Sustainable Business – 13 Tips to Make Your Business More Eco-Friendly 

Want to make your business greener? Then you've come to the right place! Economic operations consume natural resources. They emit CO2, produce waste and wastewater, and require paper, water and electricity. The optimization potential for more sustainability is accordingly huge and should be exploited.

It doesn't matter whether you are a manager or an employee. Everyone can make their own company more sustainable and thereby not only protect the environment, but also save costs, promote the brand image and attract new employees and customers.

In this article, I would therefore like to give you the best tips for more sustainability in your company, which you can implement step by step. Let's go!

Here you can find a short overview in advance:

1. Develop a sustainability strategy
2. Switch to an ethical bank
3. Switch to a green energy provider
4. Reduce power consumption in a targeted manner
5. Prefer recycled paper
6. Use digital business cards
7. Create incentives for the use of public transport
8. Send parcels climate neutral
9. Working with regional partners
10. Organize sustainable company outings
11. Rely on biological materials
12. Buy used furniture and upcycle
13. Separate waste and avoid it as much as possible

1. develop a sustainability strategy

In order to set concrete goals and measures for sustainable action, it is essential that you first develop a sustainability strategy. It serves as a Guide to achieve positive changes systematically and in the long term. It also motivates employees and colleagues, enhances the company's reputation and thus generates a long-term competitive advantage.

Whether it is the circular economy, regionality, diversity or the fundamental orientation towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs for short) - it's not as complicated as it might sound. Just have a look here for suitable Software and literature for the development of a sustainable corporate strategy and implement them in such a way that your entire team can participate and derive appropriate measures.

2. switch to an ethical bank

Your company wants to generate sales and make profits. But the money that the business has in its account is of course available to the respective bank for its own investments. Switching to an ethical bank ensures that all of the money in your account is available for investment. The company will refrain from investing in companies and projects that use, for example, genetic engineering, Rainforest deforestation, weapons, child labor or Animal testing are related.

Instead, with their daily business they promote, for example, the energy efficiency of their customers and generally ecological and socially fair projects, with Added value for the environment and society. 

3. switch to a green energy provider

Whether printers, coffee machines, electric company cars or the elevator - a company needs electricity! The choice of energy providers in Germany is huge, but many of them now offer green electricity. A change is worth it - for you and for nature.

You no longer have to worry about comparatively higher costs: In most cases, the prices for electricity from renewable energy sources, such as Solar, wind or hydro power, now aligned with those of oil, coal and nuclear power.

But as with so many things in life: Look closely! Because not every certificate automatically stands one hundred percent for environmentally friendly energy. Check the labels carefullyso as not to rely on classic Greenwashing to fall in.

4. reduce power consumption in a targeted manner

While we're on the subject: As sustainable as purchasing green power may be, it's much better, Save energy! For example, disconnect all computers, copiers and fax machines in your company from the mains in the evening and before weekends. Or leave the PC's not permanently run the screen saverbut switch off the device.

Indirectly, you can also make your business more environmentally friendly by using the sustainable search engine Ecosia is preferred. The German start-up operates its servers entirely from solar and wind energy or biomass. And that's not all! According to the company, a new tree is planted with every 45th search query and also thus contributes to the CO2 compensation in our atmosphere.

Tip: Also the Water consumption can be reduced - with really simple means. Just use the tips from the linked article.

5. prefer recycled paper

Speaking of trees: Digitization makes it pretty easy for us to dispense with most printouts of written documents and the conserve wood as a natural resource.

Even for your bookkeeping you are allowed by legal regulations to use a digital archiving put An office that is as paperless as possible is truly no longer witchcraft these days and is a great way to make any business more environmentally friendly.

In your company the Consumption of paper not completely avoided? Then bet for example on recycled paper. You can recognize it above all by the "Blue Angel" eco-label. At the printer and copier you can also Save paperby changing the device setting for printing on both sides activate

6. use digital business cards

You don't even have to hand out paper business cards to your customers these days. Instead, you can now quite simply with NFC business cards your contact details in the also electronic address book of your counterpart.

