These tips will help you turn your products and office into eco-friendly works of art.
At home, many of us are looking for ways to reduce our carbon footprint and be more eco-friendly, but it’s surprising how many people don’t follow this attitude at work. Whether it’s business owners avoiding sustainable materials or employees not bothering to recycle their food packaging at lunch-time, people are passing on opportunities that could take their company in a more sustainable direction.
As a business, can you do more to be green? Here are some great ideas that product managers can use and workplaces can implement to become cleaner and greener.These ideas can benefit you, your staff, and your customers...not to mention, the planet.
Avoid Plastic Packaging
In terms of product creation, many businesses are great at creating sustainable and eco-friendly products but end up making an obvious mistake: they still use plastic packaging. It’s all too common to find companies selling organic and natural products but using non-sustainable packaging. It distracts from their mission of making the world a better place.
The simple fact is if you create a product, you should take any steps possible to avoid plastic packaging. It’s far too damaging to the environment and there are far better options available. Canning machine supplier Eurocan Ltd is one of many businesses offering packaging machinery that doesn’t use plastic. There are many forms of packaging that make use of recycled paper and other sustainable materials—even McDonald’s is moving towards fiber-based packaging.
Make Vegan-Friendly Products
Any company that creates products can make their business more eco-friendly by looking into ways to supply products in a vegan-friendly format. Brands like Dr. Martens have begun to create their products using ‘vegan leather’ while other businesses have embraced non-animal materials like vegan wool.
Demand for vegan products has increased enormously over the last few years. Food manufacturer Nellson revealed that demand for vegan products in 2017 was up 140 percent on the previous year. As the demand for vegan food increases, so too will the demand for companies to take veganism seriously.
If your business has the opportunity to add vegan substitutes for animal products, it’s definitely worth doing it, both from the perspective that it can attract vegan customers but also because it’s naturally greener and more eco-friendly to do so.
Use Recycled Materials
As well as using vegan-friendly products, the pressure is also on businesses to reduce their carbon footprint by making use of recycled materials. It’s more affordable to do this than ever before, and your business can benefit in a range of ways from making the switch.
Using recycled products can be a brilliant way to increase brand loyalty—you’re showing customers that you care about the environment and want to do your bit. It’s also worth noting that as regulations become more stringent on the materials that businesses are able to use, switching over to recycled alternatives as soon as possible.
Set Up Green Schemes
Running a green and eco-friendly business isn’t just about the products you produce, it’s also about the way that your company is run. Your company doesn’t have to produce a product to take steps towards becoming more eco-friendly: anyone can set up green schemes and working practices.
For example, you should begin a recycling scheme in your office, and you can get involved with initiative like the Plug-in Car Grant which can provide reimbursement for the cost of a low-emission vehicle.
Do the Little Things
Often it’s the little things we do that add up to a big difference, and this is certainly true with sustainability and eco-friendliness. Business can switch to non-toxic cleaning products or become a paper-free office. It’s worth asking your staff for ideas on what you could do to be more eco-friendly. You might find that this actually boosts the morale of your team as many will prefer working for a company with an environmental conscience.
The world is moving towards sustainability and our technology, energy, construction, and food exude this cultural shift. Apply the tips above to your workflow or workplace to be part of the eco-friendly movement and leave the world suitable for future generations.
