5 Operations to Reduce Your Business’s Environmental Impact

Every business affects the environment in some way—just like individuals, but on a larger scale. The degree of this impact varies with the type of business involved; for example, some companies produce or work with vast amounts of harmful chemicals they have to deal with, while others simply expend energy to keep the lights on.

Ignoring the variables here, every business has some responsibility to curb its impact on the environment through the initiation, execution, and oversight of environmentally friendly policies and procedures.

Procedures to Maximize Environmental Friendliness

These are just some of the general procedures your business should be following:

1. Root cause analysis. Not everything at your business is going to go perfectly; occasionally, you may see a spill, leak, or accident that affects the environment in some harmful way. Though your first line of efforts should be directed toward mitigating the damage and controlling the situation, your next step should be performing a root cause analysis, which as explained by Pinnacle Art, will help you identify the point at which the failure occurred. Then, you’ll be able to make corrections, replace faulty machinery, or address problems with individuals to prevent the incident from repeating itself.
2. Technological research. Technology is always evolving, and your business needs to stay on top of the latest developments if you’re going to maximize your energy efficiency. On a small scale, this could mean upgrading your light bulbs and heating and cooling equipment to the latest models. On a larger scale, it could mean investing in new, energy-efficient production equipment, or new software that can help you track and manage your environmental impact, possibly even through automation.
3. Recycling optimization. Recycling is one of the best ways to reduce your environmental impact. For starters, recycling reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills, curbing the potential long-term impact we’re having on our ecosystems. It also prevents the need to produce new materials for future applications, overall reducing the amount of energy spent as well, as the natural resources we’re depleting. Best of all, recycling doesn’t take much additional effort; all you have to do is identify the materials to be recycled and separate them out from your standard waste.
4. Energy control. One of the best ways to reduce your total environmental impact is to reduce the amount of energy your business uses on a regular basis. This comes in a variety of forms, and there’s no one right or wrong way to do it. If you want to go basic with it, you can simply do a better job of turning out the lights at the end of the day and controlling the interior temperature of the office. On a broader scale, you can invest in more energy-efficient structures, from the equipment you use to the insulation of your building.
5. Employee awareness. You can also take a significant step forward by initiating an employee awareness program, helping your workers become more aware of the environmental impact of their actions, from how much energy they use to how their waste disposal affects the environment. Your policies may set a good standard, but remember your employees will be the ones executing them. Make sure they’re on board with your program.

One Step at a Time

Reducing your business’s environmental impact doesn’t need to be extensive, expensive, or intensive; you can make a meaningful difference in the world with every small step forward you take. Start with some basic programs, like opting to recycle the bulk of your ordinary materials, and gradually scale your efforts from there. Not only will your business have a better impact on the environment, but you’ll also set a better standard for the businesses in your area—and you’ll better appeal to your customers, too.