sustainable action for youth thanks to our SUSTRAINY European Project: https://sustrainy.erasmus.site/