In the ever-evolving world of e-commerce and business operations, the shift towards sustainability is not just a trend but a necessity. With increasing awareness about environmental impacts, companies are now looking to adopt eco-friendly practices, particularly in the realm of packaging.
Read MoreIf you're in the business of developing software, you've probably heard of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). But what is it, and why is it important? Let’s learn more about its benefits, the criteria for CSR, and the tools available to help you get started. Then, decide whether CSR is a good fit for your company. Hopefully, you'll feel more confident about your company's future, too!
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The so-called green cleaning method consists of the use of products with a reduced environmental impact. It is about including in our daily routine new alternatives to clean quickly and easily while saving money thanks to the less use of chemicals. Green cleaning is committed to the use of natural ingredients, as well as the use of new technologies, which reduce the use of water and energy.
Bicarbonate has been used for hundreds of years in the world of cleanliness because, besides being very cheap, it is really very effective. To use it, you have to mix a few tablespoons of baking soda with essential oil. Once you have the mixture, you just have to spread it with a cloth over the surface that you want to clean. This mixture is capable of removing stains and disinfecting effectively.
In the case of wooden furniture, instead of baking soda, you could clean it with a mixture of olive oil and lemon. The use of these two everyday ingredients manages to leave the furniture clean and shiny, as it disinfects and at the same time hydrates the wood. Likewise, lemon is a great ally to eliminate bad odors from pipes. To do this, you will have to mix a good amount of lemon juice with very hot water and throw it down the drains. Its antiseptic and odorizing functions will eliminate bad odor.
As for the glass and windows, the best alternative is to clean them with newspaper moistened with water. If the glasses are very dirty, you should also use a little alcohol and then dry them with a clean cloth.
The three main components of green cleaning services provided by green cleaning janitorial services Brampton are:
Are those chemicals cleaning agents with different “green seals'' safe to use? Most of them are certified as not having toxic ingredients to harm people, nor the environment. A characteristic of green chemicals is that they are completely biodegradable.
Cleaning equipment is being redesigned to meet the requirements that make a green machine. Some of these characteristics are the ergonomic design that avoids hurting the operator, reduction of environmental pollution, reducing exposure to chemicals, when using the equipment, among others. Today, cleaning equipment is already available that meets green standards and also performs the same or better than traditional equipment.
It is about the new culture for the cleaning staff to use chemicals and green cleaning equipment, coupled with the correct use of resources such as water, energy, and the correct handling of waste.
To apply green cleaning, you must break false myths such as, for example, that green products are not as effective as traditional ones or that it is only being cleaned well when there is a lot of foam. In general, the term cleaning refers to the set of practices that remove dirt while preserving the properties of materials. In addition, there are many biodegradable products that achieve this goal.
Today, it has become more common to hear about sustainable companies. In most cases, these companies follow environmental policies so that their work causes less impact on the planet. Although this is a very important advance, as we are becoming aware of the consequences of our actions, companies must aim to be sustainable not only in ecological matters but in different areas.
Companies must be sustainable in social, cultural, economic terms, among others. Sustainability is about finding the balance between purpose and profit so that not only the company grows, but also its members and the community where it operates. Financial performance must go hand in hand with social and environmental performance. This is why sustainability should not be confused with philanthropy since it is not about companies donating part of their profits and obtaining short-term results, the impact of which will be lost over time.
On the contrary, being sustainable is about strategically ensuring financial and social stability. Deepak Agarwal often speaks about how you can make your business more sustainable. In essence, it is the recipe for future success.
Sustainability can bring different benefits when doing business. For example, it will project more credibility since it will let customers know that the company respects the community, the environment, the sector, etc. Additionally, it works to let your competitors, clients, see the heart of your company, and appreciate the responsibility that you’re undertaking. It shows a need to change and to keep up with new changes; as well as being able to create benefits. Whether this is using less paper, switching things to digital, or offering services that make other people’s lives more sustainable, the options are endless for businesses.
Sustainability is an alternative for business growth that positions them as institutions that work for the common good and not only for private interests. Companies must be aware of the impact of their operations and design policies and strategies that respond to common interests, and that pay back what they have taken. These decisions, of course, must be strategic so that the change and impact of sustainable policies are indeed evident.
Being sustainable is making a difference and positively impacting society. In this way, not only the union but society, in general, is empowered. The reason for being sustainable is based on the fact that companies are not institutions outside society. On the contrary, they are entities that can produce change, transform, innovate, and renew social and environmental dynamics. This is the way that you are going to drive your business forward.
