If you’re ever tempted to play jargon bingo in your workplace meetings, the chances are you’d be listening out for buzz phrases such as ‘going green,’ ‘eco-credentials’ and ‘pushing the green frontier’ pretty regularly.
Industries are now seeing for themselves, not just the ethical aspect of moving towards a more sustainable way of working but also how being energy efficient can improve a company’s public image, enhance customer confidence and, perhaps most importantly, increase profitability.
From the simple step of working from a home office to building your next headquarters with a carbon neutral footprint, every business can flex their eco-credential muscles.
Consider building a positive ethos towards green initiatives across all business departments and stakeholders of your company. Incentivise by setting up a subsidised bicycle scheme. Provide bike storage so opting for the greener option isn’t inconvenient. Launch the initiative by inviting the wider community and employees families to a ‘cycle to work’ fun day and lead by example and get on your bike!
Look into buying green. This could mean purchasing packaging for your products that is made from recycled materials or hunting for locally produced goods that reduce your carbon footprint. If you are a food business, source local growers to cut down the air miles required for your ingredients. This will inevitably see an increase in your expenditure; however, consumers are becoming eco-savvy and are willing to spend that little bit extra if they feel that they are contributing to helping the environment.
On a larger scale, think about the energy consumption of your business. This can be a phenomenal way of cutting costs. If you have a server room or a large number of computer systems in one place, you need to maintain an optimum temperature to ensure the smooth running of your IT infrastructure. You could use ITE adiabatic data centre cooling which is an eco-friendly air conditioning system. Using the laws of physics, the system evaporates the water in the air internally and then forces the cooled air out into the immediate environment using large fans. This saves your business money on electricity, therefore improving your sustainability.
Branching out into philanthropy can see the public image of your company enhanced while costing you absolutely nothing. If you are considering purchasing a new fleet of laptop computers, wireless printers or interactive touch screen monitors, you will have older electronic stock that needs to be shipped out. Instead of creating a vast amount of electronic waste, donate your computers to local youth organisations, elderly care homes or schools. They will be hugely appreciative of the donation and, at the same time, your company can make meaningful links with external organisations in the local vicinity. It is a win-win scenario for all involved.
Next time you find yourself playing a quick round of jargon bingo, think about the meaning of the words being bandied about. Ensure that they aren’t just talked about but that your business takes action. It’s never been a better time to go green.
