{"id":1600,"date":"2020-01-13T13:13:00","date_gmt":"2020-01-13T02:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gpadviser.com.au\/gpl-theme-1-2015\/2020\/01\/13\/20-easy-eco-resolutions-every-business-should-make-in-2020\/"},"modified":"2020-01-13T13:13:00","modified_gmt":"2020-01-13T02:13:00","slug":"20-easy-eco-resolutions-every-business-should-make-in-2020","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gpadviser.com.au\/gpl-theme-1-2015\/2020\/01\/13\/20-easy-eco-resolutions-every-business-should-make-in-2020\/","title":{"rendered":"20 easy eco-resolutions every business should make in 2020"},"content":{"rendered":"

No matter the size of your business, introducing greener work practices should be top of the new year agenda. By making moves to reduce, reuse and recycle, You\u2019ll not only help save the planet, you\u2019ll reduce your energy costs and appeal to likeminded customers.<\/em><\/p>\n

Whatever the political situation, an increasing number of people in Australia and New Zealand value environmental sustainability in business practices. And they\u2019re changing their purchasing habits as a result.<\/p>\n

By adopting and spruiking your eco-credentials, you\u2019re not only able to attract and retain environment-minded clientele, you\u2019re also likely to entice \u2013 and keep \u2013 more staff, with the HP Australia\u00a0Environmental Sustainability Study 2018<\/a>\u00a0revealing 70 percent of 22 to 30-year-old Australians would prefer to work for a company with environmentally sustainable practices.<\/p>\n

To make 2020 your greenest year yet, here are 20 easy eco-resolutions for your business.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

1. Install bike racks<\/h3>\n

Encourage your staff to reduce their carbon footprint \u2013 while getting fit \u2013 by cycling to work. Install a secure bike rack in the office, then don your helmet and get riding.<\/p>\n

2. Allow employees to work remotely<\/h3>\n

Being more flexible and allowing employees to work from home once a week \u2013 or more \u2013 is a sustainability no-brainer. As well as keeping cars off the road, fewer people in the office equals less energy consumption. It\u2019s a win-win.<\/p>\n

3. Introduce a \u2018no single-use cups\u2019 rule<\/h3>\n

Place a total ban on takeaway coffee cups and remove disposable cups from your water cooler. Instead, ask staff to bring in their own refillable water bottles and coffee cups.<\/p>\n

READ:\u00a0Should your caf\u00e9 consider ditching single-use items?<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

4. Stock the kitchen with real crockery, cups and cutlery<\/h3>\n

To discourage employees from accepting throw-away cutlery from the local caf\u00e9, make sure your staff kitchen is fully stocked. And if you don\u2019t want to deny forgetful staff their caffeine fix? Have a spare stash of KeepCups on hand.<\/p>\n

5. Switch to reusable coffee pods<\/h3>\n

Coffee is the fuel of worker bees, so having a pod machine on site might seem like an investment in productivity. But with Aussies consuming around six million coffee pods daily and only five percent recyclable, it\u2019s a disaster for the environment.<\/p>\n

If you already have a machine \u2013 don\u2019t chuck it! Instead, purchase\u00a0Crema Joe\u2019s reusable coffee capsules<\/a>, or sign up to their new coffee pod refill and exchange service (currently Melbourne only).<\/p>\n

6. Use recycled toilet paper<\/h3>\n

The staff bathroom is another spot where you can make simple changes. Stock up on 100 percent recycled loo roll from\u00a0Who Gives A Crap<\/a>, and know that 50 percent of profits will be used to build toilets in developing countries.<\/p>\n

7. Install high-speed hand dryers<\/h3>\n

Paper hand towels may be convenient, but they can\u2019t be recycled once used. For a smaller environmental footprint, consider swapping to a high-speed hand dryer.<\/p>\n

8. Go paperless (where possible)<\/h3>\n

With cloud-based computing, responsible businesses are making moves towards ditching paper. If going 100 percent paperless is not feasible for your business, make as many small changes as you can.<\/p>\n

Introduce paperless billing, discourage staff and customers from printing emails (pop a reminder in your email signature!), and print double-sided.<\/p>\n

