7 ways to be a more sustainable business

More than just a fancy buzzword, sustainability is something that many small businesses are employing as core focus of their business. Our guide takes a quick look at how your small business can follow a ideas for going green and becoming more sustainable.

Recommended reading: How to develop a small business sustainability plan

Steps to start making your business more sustainable

These are some environmentally friendly ideas that you can start using within your business to help reduce waste and embrace a more sustainable approach to doing business.

1. Minimise meetings

Now more than ever, doing things online is the way to go. Take a moment to think back to some of the meetings you have attended or hosted in the past and the amount of waste they may have generated. There’s things like paper print outs, food waste and often business promotional materials like pens that are not required.

Virtual meetings help to eliminate this excess waste and can also help to reduce your carbon footprint, minimising the amount of travel the attendees may have had to do to attend.

2. Promote recycling

If you don’t already have a recycling system set up in your business premises, now is the time to get on board. Making it easy for your staff to recycle things like paper and food packaging is important when it comes to putting sustainable business practices into action.

Once you have a system in place make sure you let your staff know about it and any instructions that they may need to follow to make the process flow smoothly.

3. Bright spark

Get into the habit of getting your staff to turn off the lights when not in the room, or when finishing up the day in your work space. Make sure things like appliances, monitors and other office devices are switched off at the power point when not being used.

Not only is this is a super easy step then anyone can do, it can also help to significantly cut your power bills. Win-win!

4. Make green your favourite colour

Making wise choices and preferring more sustainable and green options for things like suppliers and products is another switch your business can make. Being aware and educating yourself with the different options available, start considering the ones which take sustainability seriously.

Look at different types of greener product options like recycled paper and products that are made from renewable resources. If you’re unsure if your current suppliers offer these types of products ask them to provide some details on their sustainable solutions.

5. Get your staff on board

Talking about being more sustainable and actually making it happen through actions are different things. You can help to educate and your team of staff more involved and aware of your business’ plans to become more sustainable by providing them with the right resources to help make it happen.

This can include things like providing them with gifts that can help with the process like reusable coffee cups, water bottles and recyclable shopping bags.

6. Support a cause

Getting behind a good cause like a community driven program, are a great way to get your business involved with giving back to the community. You may also consider giving your staff a day or two a year that they can spend on volunteering with a charity of their choice.

7. Spread the good word

Let other’s know about the different activities your business is undertaking to become more sustainable. Social media is a great avenue for promoting the kinds of actions, projects and things you have been working on within the workplace. Sharing your experiences within the workplace might be just what other business owners need to inspire them and help kick start their sustainable business journey.

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