A few years back, the “go green” movement was pegged as nothing more but a transient fever that would eventually die out. Today, however, the cause remains stronger than ever, with more support from civilians and various governments, and private companies.
As a business owner, it behooves your brand to include this increasingly important cause in your day-to-day operations and your brand’s broader mission statement. Here are five great ways to help turn your company into a greener money-making machine without affecting your current productivity or profits.
Change Your Bulbs
While this move probably won’t save you millions of kilowatt per hour of electricity per year like a billion-dollar casino would, switching to LED lightbulbs is worth the investment. LEDs consume significantly less power and are free of toxic chemicals, including mercury that incandescent and fluorescent lighting have.
The per-unit cost of LED bulbs may be relatively steeper, but:
- They last for around five times longer than traditional bulbs
- In addition to being a more energy-efficient lighting source
- LEDs can also emit higher brightness and intensity levels
- LEDs come in a wide range of colors and color temperatures.
Take Care of Your Equipment & Machinery
Suppose your business uses a lot of moving pieces, from industrial refrigerators to 100-ton bulldozers. In that case, the slightest mechanical failure can disrupt the entire operation, which can cost you thousands of dollars in lost earnings and missed deadlines.
Having to replace your equipment constantly means more raw materials, including steel, lead, and zinc, to answer the demand. This also leads to more equipment ending up in landfills. Use refractory Kiln coating to prolong your industrial equipment. This specialized coating reduces or eliminates metal penetration, improves overall casting quality, and lowers cleaning costs, among other things.
Switch to Green Cleaning Supplies
Suppose you’ve ever entered an office space and thought to yourself how nice it smelled and how clean it was to look at, that intensely addictive fragrance is toxic not only to your body but also to the environment. Purge your company of any window cleaners, hand and dishwashing liquids, and bathroom cleaners with greener alternatives.
Not only are you helping save the environment, but you’re also reducing your workforce’s exposure to harmful chemicals that can cause serious health complications in the long run.
Allow Everyone in Your Company To Go Green
For your new green initiatives to be sustainable, you’ll need everyone’s participation in your company. If your employees aren’t as consistent and committed to your cause, your company still ends up producing a higher carbon footprint at the end of the day despite any efforts you made to lower it. For starters, place recycling bins throughout your workspace.
Having to walk three flights of stairs and walk to the other side of the building can discourage your employees from recycling their used items. Another way to encourage participation is by rewarding environmentally conscious decisions that they make. If employees bring their lunch to work in a glass Tupperware, you could buy them lunch the following day or at the end of the week.
Allow Them to Work From Home
Giving your employees the option to work from home means that they don’t have to drive to work every day. This means lower greenhouse gas emissions and less use of fossil fuel. Reduction of these two things means less acid rain, haze, and risk of algae blooms, all of which significantly impact the health and well-being of every living thing on the planet.
In 2018 alone, the transportation sector was responsible for almost 30% of greenhouse gas emissions produced that year. According to experts, if 3.9 million people choose to cut their commute to half and instead work from home, that would lower emissions by an amount equal to removing 600,000 vehicles on the road for a whole year.
These five eco-friendly moves are only the tip of the iceberg. You can explore other ways of turning your company into an environment advocate, such as hosting fundraisers, partnering with green vendors, etcetera. Keep in mind that going green isn’t achieved in a day, week, or even year.
It’s an ongoing commitment that not only results in better environmental conditions for future generations but can also improve your workforce’s health and lower operational costs.
