7 Ways to Make Your Business More Sustainable

Sustainability isn't just for big business. At the start of 2020, small businesses accounted for 99% of the UK business population, 60% of employment and around half the turnover in the UK private sector.*

Making the business world more sustainable is a big task. And for the record, no one has it cracked but lots of us are doing our best and making it a priority. Making your small business sustainable need not be expensive or time consuming. I've got six ways to make your business more sustainable right now. Most of them are free and easy to do. So pick a few and get started!

1 | If you haven't already, join a sustainable business group

It's easier to make sustainability a priority in your company when everyone around you is also committed to it. Joining likeminded groups or associations can really help keep you motivated and give you the support network that might be missing in your day-to-day life.

2 | Working at home? Switch to renewable energy and turn off your devices

We have all been working in our homes much more than we did before the pandemic so it's easy to forget that our biggest impact is through the energy we use in the locations we spend the most time. Switch to a renewable energy provider, energy efficient lightbulbs, turn lights off when they are not needed, don't leave your chargers plugged in and power down your devices when you are not using them.

3 | Have a premises or an office? Become self-sufficient

The same applies but you might be able to generate your own renewable energy. Can you install solar panels to provide energy or use water butts to collect rain water for the toilets and keeping the grounds watered in the summer?

4 | Go paperless. No really, go paperless

Most of us are used to not printing out reams of documents in the office, but have you thought about the superfluous use of paper in your supply chain or in your delivery process. Do you send products to your customers with a delivery slip or a returns label? Updating your systems mean you can go paperless in all areas of your business and will probably provide you with better insights, streamlined processes and hopefully a reduction in costs and inefficiencies.

5 | Recycle. Not just the easy stuff

Recycling has been around for decades but it's not the easiest thing to master with every local area having different rules. Have really clear signage in and around your seperate bin and make them accessible. If you work in a shared environment like a studio, factory or office, consider setting up bins for those hard to recycle items such as batteries, tin foil, Tetra Paks, printer cartridges so, as a collective, your employees and fellow co-workers can ensure these items do get recycled properly.

6 | Take plastic, single-use packaging out of your DIET

What I'm eating and drinking when I'm working can truly change the course of my day. Forgetting my water bottle and having to buy a plastic one on the way to the gym can cause me serious anxiety! Provide plates, glasses, mugs and metal cutlery at the office that staff can be assured is cleaned well and entirely reusable is far better than the plastic, disposable alternatives. Provide reusable containers and bags so staff buying their lunch from local outlets without having to pick up unnecessary packaging.

7 | Conscious cleaning

Replace the toilet rolls, hand towels, soaps, sanitisers, cleaning sprays and the actual cleaning equipment (clothes, sponges and brushes) with more sustainable alternatives. If, like me, you hate cleaning and outsource the task - ask what your cleaning provider uses to clean your surroundings. If you want to go one step further, there are a few social enterprises in the cleaning space, which is renowned for low wages, and poor working conditions for those who clean for us. Find one that champions fair and decent wages, invests in training and development and who provide employment to those who would otherwise be exploited or treated poorly.

There are hundreds more things you can do in your business to make it more sustainable, but I wanted to give you just a few that are easy to do, super practical. If you do just one thing from this list, tell me about it! And if you are well ahead of the game and already have this stuff nailed, then check out my consulting packages. I can give you insights into where you have sustainability risks and opportunities across your value chain, and audit your current operations to where you can stand out and shine. Until next time…

*Source: National Federation of Self Employed and Small Business - UK Small Business Statistics in 2020.