If you run a business it may seem as though everyone is encouraging you to go green. This is compounded by a recent campaign by the Scottish government to encourage businesses to recycle before new regulations are enforced. From January 2014 all organisations in Scotland will have to recycle their paper, plastic, food, metal and glass or face a fine. This is the first part of the Government’s plans to recycle 70% of waste by 2025.
This type of legislation is reflective of the current expectations placed on businesses to improve their green credentials. Although you may feel as though you are under pressure to change your business practices, there are benefits to your business if you become more sustainable. It may seem at first as though making such fundamental changes will be expensive and time consuming, but the effects will be hugely positive in the long term.
Some businesses have really taken sustainability to heart with a pub in Edinburgh using a wormery to digest unwanted food, and a restaurant in Edinburgh getting its recycling up to 95%. However, you do not need to go to such extremes to achieve real savings and experience real benefits.
Following some of these tips will help you achieve credibility as a green company and hopefully make some savings along the way.
Recycling
This is the most obvious way of improving your sustainability as a business. There are lots of benefits you will gain from implementing a recycling initiative in your workplace. You will save money from not having to pay as much to get rid of it, which can cost a business a lot of money. This money can be used for far more important things within your business, also if you are able to recycle in house then you can save on raw materials. Recycling is also good for PR reasons, it shows your customers that you care and have taken steps to reduce your impact on the environment.
Heating and Air Conditioning
If you make sure that you only run heating and cooling when necessary, you will save a surprising amount of money. If you reduce the temperature of a building by just 1oC could cut your heating bills by 10%, which could translate into a significant sum for your business. Try to use the readily available sources of heating and cooling, such as sunlight and opening windows or using ceiling fans. These methods are far less expensive and damaging to the environment, they are also better for your employees as a whole. Having stuffy rooms in winter and freezing rooms in summer can result in lower productivity and increase illness.
Lighting
By adjusting the lighting to your needs, rather than just switching on at the start of the day and switching off at the end will save you significant amounts of money. Use natural light wherever possible, and install switch plate occupancy sensors so lights only come on when they sense movement. Make sure you are not lighting rooms when they are not in use, it is wasteful and serves no purpose. Ask employees to make sure they switch lights off as they go, in toilets and meeting rooms for example, which will significantly cut your emissions and save you money.
Equipment
Always try to buy the most energy efficient products you can afford, they generally have lower running costs. Turn off all machines when they are not in use, it is wasteful and can cost you money for no reason. The best thing to do is unplug your machine as well, this is safer and prevents the phenomenon of ‘phantom’ loads, where a product consumes electricity even though they are turned off.
Featured images:
- License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://www.sxc.hu/assets/183006/1830059512/thumbs-up-1392876-m.jpg
Bruce LeGros is a Manager at the only company in the UK licensed to sell Weima products. WeimaUK manufactures industrial shredders, briquetters and granulators. Bruce is highly experienced in the field of sustainability and the importance of industrial recycling.
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