Discussions around the environment are becoming more prolific year after year, as businesses face an increased pressure to do everything they can to protect the planet. It can be daunting to know where to start, yet any small step towards becoming more environmentally friendly is a positive one. Try to make environmentally conscious decisions moving forward and eventually work towards compensating for the damage done in the past. it can be daunting to know where to start, yet any small step towards becoming more environmentally friendly is a positive one. You can take step to monitor employees through remote work monitoring software instead of asking again and again from them.
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Ensure Your Office Space Is Eco-Friendly
Finding an eco-friendly office space is not only good for the environment but also the company’s bank balance. If you can find a space that uses renewable energy, is well insulated and has a small carbon footprint, your monthly utility bill would be much lower than in other buildings.
Where possible, ensure any appliances are not left switched on overnight, all lights are turned off, keep the thermostat at around 20 degrees and use energy saving light bulbs. All of these things can help the planet whilst also saving you money!
Go Paperless
Going paperless is a fantastic way to become more environmentally friendly as a business. You will save a lot of time and money by implementing digital rather than paper filing systems. They are also more reliable! Start by gathering any new data using online forms and then store the information in spreadsheets. If you don’t use a cloud system, make sure everything is regularly backed up.
You can gradually work backwards if you have time to have all the information you need digitally, or you could have a digital system moving forward from a particular date, for example. You could send employee pay slips over email, start using Google Docs to collaborate over documents rather than printing multiple versions and sign documents using secure online software. Whilst particular things like some contracts or lease reviews have to be signed in person, do your best to reduce your paper usage to an absolute minimum.
Know Your Supply Chain Through and Through
Knowing exactly what happens at each stage of your supply chain is essential in becoming environmentally friendly. You might have an eco-friendly supply chain, but if one of your suppliers is not working ethically, then neither are you. You must evaluate each stage of the chain and everyone involved, making more environmentally friendly choices where possible.
Encourage Working from Home
Another great way to make your company more environmentally friendly is to allow staff to work from home if they want to. You will produce a smaller carbon footprint as you will need a smaller office and you will be responsible for less emissions as a result of your staff commuting. When your commercial lease renewal approaches, consider offering flexible working to your staff, whether this is a few days in the office and a few days at home, or fully remote working. It might take some time to adjust to some of your team working from home, but it can be great in the long run in terms of morale, savings and the environment.