In an increasingly eco-conscious age, people and businesses the world over are all working hard to operate in a ‘greener’ way.
We’re making a conscious effort to run our homes and businesses more efficiently, whilst educating others on how they can do the same.
If you’re a small business, you may already have some good green policies in place but there’s always room for improvement. Here’s five simple tips from INUI to get you started, or give you new ideas, to ensure that 2019 is your most sustainable year yet. After all, a minor 20% reduction in energy costs can add the same benefit as a 5% increase in sales for a business. It’s a no-brainer!
Switch to LEDs
Lighting can take up as much as 35% of the average businesses electricity consumption, so it’s one of the best places to start in reducing your energy costs. LED light bulbs are the way to go if you’re looking for more energy efficient lighting and smaller bills. They last an impressive 8 to 10 times longer than standard lights, also saving you money on maintenance costs. They are environmentally friendly, with no mercury, lead or glass which makes them pollutant-free and 100% recyclable. Fun fact – compared to other lighting solutions, LEDs are perfect for office environments as they have been proven to increase work performance, with less spelling errors and improved reading speeds. To work out how much money and energy your office could save by switching to LEDs, take a look at this LED lighting calculator from INUI
Update your appliances
This is one you may not have yet considered – how old are the appliances in your office? Out of date kettles, dishwashers and microwaves may be using a lot of energy with not an awful lot of output. It’s definitely worth putting some money aside to upgrade your appliances to more energy efficient versions. It can only lead to good things – smaller bills, less energy usage and lots of new, faster and more productive products for you and your team to enjoy. Win, win!
Green commuting
1.5 million people now work from home in the UK, largely enabled by technology. This is particularly ideal for businesses who operate with laptops rather than desktops. From an energy standpoint, laptops are much more environmentally friendly, consuming up to 80% less electricity than desktop computers – and unlike desktops, they can be unplugged and ran on solely their battery power. Laptops enable us to work from anywhere, such as our homes or the coffee shop down the road, and with less commuters on the go each day comes less carbon emissions. Similarly, technology means that we no longer have to travel the country attending meetings and using unnecessary fuel. Dialling into meetings using platforms such as Skype is the perfect alternative and means that more work can be done remotely.
Ditch the dress code
Suits in the height of summer aren’t fun for anyone, and shirts in the winter leave us dreaming of wooly jumpers and duvet days. By letting your team wear what they want to work, you’re likely to save on your heating or air conditioning costs as everyone will be comfortably dressed for the weather. Trying to heat or cool spaces and accommodate everyone’s preferred temperatures can be problematic – so make it as easy as possible for yourself!
Engage the team
Making these changes is all well and good, but if your team aren’t getting on board and engaging with them, then there’s little point. Firstly, make sure that you’re leading by example and be the first to recycle all that packaging and plastic, and bring food to work from home in reusable tupperware. Your employees are bound to pick up on these actions and follow suit. Perhaps you could introduce sustainability goals, such as reducing the office waste by 20%, and rewards for reaching each goal such as going out for an office lunch. People are more likely to think twice if they have some kind of incentive to consider.
