Robert Trosten more than ever at any point in history, it has become imperative for businesses to operate in an environmentally-sustainable manner. Our rivers and oceans are choked with garbage and poisoned with effluents and the landfills filled beyond capacity. According to https://www.huffingtonpost.in, America produces 239 million tons of solid waste, some 12% of the world’s production despite being home to just 4% of the global population. As dismaying the current scenario is, the situation is still not beyond repair. If urgent action is taken, especially by businesses that are well poised to create and lead to positive change. The bonus is that by adopting green practices, businesses can save money in the long-term and create more value for their shareholders. Some smart tips that businesses can heed to turn green and reduce their environmental footprint:
Practice Green Procurement Practices Advises Robert Trosten
One of the biggest ways in which your business can make an impact on environment conservation is by practicing environment-friendly procurement policies. These policies should be aimed to cover virtually everything that the business buys from its suppliers. Apart from sourcing goods and services from local suppliers to keep the carbon footprint small, you should ensure that the procured goods are sustainably manufactured by the suppliers. Do not contain environmentally-hazardous materials or substances that can damage the ozone layers. Use renewable materials, are made from recycled materials or can be recycled. Use minimal packaging, use the maximum possible biodegradable materials.
Make Your Business Convenient to Access Using Non-Motorized Personal Transport, Recommends Robert Trosten
If you are relocating your business or setting up new retail stores, you will do well to evaluate the potential of sites. It not only cuts down on the carbon footprint, environmental pollution, and the scramble for parking space but also saves them. Valuable money that they will possibly spend on purchasing goods from you. You can also think of incentivizing employees not to use their cars but instead use public transport, or cycles to come to work.
Put Convenience on the Backburner and Reduce Waste Generation, Counsels Robert Trosten
Right from disposable pens, to coffee cups, plastic water glasses, single-use products. Abound in every office simply because they are more convenient to use. As a business owner, you should try and break the habit of convenience and encourage employees to discard wasteful habits. Some good examples are dropping single-serve coffee pods in favor of tins of coffee powder. Installing water coolers over non-recyclable paper or plastic cups, encouraging employees to bring. Their own mugs to office, buying refills for pens and using both sides of the paper for printing or copying. Try not using single-serve condiments in favor of bulk containers in the cafeteria and install hand dryers. Instead of supplying paper towels in the bathrooms and kitchen can be especially rewarding, observes Robert Trosten.
Reduce Consumption of Water, alerts Robert Trosten
The scarcity of water has hit many parts of North America particularly hard and consequently, many municipalities. Have had to impose strict water rationing for both households and businesses. However, irrespective of whether your business is in a drought-affected area or not, reducing the consumption of water is among the most socially-relevant. Actions that can help in the conservation of precious natural resources. Simple and low-cost methods of reducing water use and wastage include faucets with an auto-shutoff feature, low-flow flushes, aerators in faucets. Repairing plumbing leaks and dripping taps. Using pressure washers for cleaning or switching to non-water-based cleaning materials can help significantly. Installing rain sensors and drip irrigation systems to maintain the grounds can reduce water consumption greatly. Using environment-friendly, biodegradable cleaning materials reduces exposure. To toxins and harsh chemicals that also poison water resources and destroy the ecological balance.
Reduce Your Energy Consumption, Says Robert Trosten
Businesses can be energy guzzlers because office and factories need to be brightly lit for long hours. And there are a very large number of appliances and office equipment powered by electricity. HVAC also accounts for substantial energy consumption. The starting point of reducing your energy consumption is by getting energy. An audit conducted that will identify the applications.
That would benefit the most by modernization with more energy-efficient equipment. Switching over to LED lighting systems has multiple benefits; not only is the power consumption vastly reduced for the same amount of light but also, they last for a longer time. Thus making it unnecessary for the maintenance team. To constantly go about replacing failed lamps. As well as HVAC systems with new equipment with a higher Energy Star rating can save a lot of money in the long run. If possible, consider installing solar panels to reduce the amount of electricity. You have to buy or explore the possibility of purchasing alternative energy. Generated from a variety of natural and renewable sources like solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, and hydroelectricity.
Recycle Electronic Equipment Recommends, Robert Trosten
A typical office or manufacturing plant uses a very large number of electronic equipment. Like computers and printers that have to be routinely discarded for maintaining operational efficiency and keeping maintenance costs down. Instead of sending them to a landfill where it continues to be an environmental hazard. You can consider donating them to schools and charitable organizations that can put them to good use to help the less privileged. Alternatively, you can participate in technology recycling programs by leading computer manufacturers. That will not only enable the e-waste to be disposed of responsibly but also get you significant discounts on the purchase of new equipment.
Conclusion
The rampant exploitation of natural resources has led to the environment coming under severe stress. We are already witnessing many manifestations of the disturbance of the environmental balance in the form of severe weather events like floods, earthquakes, droughts, forest fires as well as the poisoning of rivers and oceans and looming mountains of waste in landfills. It is time that businesses woke up to the threat and took positive action to rectify decades of irresponsible human activity for the wellbeing of the generations to come.