A sustainable start-up and a green business policy make a perfect match. Launching a small business is a bold move that helps every economy. Doing it in an eco-friendly way is even better, because it helps reviving the environment. Everybody who owns a business can contribute to sustainable development through their own creative ideas. Nevertheless, there are already some well-established practices that reduce the footprint of an average start-up.
Waste Sorting
Bins for different types of rubbish have to be installed in every single area of your business premises. Recycling and reusing are two close categories that add to a business approach that can yield great results, at the same time causing minimum damage to the environment. Separate bins for paper, plastic and even organic waste (for compost) need to be placed in the lounge area(s) and on every location where your employees tend to gather during breaks or on any other leisure occasion.
Switch to Cycling
Many companies possess vehicles that are used for their business purposes. These are usually cars and we know that cars are among the major pollutants, because of the exhaust gases they emit. In order to get round the car-induced footprint, it would be economic and eco-friendly to introduce bikes as means of transportation. Also, workers should be encouraged to commute by bike, instead of coming to work by car. For instance, Denmark is one of the richest countries in the world, but its government’s officials travel to work by bike.
Low-cost Premises
Thirty or forty years ago, having an office or a store in the city centre was a privilege. Only the best ones or the richest ones were able to place their premises in the centre. Today, however, start-up owners do not have to insist on working in the heart of the city. Thanks to advanced communication and information technology, you can work from whenever you want, even from home. Such a possibility can cut your rent expenses. Entrepreneurs have some alternative solutions at their disposal, too; for instance, they can follow what the project Royal Wolf New Zealand did in turning a shipping container into a barbershop in Toronto. It is efficient and causes minimum expenses.
Easy on the Paper
It looks like our civilization is obsessed with paper. No matter how advanced and powerful computers have become, we still keep printing mercilessly. Cutting down rainforests (and every other sort of forests) will inevitably lead to terrible climate problems. Every start-up has to do their share of work to help reducing the use of paper for business purposes. For example, two billion books are published annually only in the US. It can be changed. This infographic shows the yearly footprint in the US more closely.
IT Saves the Environment
In addition to the paperless approach, today businesses can also save a lot if they start using other benefits that the IT-field offers. Working from the cloud and decreasing the number of tangible storage devices is one of the perfect strategies for a lower footprint. In addition, entrepreneurs can use apps that track their carbon footprint. It will help them develop business-related green habits, as well as reduce the amount of carbon dioxide they emit in their personal lives.
As you can see, taking part in creating an ecological start-up is a must. Thanks to many useful strategies and tools, it is easy and less expensive for a businessperson to use green strategies in their work.