As soon as your smartphones or tablets are connected, you receive your respective VCards. And there's another good thing about the virtual business card: you no longer have to spend hours thinking about the layout! 

7. create incentives for the use of public transport

At The most environmentally friendly way to get to work is on foot. But probably not all colleagues and employees live so close to the workplace.

For example, if you provide them with bicycles at company expense, you can benefit twice over as a manager or executive. Your company protects the environment - and your Team builds defenses, stays fit, focused and productive. Reduced sick leave saves unwanted costs. The Occupational health to promote is really always worthwhile and for everyone!

By the way, it is also generally advisable to use public transportation, such as Bus, streetcar, underground and suburban train targeted support. For example, by providing a free monthly ticket. Incentives should also be created for long-distance travel to make the Train preferable to car or plane.

If the ride in the motor vehicle can not be avoided, then you can still use the Carpooling or offset the respective CO2 emissions with a climate protection company.

8. send packages climate neutral

Your company often has to send parcels or order deliveries? Then rely in the future on climate neutral shipping services!

For transport distances of a few kilometers you can even use the power of Bicycle courier:inside in the region. However, there are now also many green providers available for national shipments, such as DHL go green. 

9. cooperate with regional partners

What's close to your operation, does not have to be transported over long distances in an energy-intensive manner. Work accordingly with suppliers from your area. You also support the local economy by buying products from local suppliers.

10. organize sustainable company outings

You want to make your company more environmentally friendly? Then spend time together outside the office, strengthen your cohesion and improve internal communication. Fostering social skills, employee retention and environmental protection can be wonderfully reconciled this way!

A sustainable company outing could for example be a be a walk in the woods where you pick up trash. Even helping out at the shelter or taking a vegan cooking class has a positive impact!

Tip: Or how about making a joint Dining table from old oak planks builds for your office kitchen? I think this is a wonderful, bonding DIY project.

11. rely on biological materials

Cleaning agents for the bathroom, dishwashing detergents for the kitchen: Make sure you also use recycled or recyclable products at your workplace. Packaging materials and biodegradable Ingredients.

Do you wear work clothes? Then promote the purchase of Clothing from sustainable fabrics, such as Organic cotton. In this way, you can rely on skin-friendly textiles that are produced and processed in a water- and energy-saving manner. Second-hand clothing may also be a sensible alternative if you don't need tailored shirts or pants.

12. buy furniture used and upcycled

You can also buy used office furniture. This way you save not only on materials but also on production energy. At the same time you create a unique atmosphere - away from the boring, monotonous office character.

And if a few items need to be sorted out, don't go straight to the bulky waste. Many things can still be repurposed or upcycled. Often also happy Charities about old chairs, tables or kitchen utensils. Equally welcome are technical products in youth clubs or other social institutions, where broken equipment is given a new life.

And with a little skill get Tinker:inside the kitchen radio of the (maybe vegan) canteen or your old dictaphone even to work again.

13. separate waste and avoid it as much as possible

It is ideal, of course, Avoid plastic waste directly. The CoffeeToGo can also be enjoyed in a reusable cup. However, it is usually not possible to completely avoid waste. Anyone who wants to make a company sustainable should therefore also consider the correct waste separation take to heart.

Although plastics, glass, newspapers and the like have been disposed of separately in Germany for decades, unfortunately not everything always ends up in the right container. With the Labeling your trash cans you can keep order here and make sure that as many as possible natural resources can be reused.

Making companies more environmentally friendly - No problem!

As you can see, an environmentally friendly workday is relatively easy to achieve. Here and today you already have learned many useful tips. From switching to an ethical bank or green electricity provider, to subsidized use of public transportation, to environmentally responsible company outings.

But there are so many more things you can do to make your business greener - be it the Structure of a Insect hotels on the company premises or the early shock ventilation instead of the constantly running air conditioner.

"What we do today will determine what the world looks like tomorrow."

Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach

Do you have any questions or can you think of any other tips for more sustainability in your company? Then I look forward to your ideas, advice and experiences in the comments column. Thank you for your commitment!

Stay sustainable,

PS: Also for meetings as sustainable as possible I have written a separate article for you in the company. Feel free to have a look there as well!