At the time of writing, we're nearly upon World Earth Day so it seemed like an ideal moment to share some ways to make your business more sustainable.
Sustainability is simply good business in 2024 but it's not so easy to feel that you're doing the right things. There can be a suspicion that implementing green ideas will be expensive or make life harder in some way. There can also be feeling that if we're not perfectly green, that it's not worth mentioning.
However, sustainability is a journey. Every small step in the right direction counts and matters.
Here are 5 ways to make a difference no matter if you're just starting out or you're well on the way to a fully green business:
Start by counting. So much of sustainability is about 'Net Zero' and that can seem impossible and daunting. A great way to start is to simply start counting the numbers. You can gather up basic information like your utility bills to understand how much energy you use. You can note your water usage and perhaps how much of your waste you recycle. Most of you will also be using a car and keeping a note of mileage for tax purposes too. There are great 'trackers' that help you work out how you're reducing your energy use and therefore your CO2 equivalent. Try eqm.org.uk. Alternatively, set up a simple spreadsheet and note these figures each month.
Start reducing. Now that you have some figures, you can make a start (however small!) on your own journey to net zero. Think about your car journeys and reducing energy use. Think about reducing the 'stuff' coming into your business so that there is less need to recycle. Re use all you can.
Choose a priority. This can be a great way to focus on one area of sustainability at a time to both reduce overwhelm and also create interesting stories for your customers. Take a look at the 17 UNSDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) which are internationally recognised and carry authentic weight. Choose maybe one or two that align with your business activity to prioritise and share with customers.
Share your journey with customers. You don't need to be perfectly green to show off what you do. Your customers love to be educated and learn more about the steps you're taking to make a better planet. You can say what you're doing now, what you're planning to do and what you dream of doing when your budget/tech allows.
Share your journey with your networks too. We're all in this together and we can share best practice, ask for help or learn new ways to be sustainable. Simply GB is an award holder for EQM.org.uk as well as an assessor so pop over to find out how you could get accredited or ask me for help. We also have some fabulous, award winning sustainable businesses in Simply Club who would be more than happy to share their top tips and ideas.
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