Every year, about eight million metric tons of plastic are being thrown into the ocean.

At this rate, scientists predict the pollution is going to be a major catalyst to climate change.

Because of that, many businesses are now adopting eco-friendly strategies to reduce climate change, become more energy-sufficient, and, ultimately, improve customer perception and brand reputation.

Tips For Planning an Eco-Friendly Business

From recycling programs to sophisticated power technology and smart building technologies, the ways with which you can make your company eco-friendly are endless. If you want to get started with this, here are some tips on how to do so.

Eco-Friendly Business Building

One good, ground-breaking change you can implement to turn your company green is establishing a Building Management System (BMS), which will enable you to control lighting and heating and also any HVAC system in any part of your company.

About 30% to 70% of companies’ energies are consumed by HVAC systems, and a good portion of that energy goes to waste because not all parts of the building are being used 24/7.

If you get a BMS, you’ll have a controller that can help you to cut down operational costs to over 15%. Better BMS models can even make use of electric tariff prices. Since rates for most commercial buildings include consumption charges and peak demand, it shifts demand to off-peak hours, which means it will cut down consumption charges quite considerably.

Renewable resources

Another good way of going green is by installing solar panels on your building, especially if your company building is located in a sunny area. The folks over at https://www.trvst.world/ explain that solar panels might be a bit on the expensive side, but can help you save a large amount of money on energy bills.

Plus, it is one of the best renewable energy resources there are! Solar energy generates electricity or heat water and is typically one of the first changes that companies make to become more eco-friendly.

If solar panels are not an option, you can use geothermal, wind, or fuel energy, all of which are excellent renewable resources.

Local Goods

Delivering goods to customers can, in a way, increase climate change. If you’re delivering products, goods, and whatnot to different customers in different areas, make sure to choose the most time- and fuel-efficient means of transportation.

When it comes to buying products that are locally made, be sure to order larger amounts to minimize the number of deliveries made. Your delivery fleet should also be equipped with state-of-the-art GPS software to take the shortest routes that have the least traffic, which will reduce the amount of time spent on the road and, therefore, reduce the usage of gas.

Go Green

Another good method of making your company environmentally friendly is through green procurement, which means sourcing goods from other services that produce foods and goods using sustainable means. Sourcing from local suppliers instead of someone that is located far away from you is usually a good way to go about this.

You can also review some of the best procurement policies, which will ensure that your products don’t contain toxic materials and are not encased in excessive packaging. Green procurement policies also dictate that products should also be designed in a sustainable fashion so that they can be repaired after being used and not just thrown away.

Water Usage

In the US, droughts rank second in weather-related economic events, which can cause annual losses of up to $9 billion. Whether your business is located in an area that is susceptible to droughts or not, reducing your water usage is a good way to save money and conserve sustainable resources.

This doesn’t mean that you’ll partially cut out water from your company, but rather fix dripping taps or leaks which can waste a huge amount of water over time. You can also utilize a high-efficiency pressure washer for cleaning jobs. If possible, you can relocate to a drought-tolerant area where drip irrigation or rain sensors are employed.

Recycling

Recycling is practically synonymous with sustainability due to how effective it is against things such as pollution and climate change. In companies, one thing that you can constantly recycle is electronics.

Over time, you’ll have an excess of electronic equipment, which can be put to good use if you provide them to charities or schools in your area. Some manufacturers like Dell have recycling programs that provide credit for trade-ins on used electronics. They also have donation programs for charities.

Starting with these steps can have a substantial impact on the environment. Despite how insignificant this change might be, you’ll be surprised with how consistent effort related to sustainability can change the environment. Be sure to partner up with other groups that adopt similar methods of sustainability and to get better insights on how to run an eco-friendly business.

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