It will allow you to maximize your future successes and ensure companies’ greater sustainability in the medium and long term. Sustainability then becomes a tool to achieve greater competitiveness. It’s time to start looking into the ways in which you can accomplish this. Sit down, plan with your business colleagues, and take things to the next step. Sustainability is here to stay, and you should be ready to go!
We all know that it is important to try and take care of the environment. But what many people forget is that this is just like any other charity - it starts at home. If you are serious about improving the state of the ecological world, it really is best to start in your own backyard - literally.
As it happens, there are many things you can do to ensure you are helping to keep your local environment strong and healthy, and in this post, we are going to take a look at just some of these important steps you can take.
Install Waste-Saving Innovations
Reducing the waste you produce in your household is not just good for the planet overall, it has also been shown to be specifically beneficial for your own neighborhood. There are a lot of things you can do to reduce your waste, and sometimes the best way is to install waste-saving innovations in your own home. This can include a compactor, which can help to reduce the amount of local landfill space you are ultimately taking up. Or it could mean the simple use of an oil stop valve to help prevent bulk spillage - see more on this solution here, if you are curious.
Pick Up Litter
If you have noticed that there is plenty of litter in your local area, then you are probably keen to do something about it. The great thing about this is that it is one of the easiest problems to solve. All you need to do is to spend a day or two going around picking up litter. It might not sound like much fun, but if you get a few of your neighbors involved you can make a day of it. Do it regularly enough, and you are going to find that your neighborhood is suddenly a lot nicer to live in - and a lot less damaging to the environment.
Use Local Produce
Whatever it is that you like to eat, you should aim to generally get as much of it as possible from your local area. If you do that, you are helping in a number of ways. First of all, in a global sense, you are not giving money to these huge corporate-fueled supply chains that only damage the ecology of the planet. In a local sense, you are aiding local farms and other small businesses, and you are reducing your overall carbon footprint by only traveling a short distance for your food. It’s a really important and easy step to take, and one we should all be doing so much more. Usually, it’s a simple case of going to the local market or even asking for home delivery of a veg box from a local farm. There is always away.
If you do these simple things, you are going to be helping your local environment greatly - while also helping the global cause at the same time. As you can see, this charity really does start at home.
The world we live in has changed dramatically over the last forty years, and with it, businesses have had to adapt, learn, and grow. The consumer is placing more demands on us to be quicker, cheaper, and now, more sustainable. Understanding consumers' needs are essential for longevity in today’s world, so are you doing enough?
It’s never been more critical for companies to build sustainability into their culture. Ensuring they channel efforts into ecological and social responsibilities. It’s no longer acceptable to use wasteful packaging, the public wants to move away from plastic, and your carbon footprint could have a significant impact on your turnover. Demand for core values within a business to change has been so high that industry leaders have had to make some significant changes in their working day.
McDonald's and Burger king have moved away from the plastic straw after the internet lit up with campaigns that forced major players to invest in innovative solutions. Leading retail giants Walmart, IKEA, and H&M are working with their supply chains to reduce waste and improve material usage while ensuring local labor conditions within their suppliers are improved. Many companies have looked into 3D printing as a sustainable manufacturing process too, coming up with ways to cut down material waste, particularly through the prototype stage. Click here to see how 3D prototyping works.
Consumers are one of our stakeholders and how they think, feel, and behave should drive your marketing and your actions. Now, businesses can be held accountable by the public via social media, the people have a voice, and they are not afraid to tell you when you are unhappy. It’s essential to stay ahead of your competitors; however, working with other businesses in your sector could help generate more significant impacts across your whole industry. This, in itself, could help improve your relationship with your target audience.
Highlight areas within your business where you could make changes. Whether it is within your packing, production, or sales, there are multiple ways you can make a difference. Research what is available and see if you could reduce your waste. Speak to your suppliers to discover how they are making a move to a more eco-friendly world. If your product is being made overseas, look at the costs of having it manufactured closer to home. Invest some money and time into social projects to help people in low-income areas.
Most importantly, communicate with your consumers. Highlight what changes you are making, talk about your future commitments, and then ask them for their opinion. What would they like to see your industry do?
Now is the time to act, because when the consumer uses their voice, if they feel they aren’t heard, they will walk away. It’s not only vital for the planet that you step up and become a more sustainable business, but it’s also critical for the future success of your company, your staff, and your stakeholders. So look after the planet and ensure your future.
