Proper waste disposal and management, recycling protocols, using renewable energy, incorporating sustainability into operations — these are among the main practices of environmentally responsible and sustainable businesses or “going green”. It was only a few years back when going green was perceived as costly and inefficient, which is why many companies and businesses viewed it as a cost or mandatory legal requirement, instead of an investment with actual tangible returns.
However, as more consumers start being more environmentally-conscious, more businesses have embraced the trend and discovered how going green has positively affected the business as a whole. As such, we’ll be taking a look at why and how going green can be beneficial to your business, and perhaps help convince you to do the same.
Avoid Penalties
Even if your business isn’t aiming to go green to reap its benefits, various laws have made it mandatory for businesses to follow proper waste management protocols and environmental standards in an attempt to reduce carbon emission and support sustainability. As such, being responsible for the waste your business produces, and complying these regulations would prevent your business from getting penalised or even have its permits suspended. If you don’t have the time or resources to do so, there is an option to delegate waste management tasks to another company or waste management firm.
Lower Costs, Optimize Operations, Increase Profit
There are many ways your business can lower its operational (and/or manufacturing) costs, improve efficiency, and increase profit when going green.
Go Green, Go Digital. First off, you can impose or encourage a paperless approach for your offices — paper and ink can be expensive, and cutting back on paper usage and digitising your reports and other aspects of office operation can save you money while making it easier and faster to retrieve digital documents and reports.
Recycling. Next, you can incorporate recycling in certain aspects of your business operations. It can be as simple as reusing old documents (those without sensitive information) as scratch paper, to something more complex such as utilising reverse logistics to reuse parts from old products when manufacturing new ones or have a wastewater recycling systems. Recycling lowers cost while promoting sustainability and increasing profit.
Save Energy. Many “green” office appliances and even light fixtures are designed to be more energy-efficient. Although the upfront cost of these items may sometimes be higher, it can cut your business electrical bill significantly, making them a good long-term investment.
Get Awards and Incentives
Many agencies and organisations can award your business for being environmentally responsible and sustainable. Some government agencies can even provide tax incentives to “green” companies, while others may provide grants to eco-friendly businesses.
Improve Reputation
Brand reputation is everything for a business, and having that “green” tag on your company can make a huge difference. Brand reputation and reception are significantly improved in eco-friendly businesses, and more environmentally-conscious consumers (and even potential employees) are more likely to support the brand.
Increase Employee Morale
A less obvious yet highly impactful way your business can benefit from going green is through improving employee morale and motivation. A worker would be more productive and is more likely to stay in a company that is genuinely concerned about the environment and doesn’t only focus on making a profit.
Conclusion
The transition and adjustments necessary for a business or company to go green may be expensive and difficult at first, but there’s no doubt that the benefits heavily outweigh the cost. Hopefully, these advantages are enough to persuade you to make some changes and start going green.