Global warming has gradually become a source of concern for individuals and business owners over the years. This is due to increased activity in both the personal and commercial sectors. As a result, it is essential to identify areas where businesses can reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
This article discusses eight ways your business can be environmentally friendly.
Reuse and Recycling
Recycling is one of the oldest methods of keeping the environment clean and eco-friendly. It involves reusing non-perishable materials or items to their full capacity. This means businesses can reuse paper, cups, leather bags and plastic bags.
Instead of throwing away the cup after use, it can be reused to hold pencils and pens.
Invest in Renewable Energy
Each year, fossil fuels are estimated to cause about 34 billion tons of carbon emissions worldwide. This means that every time you use at least one liter of fuel to generate electricity, you emit 2.4 kg of CO2.
On the other hand, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency, renewable energy can reduce emissions by about 75%. That’s why, as a business owner, you should invest in clean energy sources like wind and solar power.
It is important because carbon-free energy sources such as solar and wind are renewable. By doing this, your business wins favor with environmentalists.
Reducing energy consumption
It is estimated that every year businesses consume about 25,000 kWh of energy. As more businesses are established, consumption will increase, which in turn will lead to carbon emissions that worsen the already declining state of the atmosphere.
Therefore, it is important to reduce energy consumption. Businesses can do this by phasing out the use of daytime light bulbs altogether and investing in low-energy light bulbs where necessary.
Using cut paper
Every year about 8 billion trees are cut down for paper production. This means that to make a ton of paper; you would need about twenty-five trees. As a result of the continuous cutting down of trees, there has been a massive drop in the removal of carbon monoxide from the atmosphere.
This decline has led to the continued degradation of our ozone layer. To help reduce this tree-cutting trend, your business can go paperless. This means that you receive all of your company’s documents, including files on shelves and online documentation. Doing so will reduce or completely eliminate the use of office printing paper and essentially cut down on trees.
Travel reduction
Among the authors of carbon emissions, human travel activities are not left out. The average gasoline car produces 8,887 grams of carbon dioxide for every gallon of fuel burned. As a result, vehicles are responsible for emitting approximately 4.6 metric tons of CO2 each year.
So, to help reduce emissions, you can move much of your company’s work remotely. Doing so will not only reduce gasoline use, but also reduce emissions from cars and other means of transportation.
In addition, you can encourage your employees to walk or bike to work, reducing car emissions.
Use less water
Not only will using less water make you environmentally friendly, but it will also help you save money. This is because the more water is used, the faster it runs out and you will need to pump another tank full. This water pumping process would require gas or fuel to power the generator, resulting in gaseous emissions.
To save water, instead of using a dishwasher, wash by hand. Collect as much rainwater as possible.
Invest in Tree Planting
Trees and shrubs are an important part of our ecosystem because they help remove harmful gases from the atmosphere. Investing in tree planting activities can help your business attract customers who are big on saving the environment.
They also require very little maintenance as they only need a little water during the dry season. Another benefit of investing in tree planting activities is improved air quality for you and your employees. This is because trees release oxygen into the environment. Trees also help to cool your office from direct sunlight as they create shadows that keep the environment cool.
Donate old appliances
With new technology and improvements being developed almost every year, most companies want to keep up to date. As a result, some companies invest in buying new equipment and their old ones end up in landfills and incinerators.
Instead of throwing away old devices, donate them to charities, public libraries or schools. This will help reduce the number of devices that end up in landfills and make you more environmentally friendly.
Finally, invest in net zero programs and aim to become a net zero company. In this way, you will help to fight against adverse climate change. click here for more information on how to become a net zero company
