Whether you’re a new start-up wanting to run a sustainable-only business or an established organisation looking to do things a little greener, we have some good news for you. There are some simple ways to make your business more sustainable, reducing your carbon footprint and, ultimately, doing your bit for our planet.
Some even better news? You don’t have to build an office out of recycled plastic or make your employees cycle to work to lower your carbon emissions; simply cutting down on your waste or even outsourcing to remote employees can make a difference (literally). We’ve put together our top three tips for running a more sustainable business; keep reading to find out more.
Start an incentivised sustainability programme
Involving your staff is by far one of the most effective ways to improve sustainability within your business. After all, they are the ones that use the paper, drink the coffee, and drive to work. Going green means involving your team.
A great idea is to start an incentivised programme where employees are rewarded for their sustainable efforts. You could reward them financially, with gift cards, or even time off for lift sharing, limiting business travel, incorporating recycling projects within their departments, or for using reusable cups, containers, and cutlery.
Getting your staff on board by making it worth their while to participate is the first and best place to start becoming a more sustainable business.
Work towards zero waste
A large part of any business’s carbon footprint is the waste they generate, whether this is through plastic packaging, not recycling paper, or selling single-use products.
A trend that is taking UK businesses by storm, and rightly so, is the return and refill revolution. This essentially means that businesses selling a physical product are giving their customers return or refill options. For example, if you are a local barista, you can sell reusable coffee cups that customers can get refills in at a lower price than if they purchased a drink in a regular plastic or cardboard cup.
Another noteworthy example of the return and refill revolution is how Amazon is allowing those who sell on the platform to resell returned goods and offload the handling of returns and overstock merchandise to Amazon and its partners.
Outsource to remote employees
Did you know that having employees work remotely reduces your carbon emissions significantly? What’s more, outsourcing your work to an already remote employee, like a virtual assistant, can offset your carbon footprint.
A virtual assistant can work from anywhere in the world and can fulfil just about any function within your business. Beyond managing your diary and booking your travel arrangements, a virtual assistant can help with activities like payroll, digital marketing, and even customer service.
What’s more, hiring a virtual assistant means your business isn’t generating any planet-destroying waste or greenhouse gasses. You’ll also save on overhead costs as you’ll pay a fixed fee for work done, rather than paying a full-time salary and providing a computer, desk, and so on.
If you’re interested in hiring a remote virtual assistant to reduce your carbon footprint, save money, and get stuff done, contact us, and we’ll match you with someone as passionate about sustainability as you are.
