Honor Mother Earth with these easy-to-implement sustainable business practices.
Earth Day is just around the corner. Created in 1970 by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, this recognition day urges us to reflect on our environmental impact and explore ways to become better stewards of Mother Earth. For businesses, it marks an urgent need to become more socially responsible for protecting and preserving the planet. Here are five easy environmentally sustainable practices for businesses that you can start today:
- Replace disposable products with reusable ones
- Promote office recycling
- Encourage biking, public transportation and carpooling
- Consider alternative forms of energy
- Reduce other types of office waste
Learn more about each of these sustainable business practices below.
1. Replace disposable products with reusable ones
Whenever possible, replace disposable products with reusable ones. This environmentally sustainable practice may include trading plastic utensils in the office kitchen for reusable ones, purchasing refill ink instead of new ink cartridges and using a reusable coffee filter instead of paper ones.
2. Promote office recycling
Recycling office supplies doesn’t have to be complicated! To encourage your colleagues to recycle more and throw away less, place easy-to-access recycling bins around the office. Then, let your team know which office supplies are recyclable – and which are not.
Discover more on how to start an office recycling program here.
3. Encourage biking, public transit and carpooling
The average car emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. By switching to public transit or carpooling with other team members from your office, you can cut these emissions nearly in half to an estimated 2.17 metric tons per year!
During warm weather months, encourage your colleagues to commute by bike if they can – it’s great for the environment and good for health and well-being as well.
4. Consider alternative forms of energy
Switching to a renewable form of energy like solar or wind to power your business reduces the use of fossil fuels, and can be a clean and cost-effective way to incorporate sustainability into the heart of your business. (We should know – we’ve switched to 100% wind power.) While not all forms of alternative energy may be practical based on your location, weather conditions and energy needs, chances are there is at least one you can slowly introduce.
5. Reduce other types of office waste
Practice the “reduce, reuse and recycle” mentality. Eliminate excessive use of paper by keeping digital copies of records instead of printed ones, printing double-sided and writing on both sides of a notepad. Reuse old file folders (just flip them inside-out!), shipping supplies and scrap paper. Buy in bulk and choose office and breakroom supplies that are recycled from post-consumer waste (PCW). PCW uses about 45% less energy and produces half the amount of waste in the traditional papermaking process.
Discover 26 more ways to reduce office waste here.
Following environmentally sustainable business practices like these doesn’t have to be difficult. Reducing your carbon footprint can begin with making a few simple changes every day. For more articles on environmental sustainability, recycling office supplies and other tips for making your office more eco-conscious, check out our blog today.
EZ Office Products is a proud advocate of sustainability. From powering our business on 100% wind to delivering your office supplies orders in reusable and recyclable tote bags instead of cardboard boxes, you can count on us to do our part to preserve the planet. Learn more about this and our other differences here.
If you’re not yet an EZ Office Products customer, call our local customer concierge to discuss how we can help your Wisconsin-based business thrive at (608) 310-4300 today.