9. Shred and recycle your documents<\/h3>\n

Always buy recycled printing paper and recycle your own documents once you\u2019re done with them. If privacy is an issue, buy a paper shredder and shred everything before recycling.<\/p>\n

10. Work with sustainable suppliers<\/h3>\n

Do a sustainability audit of all your suppliers, and support those with green initiatives. Also shop local where possible to reduce transport miles.<\/p>\n

11. Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs<\/h3>\n

Changing to LED lighting will reduce energy consumption and save you money. Install sensor lights in lower-traffic areas, and make sure all lights go off at home time.<\/p>\n

READ:\u00a0How to reduce your small business\u2019s carbon footprint<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

12. Only use the dishwasher when full<\/h3>\n

If your office kitchen has a dishwasher, make sure it\u2019s on eco mode and that staff are only running full loads.<\/p>\n

13. Introduce some plants<\/h3>\n

Not only do plants look great, they\u2019ve been shown to increase productivity in the workplace. They also help purify the air and reduce stress.<\/p>\n

14. Make recycling easy<\/h3>\n

Have dedicated bins for general waste and different types of recycling (paper, ink cartridges, bottles and cans, etc). Make sure these are clearly marked and positioned for convenience. Make your own signs, or you can\u00a0download some here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

15. Adjust the thermostat<\/h3>\n

If half your staff are wearing jumpers in the height of summer, something is NQR. Turning the temperature up a few degrees in summer and down in winter can result in big energy savings.<\/p>\n

16. Encourage carpooling<\/h3>\n

Suggest that staff who live in the same area set up a carpool. Employees will not only be reducing their carbon emissions, they\u2019ll enjoy the social benefits.<\/p>\n

17. Carbon offset staff flights<\/h3>\n

Try to limit unnecessary staff travel by sticking with virtual meetings when possible. If you or a team member does have to fly, check the box and fork out a few dollars to offset the carbon emissions.<\/p>\n

18. Buy upcycled office furniture and refurbished computers<\/h3>\n

Shop around for second-hand office furniture and refurbished equipment. You\u2019ll save money and keep products out of landfill. It\u2019s also an easy way to give your workplace some character.<\/p>\n

19. Take marketing online<\/h3>\n

Replace offline marketing with a (much greener) digital strategy. If you must send flyers and direct mail materials, have them printed on recycled paper.<\/p>\n

20. Dispose of old computers responsibly<\/h3>\n

Drop your old computers, printers and accessories at a local\u00a0TechCollect drop-off point<\/a>\u00a0to prevent e-waste ending up in landfill.<\/p>\n

Source : MYOB<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Reproduced with the permission of MYOB. This article by\u00a0Pip Jarvis<\/a> was originally published at\u00a0https:\/\/www.myob.com\/au\/blog\/tips-sustainable-business-2020\/<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Important:<\/span>
This provides general information and hasn\u2019t taken your circumstances into account. It\u2019s important to consider your particular circumstances before deciding what\u2019s right for you. Although the information is from sources considered reliable, we do not guarantee that it is accurate or complete. You should not rely upon it and should seek qualified advice before making any investment decision. Except where liability under any statute cannot be excluded, we do not accept any liability (whether under contract, tort or otherwise) for any resulting loss or damage of the reader or any other person.<\/span><\/p>\n

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No matter the size of your business, introducing greener work practices should be top of the new year agenda. By making moves to reduce, reuse and recycle, You\u2019ll not only help save the planet, you\u2019ll reduce your energy costs and appeal to likeminded customers. Whatever the political situation, an increasing number of people in Australia […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-general-articles","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gpadviser.com.au\/gpl-theme-1-2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gpadviser.com.au\/gpl-theme-1-2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gpadviser.com.au\/gpl-theme-1-2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gpadviser.com.au\/gpl-theme-1-2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gpadviser.com.au\/gpl-theme-1-2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1600"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.gpadviser.com.au\/gpl-theme-1-2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1600\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.gpadviser.com.au\/gpl-theme-1-2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gpadviser.com.au\/gpl-theme-1-2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.gpadviser.com.au\/gpl-theme-1-2015\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}