Companies all over the world are becoming more active in participating in the go green movement. And why not? Looking at the current state of our environment, it is clear that we are now experiencing a climate crisis. The earth’s temperature continues to rise, the ocean is full of plastic and its creatures are dying, the mountains are getting deforested, and the air becomes more polluted by the minute. If we do not start to act now, it will probably be too late to save the only home we have.
But aside from the most significant benefit of saving our home, going green also positively affects the business. Here are some of the reasons why going green can be your company’s key to success: It gives you a competitive advantage.
Competition is tough nowadays, and companies need an edge over the rest to survive in the industry. By transforming your business into carbon-neutral centric, you are building a good brand image for your consumers. According to Forbes, 92% of consumers are more likely to trust environmentally conscious brands. This strategy can easily result in new customers wanting to get to know you and try out your products and services.
On the other hand, your existing customers who share the same values of being eco-friendly and sustainable will continue to support you over those who are not. Thus, gaining you repeat business and customer loyalty.
It saves you money
Financials have been greatly affected by the pandemic, and every money saved means a lot for organizations. Energy efficiency strategies will save you utility costs. A reduction in the use of papers will reduce your operational expenses. Reusing materials will help you allot the budget to other company needs. By going green, you sustain not only Mother Nature but also your business.
It gives you tax advantages
In some areas, the government grants tax advantages to organizations that decided to go green. Tax advantages may include tax credits, tax deductions, rebates, or other monetary enticements. Your company can use these additional savings for more important things.
It helps you attract and recruit talents
Hiring the right talent is crucial for any organization because people are a company’s greatest asset. A winner candidate must be aligned with the organization’s values and want to achieve its company vision.
By being a green organization, you can attract more talents to join you. According to a survey conducted by Swytch, a blockchain-based clean energy platform, over 70% of people surveyed are more likely to work for a company that has a solid green footprint. In addition, nearly half of the respondents are willing to accept a smaller salary to work for an environmentally and socially responsible organization.
It improves employee retention and productivity
Customers are not the only ones who want to remain loyal to eco-friendly companies, even employees as well! According to the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), 38% of employees are more likely to be loyal to a company that prioritizes sustainability. In fact, it motivates them to stay in a company because they take pride in working for a socially progressive organization. This benefit is a significant advantage to your company since motivated employees are usually more productive as well. UCLA Newsroom reported that employees at eco-friendly companies are 16% more productive than average.
With all these benefits that you can get, how can your organization go green? Here are some suggestions.
Save energy
One of the simplest ways to go green is to save energy. You may want to begin with an energy audit first and monitor your energy usage. From that, you’ll get an idea of where to target lowering your energy usage. Is it your lighting, or ventilation and heating, perhaps? If it is lighting, you can replace your current lighting with LED lights. Are your ventilation and heating taking up too much energy? You might want to check your thermostat settings on what will work best. You may opt to replace your current office equipment with energy-saving alternatives as well.
Go paperless
You can maximize technology and go paperless to be more eco-friendly! This may require your business to automate. For example, HR can ditch the traditional time cards and paper documents and use software such as a cloud-based system that allows automating payroll. Through this initiative, you not just save the environment, but you can be more efficient as well.
Lessen the convenience addiction
With the fast-paced lifestyle we are in, everybody is addicted to what is convenient. However, this is taking a toll on the environment. Reduce the convenience addiction in your organization. Instead of the vending machine that uses disposable coffee cups and plastic water bottles, encourage your employees to bring their own mugs and tumblers. Encourage your employees to bring their utensils instead of getting single-use plastic spoons, forks, and stirrers. All of the mentioned steps may seem pretty straightforward, but if everyone in your organization starts practicing this, it will ake a huge impact.
Use green cleaning products
Incorporate in your business life the use of green products. Check out the products used by your maintenance personnel. Ensure that their items are not harmful to the environment. Staying clean does not necessarily mean using strong and toxic chemicals. There are many cleaning products in the market already that are natural, eco-friendly, and sustainable.
Involve your employees
Maximize your organization’s greatest asset- involve your employees! First, educate them on your go green movement. Spread awareness on its benefits for them, the company, and the environment. Then, encourage your employees to think of ways on how they can support the movement. You may even gamify this by rewarding the team with the most creative suggestion on how to be environment-friendly. Through this way, you are hitting two birds with one stone as you are making your employees’ campaign going green and increasing employee engagement.
Recycle your electronics
Do you have many old, unused electronics such as computers, printers, photocopying machines, tablets, and phones that need replacement? Instead of throwing those away and filling up our landfills, you may just put them to good use by donating them to schools or charities. Don’t forget to remove confidential and sensitive information stored in your electronics though before recycling them!
In conclusion
Businesses have a huge impact not just on our lives but on the environment as well. Choose to go green, and reap the rewards after. Check the ForestNation forests page to learn how companies develop green movement by growing trees and forests with us.
