Wildfires, floods, temperature extremes, melting ice caps — these are just a few of the disturbing signs that our environment is in imminent peril. Increasingly, these signs that our world is in trouble are getting more difficult to ignore, including by the consumers who use and purchase products. As a business owner, it would behoove you to recognize this reality and examine ways that you can incorporate sustainability into your retail model.
1. Examine your products and practices.
Take a long look at the items you sell. What are they made of? Can they be constructed just as well using more environmentally-friendly materials? If you are a retailer who can choose between carrying a toy made out of plastic or a similar model crafted from wood, consider offering the latter. Even if it’s more costly, many of your customers will value its smaller negative footprint.
By the same token, take some time to examine your packaging protocols. Do you routinely give customers single-use plastic bags to carry items away from your store even if paper is available? Similarly, how do you go about packaging products for shipping? Is there anything you can do to reduce the volume of the materials you use? To that end, consider replacing packing peanuts and bubble wrap with corrugated cardboard, and downsize the boxes you send if possible.
2. Survey your customers.
Your loyal buyers can be some of your smartest guides as you move toward greater environmental consciousness. Whether it is in person, on your website, or via your social media pages, consider asking your customers what they would like to see when it comes to making your products and services more in keeping with a smaller carbon footprint. You may find that you are surprised by the depth of their insights.
3. Offer remote work opportunities to your employees.
If the past two years have shown us anything, it is that people can still do their jobs even if they are not sitting next to each other in an office. Of course, there are some industries that absolutely require in-person labor. Having said that, if yours allows for jobs to be done remotely, consider instituting or continuing this practice for the foreseeable future.
When employees are not required to drive or take public transportation, they use less gasoline and do not cause as much air pollution. In many cases, their stress levels are reduced without sacrificing that all-important spirit of collaboration and teamwork that is so important to maintaining a positive workplace.
In situations when your employees are required to come into the office, offer them incentives to take buses or trains instead of driving. This improves air quality and decreases congestion on the roads. You might reimburse workers each month for the cost of the bus or subway or offer gift cards as incentives for car-pooling.
4. Work toward an environmentally-friendly office.
Whether people are back at work full-time or only come into the office once in a while, you can still take action to green up your work space. To that end, make a commitment to purchasing recycled paper products, including file folders, printer paper, and even facial tissue. Take advantage of the many “green” cleaning products now on the market that contain fewer chemicals and nasty toxins. Finally, reduce, reuse, and recycle whenever you can.
5. Add gently-used items to the workplace décor.
If the time has come to redecorate, you might be tempted to run right to the furniture store to pick from the latest shiny new trends. Before you do, explore local second-hand shops to see if you can find pre-owned desks, chairs, and cabinets that would serve the purpose just as well. One person’s trash really can be another’s treasure.
6. Review your payment, receipt, and customer contact options.
When you stop and think about it, many of your customer interactions may unnecessarily weigh on the environment. Everything from the brochures and newsletters you send out to the receipts that accompany product purchases require the use of paper. Thanks to the technology that runs your point of sale system, this no longer needs to be the case.
When you use a virtual terminal to take orders over the phone or employ a wireless card reader to accept a customer’s payment, you now have the option to email a receipt directly to the buyer. Doing so provides them with an instantaneous digital proof of purchase that they can conveniently store in their records for future reference. Best of all, no trees are harmed in the process.
7. Conserve energy.
Doing your best to minimize energy waste in your office or retail space is another great way to live out your commitment to the environment. Implement power-saving technologies such as LED lights, energy-efficient appliances, smart thermostats, and laptop computers. Also, use natural light to its fullest, and keep room temperatures comfortable but moderate.
8. Put your money where your mouth is.
Prove to your customers and stakeholders that you truly are committed to the environment by working hard to do business with vendors who share this passion. From cloud-based web hosts to product manufacturers, more and more businesses are going the extra mile to become carbon neutral, including some of the largest tech giants. When you spend your dollars in accordance with your Earth-centered philosophy, you will help to bolster the growing community of eco-conscious sellers.
As a business owner, you know that every individual enterprise is unique, possessing its own set of assets and challenges. As you continue on your journey of becoming a more sustainable citizen of the planet, you will discover that what works for the retailer down the street may not be the right fit for you. However, the sooner you take those difficult first steps, the closer you will be to living out your commitment to becoming a responsible, environmentally-aware entrepreneur.
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