The Earth’s condition is getting much worse than in previous decades; weather patterns are changing, temperatures are rising, the ozone layer is depleting, and polar ice caps are melting. Thus, the call for sustainable operations has become a high-level priority for many businesses.
Implementing sustainability in business operations offers many benefits. Aside from having a good conscience from observing environmentally-friendly practices, many people may also appreciate the goodness you’re spreading by producing long-lasting, eco-friendly, and recyclable goods. They’ll support your business, purchase your products, and help your brand grow.
On top of that, going sustainable also helps you minimize your carbon footprint, electricity consumption, and water usage. And with this, you’ll be able to save a significant amount of money that you can use for more essential business processes to reach your goals in no time.
To help you get started in transforming and making your business operations more sustainable and eco-friendlier, below are some tips and tricks you can consider:
1. Use Environmental Health Software
In today’s digital landscape, there’s a software application for almost everything you need, including an app that can help you grow your business sustainably.
An environmental health safety software, for instance. It’s an application designed to help organizations comply effectively with different rules and regulations for a sustainable operation. It’s cost-efficient, generally easy to set up, and has 24/7 customer support in case there are problems while using it.
Here are some important features you can use:
- Measuring Sustainability: This feature allows you to check how sustainable your business is based on different key performance indicators. It provides insight that allows you to track your progress and identify unsustainable potholes in your system.
- Industrial Hygiene Management: This feature focuses on preventing potential hazards that can put your employees at risk and mitigating them for a safe and healthy workplace.
- Environmental Management: This feature can help you monitor water usage and waste production. Also, it can keep you on track with your sustainability metrics and ensure that you comply with different requirements.
Furthermore, the software is mobile-friendly. You can check the status of your program to see if you’re on top of your goals wherever you are.
2. Check Your HVAC Units
Are you having problems with your energy consumption? Does your bill increase constantly every month? If this is the case, you might want to checkup your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) units. They might be the reason for your overwhelming electrical charges.
The first thing to do is evaluate the age of your HVAC system. If it’s been there with you for more than 15 years, it’d be best to replace it with a new one. Old HVAC units are known to consume more energy than new ones. Higher energy consumption means less sustainable operations.
Also, new HVAC models require less energy to operate. On top of that, they’re more efficient and quieter than the older models. So, don’t hesitate to replace your decade-old HVAC systems to achieve a more sustainable business environment.
3. Improve Your Lighting
Another simple trick to help reduce your energy consumption is to replace your light bulbs with newer and energy-efficient LED (light-emitting diode) types. Compared to traditional incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs, these light sources may help you significantly save energy.
While LED light bulbs are generally more expensive than non-LED types, they can help you save more in the long run. And with that, they’re still the better option when it comes to lighting fixtures.
On top of that, LED light bulbs also have a longer shelf life of up to ten years, based on normal usage. Therefore, switching to LED light bulbs may not only save you from costly energy consumption but also on maintenance fees.
4. Reduce Water Consumption
Water is an important resource for everyday use. However, the water supply across the world continues to become scarce. That’s why it’s crucial to do your part in saving water and reducing water waste in all aspects of your business operations.
Also, don’t forget to conduct different audits and routine checkups to determine any leakages under your pipelines. Check all the facilities where water runs, including toilet rooms and faucets. This can help you prevent wasting water unnecessarily and the drastic increase in your water bills.
Furthermore, if you have extra funds, you may build a small water treatment facility to treat and reuse wastewater and help the world preserve its natural water resources.
5. Go Paperless
Perhaps, this tip is one of the simplest and easiest ways to make your business operations sustainable. By implementing a paperless approach in the workplace, you can significantly help trim down paper usage and the need to purchase additional stacks of papers for business needs.
This tip is relatively easy, considering how most businesses are now shifting to digital platforms such as using email for faxing in the cloud when conducting transactions and sharing documents. You can also encourage your team members to skip printing documents for signatures, especially since there are various e-signature applications available today.
Final Words
Sustainable business operations are a top priority for most businesses. These allow them to save more on expenses and billings and help preserve the environment.
As a good starting point, you may embrace and implement the tips discussed above- conduct regular audits and check to identify potential problems in your HVAC system, upgrade your light bulbs into LEDs, reduce water consumption, and switch to paperless business transactions. Furthermore, use the environmental health safety software to help you keep track of your status regarding your sustainable practices and improve what needs to be improved.
Great tips. I’ve been working on many of these, and also adding other “micro-impacts” into my business that are triggered each time something good happens – like a get a new lead, or raise an invoice.