10 Ways a Small Business can Adopt Green Practices and Reflect Environmental Sustainability

Ten thought leaders give you smart, simple and practical tips on how your small business can be more sustainable and green.

In the last few years, there has been a massive push for companies of all sizes to engage in different sustainability efforts to reduce their carbon footprint. With climate change and natural disasters at an all-time high, it has never been more important for businesses to analyze their practices and truly understand how much waste they may be producing.

While some have been implementing these programs for years, other companies are just getting started! If you are looking for green practices that your small business can easily adopt, look no further. We’ve sat down with 10 business leaders to identify various activities that can have a huge effect on our planet. Keep reading to learn how you can start, or improve, your company’s sustainability projects!

Sustainable Shipping Efforts

Take steps to reduce shipping on the receiving end. Order in bulk when you can afford it. Make sure the products and ingredients are sustainably sourced. How is your product presented to your customer? We sell packaged goods and have moved from plastic tubs to 100% biodegradable packaging.

-David Cascadden, Left Coast Raw

Paid Time Off to Volunteer

Manage waste, bike to work and working from home are things that many of our businesses can do. Even just keeping plants in your office can help draw down carbon and clean the air. As an employer, allowing employees some time off to volunteer for environmental organizations can help keep them involved and inspired to contribute to the planet's health.

-Jennifer Leonard, Planet to People

Industrial Recycling Programs

One of the ways a business can adopt environmentally friendly practices is to participate in industrial recycling programs. This allows your business to have an impact and engage in the larger movement to reduce the amount of waste that enters landfills and to support the circular economy. Industrial recycling services also eliminate much of the hassle of recycling by transporting the waste and helping you identify the best ways to recycle that create value for your business.

-Jonathan L. Cohen, Generated Materials Recovery

Reducing Physical Files

One step small businesses can adopt to reflect sustainability is a reduction in physical files. Converting documents and files into digital formats, recycling the papers and then only using digital formats as much as possible going forward will greatly reduce paper waste and allow better access to documents among various members of the company.

-Rex Murphy, American Pipeline Solutions

Partner Up

Cruise America has specifically partnered with “Keep Nature Wild” and have influenced our audience on many cleanups through social media and email. We believe the vehicles continue to become more efficient, but the best way to improve this is to leave your campsite untouched and do what you can to be green on your trips with Cruise. We will continue to evolve the way we do things to be as sustainable as we can as a company, but right now solid partnerships have made this improvement easier.

-Randall Smalley, Cruise America

Purchase Recycling Items

Small companies have the same obligation to reduce their carbon footprint that big companies do –it has to be a joint effort. Though, it can be difficult to launch large campaigns in the way that big companies can, so for small businesses it's all about killing two birds with one stone. One way that small companies can do this is purchasing recycling items for the office. Recycling tables, chairs, phones, cords and even whiteboards are easy to find and a small way to reduce plastic waste. You are purchasing equipment you need, but doing it in a more sustainable way. 

-Carey Wilbur, Charter Capital

Increase Work From Home Days

Taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint as a small business can be intertwined with your everyday activities. One thing small business owners could consider is working from home one day a week. Remote work is becoming the new normal and employees could reduce their carbon footprint by commuting to the office one day less a week. 

-Ryan Nouis, TruPath 

Go Local

Next time that you have a meal catered during work, a team workshop or are purchasing office supplies, try to source your products locally. ‘Products’ can be anything from food to furniture to attending local events in the area. By going local, you are saving on the fuel and thousands of miles that it takes to ship conventional items. This in turn reduces air pollution and the large carbon footprint that can often come unnoticed but accumulated quickly. By purchasing local, you are not only supporting other small businesses, but you are practicing environmentally friendly choices.

-Thylan Le, Markitors

Check Environmental Standards of Suppliers

One major step that small companies can take to reduce their carbon footprint is to ensure that all of their suppliers and other providers comply with relevant environmental standards. For example, if you run an online business, you could make sure your site is hosted by a company that operates on green energy. If your business sells items, try to source these locally or, if your products have to come from further afield, use providers that offset their transport emissions. Not only is this important for the world in general, but it's also a great marketing point for customers who are often eager to "spend green".

-Anna Barker, Logical Dollar

Go Digital if Possible

A business can be mostly or all digital if possible (ie. store documents in the cloud and use a client database manager). Additionally, a business can have designated recycling bins in their office space. A business can encourage public transportation by giving out a bus pass or by allowing remote working (during pandemic and non-pandemic times). There are so many simple ways to make a difference . 

-Michael Jonas, Rational Unicorn Legal Services

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