Are you familiar with sustainability? And how you and your company can be practicing sustainability? Well, for those of you who are not familiar with the term sustainability, according to Oxford Languages, it is the “avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance”. So that means that the steps that me, you, your friends, your coworkers, and your company make every day to be a little more “eco”-friendly, helps us maintain a healthy Earth.
Do you think you can name 5 sustainable companies off the top of your head? Well, if not, some companies include Patagonia, IKEA, Seventh Generation, 10 Trees, & The Good Company. They are classified as sustainable companies because they either utilize sustainable materials, use minimal/zero/or negative carbon output, and some plant trees all over the world. (Fun Fact, The Company 10 Trees is planning on planting 1 billion trees by 2030, all because as their name states, they plant 10 trees for every item purchased).
And you might be thinking “WOW, those are some big-name companies!”. How does my business even compare? And it may or may not, however, if your business and every business alike did their part in the sustainability movement we could prevent further damage to our Earth and or climate. And you might be thinking where do we even start? Well, that is why I am here to help with some quick tips!
Some Easy Steps for Your Company to Become More “ECO”-Friendly!
1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
a. Try to complete as much work electronically, to minimize printing
b. Recycle what you do use (paper, water bottles, misc. materials)
2. Purchase & encourage your staff members to use reusable water bottles in your office
a. Have a water fountain/dispenser for easy "eco"-friendly refills
3. Utilize "eco"-friendly cleaning products
a. Many companies now sell glass bottles and the cleaning concentrate on the side, so now you don’t have to be using harsh chemicals in single use plastic bottles!
~ We are not sponsored by them in any way, but www.blueland.com has great eco-friendly options~
4. Install energy efficiency equipment throughout your building & facilities
a. Upgrade to energy efficient lighting or LED lighting
i. With long lasting LED's you purchase less bulbs long term which means less waste in our ecosystem. Also, they are recyclable whereas in comparison to incandescent bulbs they are not.
b. Energy efficient HVACs
c. Energy efficient Elevators
d. Energy efficient Refrigerators/Coolers
~ Any easy way to know if it is energy efficient look for the Energy Star label! ~
I know, this might seem like a lot. But as the late Neil Armstrong once said, “ This is one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind”. So, if we each take small sustainable steps every day, we will be making giant leaps in protecting our Earth for us and future generations!
References:
Oxford Languages. (n.d.). Google search. Retrieved November 11, 2021, from https://www.google.com/search?q=sustainability%2Bdefinition&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS960US960&oq=sustaina&aqs=chrome.3.69i57j69i59l3j0i67i433j69i61j69i60l2.5750j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
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