Global warming is a very complex issue and often thought of as the bug-bear of large organisations only. This problem, however, is universal and as such it is everyone’s responsibility. Small companies can positively contribute to the reduction of waste and carbon emissions, through minor tweaks in everyday behaviours, actioned on an ongoing basis. As a collective, we can make a difference.
With the right knowledge, skills and technologies, all companies – regardless their size – can work to reduce the use of fossil fuels, ease deforestation and cut harmful emission in the battle to protect our planet.
Here at BeeBrilliant! Marketing we’ve made a conscious effort to pay attention to those details that have an impact on the environment. We thought we’d share our 7 top tips:
Aspire For A Paperless Office – Go Digital
As a digital marketing agency, we store all details of our work in secure digital format. Stop thinking that you need to print all invoices, contracts or emails ‘just to be safe’. All can be stored on your PC, mobile device, external hard drive or on cloud storage. Alleviate your fears by taking regular backups and retaining electronic copies in more than one location (on hardware and in the cloud).
Recycle
Office items like envelopes, letters, tins, bottles should all be sorted for recycling. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? Well shockingly, 90% of UK businesses still do not have a recycling policy in place.
Did you know: Recycling 1 drink can could save enough energy to power a TV for 4 hours!
Work From Home When Possible
We’re lucky, we’re a small family-run business and therefore it suits our model to have our office at home. This cuts our commuting emissions dramatically and minimises the carbon footprint used to heat a single property, far smaller than your typical office. Larger employers can also take advantage of home working by building a more productive, loyal and engaged workforce, whilst reducing overheads and cutting energy wastage.
Power Down
At the end of the business day all equipment should be powered down at the wall socket. Unfortunately, there are plenty of businesses that leave their equipment on standby all the time. This may save 30 seconds at the start and end of the working day, but it’s surprising just how much additional power is required to keep computers and TVs on standby all night.
Lights are equally important when it comes to energy consumption. Replace all your light bulbs for energy efficient equivalents and don’t forget ‘lights out’ when not needed.
Did you know: By turning all your lights off, you can reduce energy consumption by up to 25%. Switching computers off at the end of the day can save you an additional 50%!
Get Involved
Becoming a green business is a long-term commitment. In addition to living by eco-friendly rules, take the time to get involved with charities fighting for the same cause.
Devoting one workday each quarter to helping green causes can not only raise money and awareness but be a great people motivator.
Recently, for example, we’ve been spreading the word about the Act for Wildlife Sustainability Palm Oil campaign, led by Chester Zoo, to help make Chester the first Sustainable Palm Oil City. (See point 6 below)
Buy Sustainable Palm Oil Products
Deforestation in tropical rainforests adds more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than the sum total of cars and trucks on the world’s roads. According to the World Car-Free Network (WCN), cars and trucks account for about 14% of global carbon emissions, while most analysts attribute upwards of 15% to deforestation.
Pay attention to the products you buy and choose those which use sustainable palm oil from Chester Zoo’s shopping list.
Use Green Cleaning Products
The chemicals in most cleaning products aren’t friendly for either the environment or your health. When you use these chemicals in your toilets, sinks, dishwashers, or other appliances, the chemicals are eventually rinsed down the drain. The water heads to waste water treatment facilities, where not all the contaminants from these chemical products are removed. Some compounds accelerate plant growth, which can lead to dense vegetation that interferes with animal life and eventually decays in equally massive quantities. Try switching to natural products like “Smol” which uses fully recycle packaging.
Businesses that make a sustained effort to reduce their carbon footprint will benefit in many ways, not least of all helping to save the planet! By streamlining processes so that they are less reliant on equipment, paper or other resources, businesses can also reduce their operational costs. This will save money and help your business to become more mobile and adapt quicker to the changing needs of your industry.
If you are looking for a green digital marketing company, BeeBrilliant! would love to hear from you.
