At the start of the 20th century, we witnessed America establish itself as the dominant power. But progress came at a massive cost. Before the century ended, we saw more devastating floods and droughts. Wildfires became more destructive. People are now asking if development is worth it.
As world leaders converge to talk about the existential crisis, we ask ourselves if we have a role to play. Or are we merely spectators as executives discuss our future? As heads of our own companies, we take upon ourselves the task of reinventing our businesses to respond to the environmental trouble. As news outlets bombard us with the latest COP26 news, let us consider our duties to Mother Earth.
Going Remote
With the current health crisis, many companies offer their employees the chance to work from home. In one of their studies, Pew Research mentioned that a big chunk of the workforce prefers working at home. Although they conducted this survey last year, other market research companies confirm their findings. In this case (and if your operations permit it), why don’t you let your employees continue working from home?
Many will welcome such an offer. But it is not only your employees who will benefit from this because your company will also do. You do not need to pay for rent. Thus, you are saving money by allowing your team to work from home.
Another advantage to allowing your staff to work from home is you get to save on team-building events. Of course, you will still need to shell out cash for incentives. But you would not be paying unnecessary costs such as venue for the occasion. Allowing your team to work at home will substantially cut carbon emissions because your employees do not have to travel from home to work. It is a win-win situation.
3Rs
Let us say that you run a restaurant. Thus, you cannot send your team to work at home. Even in this scenario, you can still reduce your company’s carbon emissions by reducing your use of single-use items. Instead of using a traditional spoon and fork, you can put compostable cutleries.
Do not confuse yourself with the terms compostable and biodegradable. The latter refers to anything that decomposes. On the other hand, compostable items break down and can be used as fertilizers because they are organic. Now, you nailed the first of the 3Rs – which is to reduce garbage.
Another way to reduce your waste is to go paperless. In our example, where you run a restaurant, you can let your team use tablets to take orders. If you find this shift too expensive, you can opt for recycled paper and refillable pens. These will lessen your waste.
Let us work on your recycling. With so many recycling plants, this R is easier to implement. To encourage your team to recycle, you can put several recycling bins. If you have un-recyclable items, you can donate them. What is great about doing this is that this can be part of your deductions.
Lastly, let us tackle the last r, which is to re-use. We usually recommend using old pieces of furniture instead of buying new ones. Doing this will lessen the waste that you will produce in your business.
Patronize
One of the great things about reinventing your business to be green is attracting Gen Y and Gen Z consumers to patronize your company. These age groups are more conscious about how their lifestyle impacts Mother Nature. Thus, they are likely to support eco-friendly companies.
You can pay it forward by supporting fellow green businesses. Interview nearby establishments to determine if they are applying sustainable methods. By doing this, you are ensuring that they can continue their operations. You are also making a healthier choice.
For example, you are about to restock your cleaning materials. You might already have a supplier. Before you purchase anything, you should ask them about the ingredients to their disinfectant. If they have not reinvented themselves, the chances that they are still using harmful chemicals are high.
The government warned us that these chemicals are highly poisonous. These toxins do not only pose health hazards. But they also cause water pollution. When you rinse the excess cleaning solution, its residue will go to the nearby rivers.
Taking the extra mile to adopt sustainable business practices will eventually pay out. Not only will they bring us more customers, but doing this will also ensure the survival of our planet. We are doing all of these for our future.
