A recent study showed that up to 76% of Americans are willing to switch from their favorite packaged goods brand to an eco-conscious company working hard to reduce carbon emissions. Building an environmentally-friendly business pays off. Here are 4 steps you can take to build a thriving eco-friendly business.
- Build Sustainable Partnerships Your business’ success depends on the local community. You can attract potential customers by partnering with local environmental organizations that share your vision. Here’s how to do it.
Hold fundraising events for local environmental charities to raise funds and create awarenessOffer free goods and services during community cleanupDonate supplies to local eco-friendly organizationsOrganize workshops and educate locals on the importance of eco-friendly practices
Many people will be willing to support your business if you show genuine commitment to creating a sustainable future. 2. Embrace Digital Record-Keeping Online newsletters and contact forms do away with paper and help you to save money you would have spent buying papers. When you don’t use paper, you help preserve the environment. Adopt paperless transactions and use digital storage. This also ensures efficiency and accuracy. Banks and other lending firms are doing away with paperwork and shifting all their operations online. For example, IneedCashNow moved their entire lending process 100% online to increase efficiency; you can now apply for title loans online and get funds wired to your account within minutes. More businesses are investing in green web hosting services and using eco-friendly energy sources to power electronic devices such as computers and tablets. 3. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle First, you should reduce buying products. Borrow or rent items such as machinery instead of buying. Request vendors to provide you with leasing options before you buy. Another way to reduce your usage is to reuse. Instead of getting rid of boxes after you buy products, reuse them when shipping products or for storage purposes. You can also purchase green products that can be refilled rather than sent to landfills. Place recycling bins in different parts of the office. It’s easier for customers and employees to adopt eco-friendly practices when the bins are easily accessible. You can add specific bins for specific waste. For instance, you can have a specific bin for ink cartridges and ship them back to the manufacturer for proper dumping or reuse. 4. Donate Things You Don’t Need Discarding large items such as furniture and appliances creates bigger waste piles in landfills, leading to more air and environmental pollution. Scientists also say that improperly disposed of electronics release metallic toxins such as lead, mercury, and arsenic which are harmful to humans and the environment. It’s also costly as you need to pay garbage companies to dispose of them. Donate electronic items that are in good condition to charitable organizations for reuse or for sale. This will ensure they don’t end up in already packed landfills, causing more damage to the environment.
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