With their small size, flexibility and agility, small businesses are poised to be our next leaders in the green revolution. Unlike corporations, small businesses’ operations are more streamlined, making it easier to prioritize and commit to sustainability.

Not only is fostering an environmentally friendly business good for the planet, but it can also make you stand out as an eco-minded entrepreneur, help you reduce costs amid ever-increasing energy bills and differentiate your business from the competition while forging relationships with like-minded customers.

With environmentally conscious efforts now going far beyond simple reduce, reuse and recycle, there are a variety of powerful ways small business owners can create a more sustainable business. Continue reading for an overview of these, along with resources designed to help you explore your options as you go green.

Go Paperless
For years, we’ve been urged by our banks, doctors, car loan holders and others to go paperless. If you’ve opted in at the request of any of these organizations, but refuse to do so at your small business, you are losing out on a major opportunity for sustainability and increased operational simplicity.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average American uses more than 700 pounds of paper every year, the highest per capita paper usage worldwide. While the needs of your business might vary, you likely spend time — and money — purchasing, printing, filing, storing and throwing paper away. Making small changes, such as shifting to digital e-payment systems, offering digital receipts and generally reducing your consumption, can result in real cost savings while reducing your environmental impact.

Use Sustainable Packaging
Sustainable packaging, also known as eco-friendly packaging, utilizes low-impact materials and production methods to lessen its environmental impact.

According to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), some sustainable packaging solutions include compostable products designed to break down at home or in an industrial facility or biodegradable packaging, which breaks down more easily than conventional products but might not be suitable for a composter and reusable packaging, such as glass or stainless steel containers, fabric bags and refillable jars.

While sustainable packaging offers tangible benefits to the environment and your brand as a market differentiator and way to build trust, it can create some speed bumps when first implemented, according to the FSC. This type of packaging can face higher upfront costs and limited availability, depending on your region and any supply chain issues.  

Explore Hybrid Work Arrangements
Every day, your employees leave their homes, get in their vehicles and travel to the job site, where they’ll work until it’s time to return home. This process repeats the next day and the next and the next.

The daily commute is a ubiquitous part of American life, but it contributes to harmful carbon emissions that damage the environment. Offering your employees the opportunity to work from home two to four days per week can reduce their carbon footprint by 11% to 29%, according to a joint study by Cornell University and Microsoft. Offering only one day per week gives negligible results of 2% reduction, according to the study, meaning you would have to commit to this arrangement to see real results.

Not only will offering hybrid work solutions reduce your employees’ environmental impact, but they can also lower their impact on your energy bills and rent costs, enabling you to downsize your brick-and-mortar location in favor of a more streamlined operation. Seat sharing between hybrid workers — meaning the office uses unassigned, flexible seating to maximize space efficiency and reduce real estate costs — can lower your company’s carbon footprint by 28%, according to the study.

Install Energy-Efficient Upgrades
As a small business owner, making your business more sustainable is more than a way to differentiate your brand and reduce environmental impact; it can also help you net serious cost savings.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, lighting accounts for 15% of an average home’s electricity use, with savings totaling around $225 per year if the switch is made to LED lighting, which tends to last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs. Making small changes like this at your business can be a fast way to cut costs for good.

Explore solutions like these for your small business:

• Upgrade your heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system – This system is critical in keeping your employees and customers comfortable and happy. Upgrading your HVAC system to include a smart thermostat can help you optimize cooling and heating cycles by using algorithms to adapt to the weather and learn your daily habits, plus prevent energy waste when you’re away. Contact a trusted HVAC expert to learn what other changes you can make to save energy and money.
• Check your weatherproofing – Do cold winter days seem to suck the warmth right out of your business? If so, you should investigate whether your weatherproofing needs updating. Insulation is important for retaining heat or air conditioning, but it can deteriorate over time. Slight openings in doors and window frames can also allow outdoor air to seep inside, running up your heating or AC bills as your system struggles to keep up. Examine your building’s condition regularly, year-round, to identify fixes that can lower your costs.
• Installing solar panels – Once a thing of science fiction, solar panels are more efficient and affordable than ever. Installing solar panels on the roof or property of your small business reduces overhead expenses, decreases your reliance on the grid and showcases your commitment to the environment. Depending on where you live and your business type, there are likely options to help you pay for solar, such as incentives, tax credits and financing.
  
  If on-premises solar isn’t an option, you can explore community solar to buy or lease a portion of solar panels within your community for an electric bill credit. Consult this savings guide by the U.S. Department of Energy to learn more about your options.

Due to their unique characteristics, such as flexibility, size and short chain of command, small businesses that choose to go green are poised to be leaders in these initiatives. Beyond helping save our planet, whether the main purpose of making this powerful change is to further differentiate your business against its competitors by highlighting your eco-friendly initiatives or to capture valuable cost savings to strengthen your bottom line, these efforts can help you bring your business to the next level. For more insights on ways you can help your small business succeed, please read our other informational articles at americanbusinesscoalition.info.

Articles in this newsletter are supposed to be informative, enlightening and helpful to you. While all information contained herein is meant to be completely factual, it is always subject to change.

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