We’ve all seen examples of firms “greenwashing” themselves in an attempt to make themselves look more environmentally conscious. But consumers aren’t falling for it. They know the game meaning that, in many cases, such attempts actually backfire.
Fortunately, there are some real ways that you can make your company friendlier to the environment which everyone accepts as authentic and meaningful. Here’s what you need to do.
Manage Your Waste Better
Waste management is a significant factor in the pursuit of reducing the impact of business on the environment. We simply cannot afford to continue dumping our waste into the environment - at least, according to scientific authorities on the matter.
Managing waste is a tedious task for many businesses, but it is something that you can instill with relative ease. Just replace your regular waste receptacles with recycling bins with sections for plastics, glass, metal, food, and others. This way, you can segment your waste and send it to relevant recycling or composting facilities.
Let Your Workers Work From Home
Working from home massively reduces the environmental impact of economic activity. Employees no longer need to travel to the office and there is no need for a fixed place of work either, further reducing the burden on the environment.
Many firms like to calculate their CO2 or energy savings by enacting work-from-home policies and then posting them publicly. You can express the estimated benefits of remote work policies in an infographic or headline you publish on your site.
Reduce Dangerous Material Usage
Firms can also make a real difference in the environment by reducing their use of dangerous materials. Companies should steer clear of using VOC-containing paints, heavy metals, such as lead, and hormone-disrupting fabrics.
They should, where possible, look for low-impact alternatives to traditional materials. For instance, they might use eco friendly fabric instead of conventional, crude oil-based polyesters.
Invest In Carbon Offsets
Firms can also signify their desire to protect the environment by investing in various carbon offset schemes. The idea here is to mitigate the impact of the firm on atmospheric CO2 levels by investing in projects that help to draw the gas back out of the atmosphere.
Examples of carbon offset projects might include tree planting or wind farm construction. It could also involve installing solar panels or investing in biofuels.
Start Composting
Composting is a powerful tool to help maintain global soil quality and prevent degradation that might lead to crop failures. Many firms, for instance, now compost vegetable and fruit peels, fodder and other organic matter. Typically, they mix it with the waste from other sources to create a richer compost that agriculturalists can use in the future.
Invest In Sustainable Packaging
Plastic packaging is a major environmental hazard and is still one that the industry is trying to solve. Currently, it is still the best material available from a profitability perspective, but there are no other options available. Furthermore, consumers actually want to avoid dangerous plastic-containing packaging and, instead, use more sustainable alternatives. Cardboard is currently the material of choice, but others, such as those made of vegetable fiber or mushroom, may come online soon.