Your guide to making your business greener this Earth Day

As more companies move into more sustainable ways of doing business, this year’s Earth Day, which falls on 22 April, provides a perfect opportunity to embrace the benefits of a green economy.

There’s no doubt that we face major threats to the future of our planet. The current climate policies and promises are not enough but, as the latest IPCC report outlines, it’s not too late – if we act fast.

Earth Day 2022 reminds us that smart companies know it’s no longer a choice between going green and growing long-term profits because sustainability is the path to prosperity.

What's a sustainable business and why does it matter?

Essentially, a sustainable business is one that minimises negative impacts and has a positive effect on the environment, community or society as a whole.

Business sustainability matters for both humanitarian and business reasons. Studies show a direct link between sustainable business practices, share prices and business performance. Consumers care about green credentials: arecent survey showed that they’re increasingly changing their buying habits to show their support for more sustainable companies. For example, 64% of consumers want brands to reduce packaging, 50% want information on how to recycle and 46% want clarity on product sourcing.

Employees are also demanding change, with 65% of UK-based office workers saying that they would be more likely to work for a company with a strong environmental policy.

How can businesses be more sustainable?

Businesses need to take practical steps to reduce their carbon footprint. Every change you make will have an impact on your carbon emissions. Luckily, it doesn’t need to be complicated.

Here are a few simple steps you can take to make your business greener:

• Measure your business’s carbon emissions: check out this government guide to find out how to go about measuring your carbon output, then see how much you save after putting changes in place
• Minimise waste – reduce, reuse, recycle: sending waste to landfill releases carbon and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, so sort out your recycling and switch your packaging to reusable, recyclable and compostable options
• Save energy: as heating bills soar, this makes financial sense too, so think about measures like installing a smart meter, swapping to LED bulbs and adjusting heating and cooling system timings and temperatures
• Switch to renewable energy: unlike coal and gas, clean energy doesn’t give off greenhouse gases
• Go paperless: by turning your paper documents into electronic ones, you can help to protect the environment, as well as save money
• Encourage remote working: this reduces the carbon emissions associated with commuting and saves time and money too

If you want to get involved with green issues, Earthday.org provides 52 tips to help you make a difference, every day of the year. And you can find out what Earth Day events are running near you via this handy map.

How can First Mile help?

First Mile is proud of being a carbon-neutral company and genuinely cares about the environment. Our aim is to make it easy for you to recycle your business waste in a cost-efficient way that leaves the greenest possible footprint on the planet.

We provide recycling services to all kinds of UK businesses, from national chains to independent SMEs. Our low-cost, straightforward services include zero-to-landfill waste collection, over 20 other recycling collection services and secure shredding. You can even sign up for our green gas and electricity.

Request a quote today to see how we can help you.