Are you looking for ways you can make your business better for the planet? Becoming a more eco-friendly business will not only help your budget but your bottom line. You’ll save money, and likely even make more money due to the fact that people are always looking for eco-friendly businesses to work with. That’s not the only reason to do this, of course - being a good business for the planet is important regardless. Many businesses have a huge carbon footprint, and the planet will benefit massively from cutting them down as much as possible. Read on for some suggestions:
Cut Down To A 4 Day Working Week
The 4-day working week is something certain European countries are adopting. Not only is it better for employee morale, but it also means reducing cars on the road, the need for public transport, and conserving energy as you don’t need your lights on, equipment plugged in, etc. Many business owners worry that they won’t get as much done, but many get the same amount of work done. Employees tend to fill the time they have, which is why many are able to get the same amount of work done in four days as five days when required.
Introduce More Remote Workers
Working from home is another great way to help the planet. If COVID-19 has taught us anything, it’s that working from home is entirely possible for many businesses that didn’t think it was possible. You can hire freelancers to work remotely online before hiring in-house employees, or you can simply employ full-time employees using strategies like flexitime.
Work With Eco-Friendly Suppliers And Partners
When you partner with like-minded people and organizations in your community, you have an even more positive impact on the environment. For example, look at Earth Friendly Promos next time you have an event to attend or host.
Make It A Part Of Your Company Culture
Making this a part of your company culture ensures everybody is on the same page, and it helps you to attract people who are already in alignment with your ethos. You could even get ideas and input from your employees to improve further.
Recycle And Reuse
Recycling and reusing everything you can make a big difference in the long run. A company’s recycling program ensures you’re doing all you can to recycle glass and plastics, for instance. Make sure you purchase recycled items, too! Many places sell things like recycled paper and ink cartridges.
Use Green Cleaning Products
Having a clean and hygienic workplace is a must, but many of the nice smells you get from cleaning products are actually toxic. Eco-friendly products might seem expensive, but they are much healthier and better for the planet. You can also justify it by thinking about the improved health and clarity of your team. Don’t forget about the healthier planet, either!
Ensure Everybody Is On The Same Page
You can’t achieve this alone. You need to make sure everybody is on board. Make sure you’re not the only one making sustainable choices and that everybody knows what they can do to contribute! You could have a noticeboard, for example.
How will you make your business better for the planet?
You’ve likely heard about corporate social responsibility (CSR) in one form or another. Initiatives like Starbucks pledging to donate 50 million meals by the year 2020 or Toms one-for-one mission where a pair of shoes is donated for every pair bought are well-known examples of social responsibility in action.
Over the past decade, CSR has become more important than ever before. Consumers believe that when they use a product or service of a socially responsible company, they are doing their part. The more socially responsible the company, the more supportive the community and consumers become. But CSR isn’t just important for brand awareness or driving consumers. How a business conducts itself, ethically speaking, can change the trajectory of success — including its ability to attract top talent.
If fact, it’s a crucial component of attracting Millennials, with 86% of the generation considering it a priority to work for a business that conducts itself ethically and responsibly. Not to mention, most are willing to take a considerable pay cut to work for such a business. This may just be one generation but think about this. By 2025, roughly 75% of the global workforce will be Millennials. The corporate cultures of most large organizations will be directly shaped by this generation’s habits and expectations
Hence, the value of social responsibility.
Of course, if you’re a startup you’re probably facing financial challenges that come with getting off the ground. In this case, it’s easy to view socially responsible initiatives as a daunting task or even a luxury reserved for larger corporations — after all, there are so many elaborate and wonderful initiatives out there. But that doesn’t have to be the case.
With startups in mind, Embroker, put together this comprehensive guide that outlines how to integrate business ethics and social responsibility at the startup stage. It covers topics like how to prioritize social responsibility, how to give back when you’re a startup on a budget and examples of companies who’ve done it best.
For example, they outline six ways to give back on a startup budget:
1. Start with making internal changes.
Sometimes the easiest way to execute social responsibility is making changes within your company/organization. Can you make changes to your internal startup culture by implementing flexible hours, catered lunches, or other non-traditional perks for your employees? In which people have flexible hours, healthy catered lunches, permission to bring their dogs to work, and a wide variety of perks that fall outside traditional workspace norms.
