So, you’re a conscious business. You’ve researched social procurement examples, you’re well on your way to being paperless, your office does meat-free Mondays—you’re already trying, but it seems there’s always more to do. Unlike many other businesses, you’re not about greenwashing—you actually want to make a difference. If this sounds familiar, the following five tips should help you make the final push to becoming a sustainable business in 2022:
Keep Your Office Supplies Eco-Friendly
Eco-friendly office supplies deliver an instantly strong impression when clients and new talent visit your premises. Everything from cleaning products and construction materials to the milk and coffee you provide should reflect your eco-awareness.
Sustainability has to start from the ground up. After all, if your office isn’t even as eco-friendly as it could be, how can larger environmental targets be genuinely connected to the heart of your business?
Take a Carbon Emissions Cut
There are multiple ways to cut your carbon emissions, with many small changes adding up to a sizable reduction overall. You can do it with office insulation, energy-saving actions like switching to LEDs, and by supporting the 48% of employees who want a remote working option, and 44% who want a hybrid working option.
Stay Transparent
A recent report showed that nearly 50% of employees think their company is, to some degree, guilty of greenwashing. If you’re not familiar with the term, greenwashing describes the act of faking eco-friendly or sustainable actions until you make them. In many cases, greenwashing companies may have no intention of ever following through on what they claim to be already doing.
This practice is dishonest, misleading, and impossible to sustain long term. It can even lead to legal claims and public shaming for companies that are outed. To be a genuinely sustainable business in 2022, you need to stay transparent, and when you claim any eco-friendly activities, rules, or actions, make sure they’re truthful.
Check Your Supply Chain
Often, changes and improvements to your existing business structure are instant eco-opportunities. Your supply chain, for example, is likely to produce, on average, 90% of your company’s greenhouse gas emissions, so it presents a vast range of opportunities for green improvements.
Consider doing a thorough audit of the entire supply chain to identify inefficiencies and scope for eco-improvements. Doing so could boost your productivity, bottom line, and environmental performance.
Make It Easy for Customers to Be Eco-Friendly
Approximately 85% of customers have become more eco-conscious in their purchasing habits over the last few years. Give customers schemes that help them be more eco-friendly, and you’ll increase the reach of your environmental efforts. You’ll also give customers a sense of autonomy over their eco-contribution, which is a sure-fire way to build brand loyalty.
You could consider offering reusable product packaging and low-cost refills or providing customers with seeded cards or packaging to help enhance their gardens or local wildlife areas. These are just two of many options you have for creating a greener business that delivers tangible eco-friendly benefits to your loyal customers.
2022 is the year your business strides toward being more sustainable and planet friendly. From the coffee in your staff room to the fulfillment company that delivers your products, there’s endless room for improvement. Going the extra mile for the environment will benefit your bottom line, your brand image, and the world in which your business hopes to thrive.
Image Credits: Akil Mazumder
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