How to Turn Your Business Green

The world is fast reaching its physical limits with its current linear model of production, consumption and disposal. At our current rate of expansion, it is estimated that by 2050 we will need three worlds worth of resources to fulfil the population’s needs. However, although many people are aware of this, very few have made the change to a more sustainable way of life. What’s more, businesses are even more reluctant to change their company structure to a more long term, sustainable one.

Up until now recycling has been seen as the route to sustainability. However the recycling model is not always a successful one. As Richard McIlwain pointed out in a round table debate hosted at the beginning of 2015 by MRW, people are not clear on the guidelines of recycling. For the future of sustainability, recycling offers limited appeal. Its processes are energy intensive and downgrade materials, adding to the already high demand for virgin materials.

What businesses really need to be focusing on in order to see a greener future is reusing rather than recycling.

Go Digital

According to The Paperless Project, the average office worker consumes up to 10 000 pieces of paper every year. With 45% of paper created in the office ends up in the trash bin by the end of the working day.

Losing your paper trail and turning digital is one of the best ways in which your business can cut down on resource consumption. As we have seen many companies do, turning digital is one of the easiest and quickest ways to start creating a sustainable future.

Focus on reusing

Recycling offers limited appeal for sustainability. Its processes are energy intensive and tend to downgrade materials, leading to an increased high demand for virgin materials. For a truly sustainable future, businesses need to focus on reusing equipment and business tools where possible.

For small to medium size businesses this could be switching from paper towels in the bathroom to hand towels. Whilst for larger corporations such as food retailers switching from one trip packaging in their supply chain to returnable transit packaging such as plastic pallets could be the answer. Single trip packaging predominantly consists of cardboard and polystyrene boxes that after one use have to be recycled in conformity with recycling guidelines. The switch from one trip cardboard boxes to plastic crates produces roughly 52% less carbon emissions.

Compared to one trip packaging, RTP options have a higher number of benefits including financial and environmental. Not only do you have the option of crate and pallet hire with companies such as PPS, but the strength of the product will also provide greater protection for goods in transit in comparison to cardboard which could be crushed.

Keep Your Heating

As we live in a country where it is only warm for a few weeks out of the year, it is important that you keep a tight control over how you manage your heating in the office. If you put your heating on in the morning and keep the doors and windows shut then you should be able to turn the heating off once the office is warm and retain your heat in the office. However simple this may seem, it is one of the biggest resource guzzlers in an office environment.

Recycle Food Waste

A typical British office will be made up of 99.9% tea drinkers with the odd coffee drinking rebel. But where do these old tea bags go? Most likely in the bin. And what about the left over lunches that don’t get eaten and the orange peel that gets thrown away. Placing all of these food items in a designated food bin can help reduce the amount of food wastage happening every day in your office. And you will be surprised by how quickly it fills up.

For larger corporations that handle food in the supply chain, switching to non-damaging packaging can also help to reduce food damage and thus food waste. It has been estimated that over 2% of the total food wastage in the UK, takes place in the retail sector. Transitioning from cardboard boxes to plastic crates providers food suppliers with stable equipment that won’t get crushed with rough handling.

Reports from major food retailers such as Tesco and the Co-Operative indicate that the largest portion of retail wasted food is fresh fruit and vegetables, with bakery goods and dairy products falling in second.

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