What can your business do better? Every business has growth opportunities, whether they’re internal or have to do with client-facing aspects. One of the best ways to improve your business is to try eco-friendly initiatives.
Eco-friendly measures aren’t just great for the planet. They can improve daily life for your employees and help your building function better. We have five eco-friendly business initiatives you should try listed below.
Start a Garden
Gardens are great for your employees, building, and the planet. You can grow whatever you want in your business garden, from vegetables your employees can take home for dinner to flowers they can enjoy on their breaks. Spending time in a garden can also help reduce employee stress levels, which improves mental clarity on the job.
The garden will help your building look nicer, which can entice clients, and the plants will help clean the soil and air. If you have pollinating plants in your garden, you can also aid the local bee population.
Clean Your Air Ducts
If you don’t have the space for a garden or want to do something that’ll specifically benefit your building, you can get your air ducts cleaned. Air ducts easily accumulate dust and dirt, which makes your HVAC system use more energy without providing good results.
This makes you spend more money without keeping employees or clients comfortable. It also wastes our planet’s energy resources. Get your business’s air ducts cleaned every three to five years so that you know your building is energy efficient.
Invest in Solar Panels
Another eco-friendly improvement you can make for your business is to invest in solar panels. Solar panels can provide clean energy for your business, and while they have a high upfront cost, most high-quality panels can last for decades.
This means you’ll pay less to use the same amount of energy within your business in the long run. The federal government and local areas have grants that some businesses can apply for in order to provide that high upfront cost, but they are very competitive.
Hire Waste Management Professionals
People and businesses in the US create a staggering amount of waste, most of which ends up in landfills. These are slow to break down and can cause various environmental issues, from producing dangerous gases like ammonia to allowing hazardous materials to poison the surrounding environment.
Hiring waste management professionals who understand the different types of waste streams can ensure your business doesn’t contribute to these problems. Waste management professionals can provide alternative waste disposal options that don’t negatively impact our planet.
Encourage Carpooling
Lastly, an easy eco-friendly business initiative you should try is encouraging your employees to carpool. Carpooling saves gas for your employees and burns less fossil fuel, which means your employees keep more money in their pockets and help prevent climate change. There are various ways to encourage employees to try this eco-friendly initiative, from explaining the benefits to offering rewards for those who participate.
It may take some trial and error to see what works, but the result will be worth it since you’re helping your employees and the environment. If you’re trying to improve your business but aren’t sure how to do so, you can try to make some eco-friendly changes. Each one offers different benefits for your employees, the building you work in, and the environment.
Poll your employees to ask for their opinions on these initiatives and if they’d like to see you try different ones. Giving them a voice in the business is an important part of employee satisfaction.