This may be stereotypical of a startup culture or young workplace but, but what this does is cultivate a strong culture where empathy and awareness of social impacts are top of mind. This can be a powerful tool for building a commitment to other aspects of social responsibility later on down the line.
2. Look at what your immediate community needs
Sometimes, just figuring out where to even get started can feel overwhelming, especially when there are endless ways to get involved in social responsibility.
Try taking this on at a small scale by helping out where your community needs assistance. Maybe it’s volunteering at a local shelter or organizing a beach cleanup. These types of small scale opportunities are a great way to be socially responsible and only cost your time.
3. Start small and ask for help
In other words, lean on the larger community to execute socially responsible initiatives. Maybe you want to organize an event to raise money for charity, but you don’t have the resources. Try asking a local venue to donate their space, a local restaurant to donate food and people from your business to help with logistics. Again, all that takes is time.
4. Lay the groundwork for a sustainable supply chain
If you're a product-based business that deals with manufacturing, this one is for you. Make ethical choices in your supply chain: consider where materials are sourced from, how they’re made and manufactured.
5. Get your board of directors on board with your initiatives
If you’re a startup that’s acquired VC funding, then it will be important to get your investors and board of directors on board with your initiatives. This may seem like a daunting task since these individuals holding the purse strings want to understand the business impacts of CSR initiatives. But if you can build a case as to why this supports your company and it’s the bottom line, and it’s their job to be laser-focused on returns, you might just get their blessing — and maybe even a budget.
6. Give volunteered time off (VTO)
Again, being socially responsible doesn’t have to cost money. Maybe you don’t have a budget or board of investors, but you can offer uptime volunteering.
VTO works just like paid time off. You give employees paid days off to provide volunteer services of their choice. This could even grow into a company-wide effort where you collectively choose an organization and take a company-wide VTO day.
To learn more about ways to apply socially responsible initiatives at the startup stage, check out their complete ethics and social responsibility guide.
With all the people in the world and the resources we use, waste management is important, especially if you own a business. If you don't have a cardboard baler in your building as part of your commercial waste management system, here's why you should change that.
One of the best reasons to use a cardboard baler for your business is the money it can save you. While it might seem like spending money on expensive machinery would have the opposite effect, a baler can help you save a lot. For starters, you don't have to worry about paying for frequent pick-ups to keep your business free of cardboard. In addition to this, you save a little more since people aren't constantly coming in and out and letting cold air into your building. While it may be a big investment, you'll see considerable savings over time.
Being a good business owner means making the most out of both you and your employees' time, and a cardboard baler helps with that. You don't want people spending a bunch of time dealing with cardboard and other waste when there are more important things to do, and that's what you get with the right commercial waste management system. Since the baler takes most of the work out of dealing with cardboard, your employees can spend more of their day doing the things you hired them to do, which means your business will be more productive.
Perhaps the best part about using a cardboard baler is the fact that it keeps your building clean and safe. Cleanliness isn't just about you liking the way your building looks; it also has an effect on how productive your employees are and how big and open your workspace is. This is especially important if piles of cardboard are taking up too much room or causing safety hazards for employees. With a baler, you can compact your cardboard into one smaller chunk so you don't have to worry about it filling up your building or tripping anybody.
Making sure you're doing your part to manage the waste your business creates is crucial, especially if you want a successful business. The good news is, there are a lot of solid ways to reduce waste, including cardboard balers. If you aren't using cardboard balers to keep your business clean and save time and money, now is the perfect time to start.
Are you looking for more ways to be environmentally friendly? Do you currently work in an office without a green initiative? Big companies are becoming more and more environmentally responsible, particularly as this is something consumers are seeking out. But what is going on behind the scenes?
To make a difference, we all need to work together, and here are a few ways you can encourage your office to go green.
Go Paperless
This might not be entirely achievable, depending on the nature of your business, but in every situation where you are currently printing or using paper, it’s worth thinking – is this 100% necessary? A lot of paper gets wasted in office and, although often recycled, it’s better to avoid using – and wasting – it in the first place. You can send things that would usually be printed via email and use online forms and file-sharing sites to cut down.
Get a Desk Plant
We all know that plants and trees are air purifying, so why not bring a little greenery into the office? Not only will they clean the air, but a few desk plants dotted about make for a more cheerful office atmosphere.
Digitalize
The more you can work and train away from handouts and textbooks, the better for the environment. You will be able to find a corporate training platform that can provide you with the training and development you are looking for in your team in a wholly paperless way.
