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5 Easy Ways to Make Your Company Logistics More Eco-Friendly
Most parts of the average company’s supply chain contribute to global carbon emissions. Knowing just how much of an impact your company and those like yours could be having on the environment, you might be worried about scaling up or making changes that might do further harm.
However, as damaging as the supply chain can be, you can make changes to limit the impact and do your part for the environment. There are a lot of compelling reasons for businesses to go green beyond just helping the planet. Here are a few of the many changes you may like to implement.
GPS Vehicle Tracking Systems
Efficiency counts for a lot in any business, but the environment may benefit as much as you by installing vehicle GPS systems in your delivery vehicles. Not only can you get to and from your destination on the fastest possible routes while decreasing operating costs, but you can also reduce fuel wastage.
GPS systems can send you on the shortest or quickest routes, which may mean you either save more fuel by traveling shorter distances or by not sitting in traffic. Each year, billions of gallons of fuel are wasted due to traffic congestion, so your business may be able to make more of an impact than you first thought.
Invest in Cleaner Vehicles
Diesel delivery vehicles are a viable option for many businesses due to their affordability, but they can exhaust more carbon dioxide than their petrol counterparts, which means they may be a less desirable option for the environment.
Investing in vehicles that use lower carbon fuels, such as biofuel, and even upgrading old trucks to more eco-friendly models like hybrid or electric trucks might be how you take care of the planet while possibly improving your business’s image.
Change Your Packaging
If you’re ready to make significant business changes for the benefit of the environment, a shift in packaging may be one of the most obvious ones. Plastic packaging is one of the most cost-effective and versatile packaging types, but it’s undoubtedly one of the least eco-friendly.
Look at potential alternatives such as plant-based, cardboard, and recycled materials. These materials can be used in-house and for delivery to customers who will likely appreciate your new, more sustainable approach.
Review Your Energy Usage
When your business utilizes large warehouses to store goods, there’s no way to get around energy usage. However, you may like to review just how much energy you’re using and whether there are more eco-friendly alternatives.
For example, solar power and LED bulbs can be excellent ways to decrease your energy usage and save you money. You may even like to look at the installation of skylights where appropriate to let in as much natural light as possible.
Go Paperless
For every 17 trees we destroy, often for paper, we also lose absorption capacity for around 250 pounds of carbon dioxide. Each year, about one billion trees also go to landfills nationwide as paper. We can do better and going paperless is an excellent place to begin.
Look at available technologies and software that can help you on your way to removing paper and manual processes from your business.
Every business has the potential to do better than it’s doing now, and it can start with a few minor changes. Invest in cleaner vehicles and GPS technology, and even look at your packaging and energy usage. There are so many helpful changes you can make to benefit the environment.