4 Ways to Reduce Your Company’s Carbon Footprint

When running a business, there are so many things to think about. From growth to making a profit, there are always going to be a million and one different things going through your mind at any given time. However, more and more businesses are taking note of their impact on the environment and wondering what they can do to make a change. One huge factor that plays a lot into the damage that your company does to the environment is your carbon footprint. Reducing this is crucial when trying to protect the planet. So, if you want to really reduce your carbon footprint at work, keep reading and discover the 4 best ways to do it. 

Encourage Alternative Green Ways Of Commuting

Everybody needs some way of getting to work, and unless you live within a 15-minute walk, chances are you’re using some form of transportation that creates CO2 emissions. So, try to promote greener alternatives for your employees. Something as simple as providing them with Sheffield Cycle Stands to secure their bikes or offering a carpool scheme can really make a difference in their motivation to do so. Try to give your employees the ability to travel to work in a more environmentally friendly way. This way there will be fewer cars on the road, and fewer CO2 emissions damaging the planet. You could also encourage the use of public transport too. Try contacting local services and seeing if they could offer you and your employees some sort of discount that will entice them to use it. While it may not be viable for all employees to travel to work by anything other than the car, giving them the option will make those that it is viable for much more willing to do so. 

Ditch Single-Use Plastic

We all know that single-use plastic is terrible for the environment, and as a company, you should be doing your very best to eliminate it from your operations. Something as simple as switching your packaging can make a huge difference. Opt for something that’s biodegradable instead, or at the very least recyclable. While recycling still uses energy, it’s much better to recycle something than it is to leave it in a landfill for hundreds of years as it emits toxic gases. You also want to make changes to the plastic that’s inside your office too. For example, plastic cups at the water dispenser are a complete waste. Most people only use them once before throwing them away too, so they’re contributing to your carbon footprint immensely. Try to swap them out for paper cups instead as they can be easily recycled and won’t cause any harm to the planet. So, make sure that you do your best to ditch single-use plastic, and you’ll find that you can easily lower your company’s carbon footprint in no time. 

Use Local Suppliers

While it may not always be possible, it’s extremely smart to use local suppliers when you can. Always sourcing your stock or materials from other countries may give you other benefits like a lower price or cheap shipping, but the amount of travel that they have to do to reach you is crazy. Air travel is detrimental to the planet, and it really increases your carbon footprint too. Every time that you buy something from a supplier abroad, all you’re doing is causing more damage to the environment. So, instead, try to source your stock from local suppliers. This way the travel involved will be considerably less, allowing your carbon footprint to follow suit. Supporting local suppliers is important for lots of reasons but being able to do your bit for the environment is one of the best. Using a local supplier also means that your products will be sourced from nearby areas and will have taken considerably less energy to produce. So, don’t be afraid to switch suppliers and try out some more local ones to really slash your carbon footprint.

Cut Down On Energy Consumption

Energy consumption is a huge contributor to your carbon footprint, so you want to try and lower it as much as you can. One way to do this is to switch to a renewable energy provider so that the majority of your consumption isn’t damaging the planet. It’s also a good idea to try and replace your lighting with energy-saving bulbs or even LED ones as they use much less energy than your typical bulb. Make sure that you turn everything off at the end of the day that can be. Obviously, things like fridges or freezers need to stay on, but don’t go wasting electricity by leaving lights on overnight. All you’re doing is wasting energy and increasing your bill for no good reason. It’s important that you’re not wasting energy by accident either. Drafts and leaks can easily cause all the heat you’ve generated to seep outside and then let the cold air in. Go around the building and make sure that everywhere is completely draft proof and you’ll definitely notice the difference. Cutting down on your energy consumption is great for your bank accounts and your carbon footprint, so it’s a win-win situation! 

Also, Read: Benefits of Choosing the Cheapest Energy Company for Your needs

Creating a greener company doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, it’s relatively easy when you put your mind to it. It’s not something that you can do instantly, and it will take some time and effort. However, it can be done if you try your best and take these tips on board. Simple things like changing your energy supplier and switching the lights off at night can make a massive difference. You can even go one step further and promote alternative methods of travel like cycling and public transport. A culmination of all of these things will help your business not only improve your carbon footprint but also save money in the long run too. So, try to implement some of these 4 top tips into your daily operations, and you should be able to enjoy a much more environmentally friendly business!

Next, you can read: Smart Ways to Make Your Office Energy-Efficient