Turn it Down
We know offices are never the right temperature. You feel like either someone from accounts is always opening the window, or else it’s HR cranking up the thermostat as high as it will go. Although you won’t be able to work in an office that is completely unbearable temperature-wise, try going down a few degrees at a time. Get everyone prepared so they can bring in jumpers if it’s winter and invest in some communal hot drinks to keep the cold at-bat.
Have a Monthly Challenge
One of the best ways to motivate your members of staff is to introduce a little friendly competition. Discuss a monthly challenge that you can take on as a team. You could all decide to give up plastic water bottles, or disposable coffee cups. How about everyone commits to turning off their PCs before heading out the door? You could even go as far as to get sponsorship for it and donate the proceeds to an environmental charity.
Work from Home
Sounds too good to be true, right? But if everyone in the office worked from home one day per week, that gets rid of the carbon travel footprint for an entire team of people. You can use Skype for meetings, which is becoming a much more standard way of conducting chats with employees who work remotely.
These are just a few ways you can reduce your impact on our planet in the office and start to work together as a team to recycle and look after the environment.
The world is changing. Business is changing. And the people with whom you do business are changing. In today’s digitally-enabled world, your customers and clients (whether you operate in the B2C or B2B space) know that they can afford to be fickle. They understand that a plethora of choices is only a Google search away. And if you can’t ably demonstrate that you can meet their needs, you will lose business to your competitors. Sure, SEO plays a part too. But most consumers, especially younger consumers are willing to do their homework to find brands whose ideals and priorities align with theirs.
And a big part of this is showing that you are committed not just to turning a profit, but to turning a profit ethically. Studies show that almost ¾ of millennial consumers would rather pay more to use a business that has a strong ethical focus rather than use one that doesn’t. And if you aren’t catering to these upwardly mobile, cash-rich consumers, you’re missing out on a highly viable target market.
50 shades of ethics
There are many business owners who have found great success by providing ethically conscious consumers with options which help them to live a lower-impact and more sustainable life. Indeed, an ethical focus is no longer a novelty these days, it’s imperative.
Society and business are (thankfully) moving away from the ‘greed is a virtue’ models that have permeated since the late ‘70s and begun putting more focus on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
The great thing about CSR is that it affords businesses a multitude of ways in which it can find more ethical ways of doing business while also helping them stay accountable to the clientele that uses them. Although treating and paying your employees well and ensuring that your customers have a direct means of holding you accountable are both vitally important, it’s also key to be able to demonstrate your eco-cred.
In these increasingly environmentally aware times, you need to be able to show that your operations are considerate of the planet we share and the finite resources that are quickly running out.
Here are some ways to do just that:
Eschew animal products
More and more consumers are going vegan (or at least trying to eat less meat) and eschewing products such as cosmetics which are tested on animals or contain materials derived from animals.
There are many ways in which you can eschew animal products from buying fewer dairy milk and using more plant milk in the break room to ensuring that none of the raw materials that go into the products you make come from animals.
Find a sustainable way to deal with your plastics
Plastic has been a ubiquitous part of modern living since the ‘50s… and our over-reliance upon it for pretty much everything we do has proven disastrous for our planet and particularly our oceans. Marine experts like Dame Ellen MacArthur predict that there will be more plastics than fish in our oceans by 2050 and documentaries like A Plastic Ocean have shown in uncompromising terms just how damaging our plastic fixation has proven to marine plant, bird and animal life.
As such, it’s vital that you deal with your plastic waste in a sustainable way, ensuring that they are duly separated and recycled by a reliable service provider. Nonetheless, recycling is still less efficient than not producing plastic waste at all.
Many businesses are investing heavily in plant-based or biodegradable alternatives to plastics in all aspects of their operations from packaging to products which bring us to...
By all means, use branded goods… but choose ethical promo items
Finally, promotional branded products are a wonderful way to create positive associations with your brand by giving people what we all want… something for nothing.
But the disposable (and unsustainable) nature of many of these products, especially those made from plastic, is no longer appealing to ethically focused consumers. Indeed, it can even put them off your brand.
The good news, however, is that no matter what you want to give away to prospective customers at trade shows and other events, there’s a more eco-friendly way to do it. Just take a look at these cool eco-alternatives which give all the value to new prospects but at none of the ecological cost. From biodegradable tote bags to reusable bamboo cups and even eco-friendly USB sticks made from sustainable bamboo, there are a wealth of ways in which you can demonstrate your ethical focus through your freebies.
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