To put it frankly, the environment is struggling. In fact, the environment is really struggling, with many previously species close to extinction; the average temperature set to rise another five degrees Fahrenheit in twenty years, and the world’s oceans being severely polluted.
Although most want to set the blame on individuals not living responsibly, when you dig just a little bit deeper into the data, it’s clear that big businesses and industries are most responsible. The pollutants in the oceans are mostly single-use plastic products created by manufacturers across the world, and the top 100 companies are responsible for 71% of all the global emissions making the world hotter.
When embarking on creating a new business in these times, it’s more than just advisable to make it as green as possible – it’s necessary. It’s not easy – sacrifices have to be made to achieve this goal – but the benefits of doing so are huge for the environment and for your business.
Going Green Boosts Your Public Perception
With so many consumers beginning to grow concerned with the state of the world, a lot of them are beginning to make more ethical and responsible choices as to where they spend their money.
Many people are now shopping vegan, meaning that they’re eliminating all products that utilize animal products in them, such as leather and fur. This is because studies have suggested that animal agriculture is a big contributor to greenhouse gases and deforestation. By putting in the measures to ensure that your business is vegan-friendly, you can make your business far more popular and profitable.
A lot of companies have utilized this change in consumer preferences to alter and improve their public image and perception, which in turn builds brand trust, making people more inclined to engage with your business. Publicity campaigns are a great way to spread your business’s good will, with a common example of these campaigns being the plantation of trees or contributing money to conservation efforts for every product they sell.
Saves Money on Fines
These days, there are many governing bodies trying to discourage businesses from bad practices by issuing fines for high emissions and other environmental breaches. The effectiveness of these may be questionable, as bigger companies that can afford it have historically just paid these fines without consequence, but for a new business, being hit with one of these fines can be really detrimental to your growth, as it can seriously negatively affect your profit.
That’s why if you don’t want to go green for the environment’s sake, do it for your wallet, as avoiding these fines will improve your finances.
Ways to Be More Green
Now that some of the benefits of being green to your business are clear, it’s important to know of the effective changes you can implement to make sure you’re not making any negative contributions. These changes may significantly alter your production line and the way you make your products, and if that is the case, Fluent Conveyors can help you reorganize your manufacturing process and help you implement some of the most efficient mechanisms to boost your productivity and lessen your environmental impact.
- Review Your Products
It’s worth reviewing the products you’re making to see if anything can be tweaked now that sustainability is key. Simple changes could be to reduce the packaging needed or streamlining designs to reduce the materials used. It should also be a priority to make sure these products are fully recyclable so that your customers can dispose of them responsibly when they’re at the end of their life cycle.
- Reconsidered Energy Consumption
It’s hard to avoid, but manufacturing requires a great deal of energy, which is why it’s important to try and make sure that the energy you use is clean. Implementing solutions such as solar power or a ground-sourced heat pump can really aid in keeping energy consumption down.
Businesses can also switch to eco-friendlier, low-power LED lighting in and around the factory, not only reducing energy use but also saving the business money on energy bills.
- Think About Your Materials
Some materials are better for the environment than others, so it’s important to think about the ones you plan on using to see if there are better alternatives. Plastic such as PET is the worst culprit when it comes to pollution, so reducing this material in your products can be a real help. If this isn’t possible, the next best change is to use post-consumer, recycled plastic in your manufacturing, as this can help eat away at the amount of plastic already out there.
Check out my guide on how to start your business right with tons of useful tips I learned by successfully starting, building, and selling multiple companies.
