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Photo by ThisIsEngineering
Not all businesses can be perfectly sustainable at all times, and not all can be equally eco-friendly. That just comes from the nature of what varied disciplines and industries do. In some cases, of course, the impact is dramatic, and in others, sweating about the most minute details may not have much impact at all.
But it’s also important not to use this as an excuse. That’s not just because customers will try to audit the firms they use and the purchases they may, but also because it serves as a great marketing and outreach strategy to invest in your eco vision. Of course, living in a cleaner, better, less wasteful world is hardly a bad outcome either.
In this post, we’ll discuss why your business may have more sustainability opportunities than first imagined:
Dealing With Wastage
Recycling programs are an obvious starting point, but so is reassessing supply chains. Could you switch to suppliers with more sustainable practices? Can your production processes be tweaked to reduce scrap? What about a scrap metal service that can use the materials that come from your manufacturing process, and make use of it.
Improving the efficiency of your processes can be worthwhile, also, such as investing in better equipment to gain a better yield from your production. Or perhaps you’ll pivot your philosophy, such as a restaurant that decides to use every part of the animal whose meat they use, to provide a true farm to table experience with no disposable elements. Wastage is always a good thing to reduce.
Power Draw Reductions
Reducing your power draw can help you improve your efficiency. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of switching to more efficient lighting, updating old machinery, or getting smarter about when and how equipment runs. Go through any city and you’ll see offices with lights on overnight, so it’s best to stop that. Motion-sensitive lighting always works.
Of course, sourcing power from renewable providers or even installing solar panels if it makes sense for your setup can also be worthwhile. Some businesses go a step further by rethinking their operating hours to make use of off-peak energy rates. It might save you money and reduce your approach.
Investment, Contributions & Connections
Sometimes you just need to invest in charities or suppliers that have more capability than you right now. This counts as your impact. You can also consider greener tech, like electric fleet vehicles, or supporting community projects that help offset some of the impact of your business.
Some companies look at partnerships, teaming up with organizations that help repurpose waste materials or run tree-planting initiatives too. You’ll be surprised just how much hard work is being done out there in need of funding. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel yourself or come up with it all to be relevant.
With this advice, you’re sure to make use of all your sustainable opportunities as is required, and potentially give you much more to play with.
