What Can a Business Do to Improve its Eco-Friendly Status?

Global warming is having an increasingly damaging effect on our planet. Temperatures are rising, the polar ice caps are melting, and the atmosphere's ozone layer is depleting. Businesses contribute large volumes of carbon emissions and companies must be mindful of their environmental impact and take steps to reduce their carbon footprint.

The coronavirus pandemic has shown that it’s more important than ever for organisations to improve their eco-friendly statuses. While the restrictions brought in to help fight the pandemic have caused unprecedented disruption to daily life, there have been some environmental benefits as a result of the extreme social distancing measures. In fact, experts at Carbon Brief estimate that the coronavirus will see the largest ever drop in carbon emissions. Businesses must use this as an opportunity to reflect on their impact and take steps to maintain the environmental benefits of coronavirus. With this in mind, here are some key ways for businesses to improve their eco-friendly status:

Install in a waste baler

Installing an industrial waste baler is a simple way to boost the efficiency of your waste management and recycling. Broadly speaking, a waste baler is a device that allows you to compress waste items such as cardboard and paper into convenient compact bales. These can then be stored on-site and collected by a local recycler who will transport the bales to waste facilities to be recycled. Using waste balers will help your workplace become eco-friendlier and could also save you money, alongside reducing your business waste volumes by up to 90%. This will save valuable time and resources and boost productivity levels by reducing the amount of time your employees spend dealing with waste like flat packing boxes. Overall, an eco-friendly waste baler could save your company significant amounts of money over time through streamlining business operations and boosting efficiency levels in the workplace.

A waste baler is proven to reduced CO2 emissions by 75% compared to bins as they are fewer refuse collections required.

Improve recycling policies

As mentioned, UK businesses produce huge volumes of waste. As much of this waste must be recycled as possible, to help minimise the number of waste items ending up at landfill. With that in mind, companies should focus on developing and improving their recycling strategies in the workplace. Make sure you educate your staff on the importance of following green policies and offer incentives to encourage staff to become more eco-conscious.

Encourage green travel

Transport is another large contributor of greenhouse gas emissions. You can help minimise the environmental damage caused by transport vehicles by encouraging green travel in your workplace. For instance, you could offer a cycle to work scheme or incentivise car-sharing to and from the office. You should also try to limit the amount of work travel by holding meetings remotely using video communication platforms like Skype or Zoom. Allowing remote working is another simple way to lower travel emissions and could also save you money by reducing office overheads.

Switch to renewable energy

Switching to renewable energy is an effective way to reduce your carbon footprint and make your company more eco-friendly. Using renewable energy is also an excellent way to boost your image and reputation as it shows support for a sustainable future. Fortunately, switching to renewable energy is now easier than ever. One option is to have solar panels installed on your commercial premise to generate your own clean energy. Switching to solar will instantly lower your carbon emissions and could also save you money over time. This makes solar panels an attractive investment for many businesses seeking to improve their eco-friendly status and lower their energy expenses.

Final thoughts

The coronavirus pandemic has shown us that it’s not too late to reverse the effects of global warming. The extreme social distancing regulations brought in to help fight the outbreak have allowed the environment to start healing itself in just a matter of weeks. With coronavirus restrictions due to be relaxed over the next few weeks, it’s more important than ever for businesses to reflect on their environmental impact and take steps to become more sustainable. Use the above tips to help you create a greener, healthier, and more eco-friendly company today!