The terms sustainability and environmental awareness have passed the long way from being the talking points of small activist circles to being one of the burning and most frequently discussed issues of the modern age. With harmful and ultimately obsolete fossil fuels backing up as much as 81.5% of contemporary energy consumption, the necessity for rapid and thorough changes is all but apparent. For the most part, the various industries have responded.
These days we can witness a number of eco-friendly of contedly measures and solutions that are slowly but irrevocably changing the business playing field, moving the conversation in a much more eco-friendly and sustainable direction. Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting mentions.
Changes starting at the office
Although when talking about environmental issues and sustainability, we often like to imagine large industrial facilities, the truth is that the offices are a powerful contributor to the overall environmental impact. Therefore, most of the companies like to start their efforts at these lowest instances. Some of the most popular moves are the elimination of paper documents, wider implementation of Cloud tech, use of more efficient appliances, heavier reliance on natural light and renewable resources, and so on. All these measures are slowly growing from novelty to industry standards.
Introduction of renewable materials
Like in the previous case, all businesses, at least to some degree, use materials that are contributing to environmental impact like plastic. Up until recently, this problem could not be avoided – after all, plastic chairs are simply more affordable and portable than the ones made from organic materials. Fortunately, these things are starting to change, so the compromises are no longer required. For instance, a growing number of businesses are pushing bamboo as a renewable alternative and with great success too. The great thing is that materials like this produce zero environmental impacts.
Embracing the green agenda
Businesses today are aware that people are very emotional when it comes to the choice of their brands. Because of that, the companies that want to grow are doing their best to embrace the green agenda and address environmental issues. Take, for instance, Adidas – a company that has recently completely overhauled its supply chains and effectively eliminated some of the problems like plastic bags. Their direct competitors Nike have invested conscious efforts to reduce waste and optimize production. The examples like these will only become more numerous as time goes by.
The rise of energy-efficient lighting
To put it simply, light is something necessary to run any industry in the world. As a quick reminder, electrical light sources consume 1/6–1/5 of the annual energy production, and the business sector has a large role in this issue. The solution for this burning issue can be found in more energy-efficient bulbs. For instance, the LED lighting systems shown here are perfectly suitable for a whole range of business instances ranging from offices to industrial facilities. The companies are answering the call. After all, energy savings are producing more than welcome monetary surpluses.
Industry powered by renewable resources
Solar panels have long been something reserved only for businesses with deep pockets. Even with all the apparent benefits, the savings produced by these units took too much time for any company struggling to stay competitive to truly pay off. This situation is gradually changing. First and foremost, the price of solar panel systems dropped considerably during the last couple of years. Second, the various government incentives we can see all around the globe are doing a lot of heavy lifting to make this technology accessible even to the SMB sector.
Steps toward green and telecommuting
The outbreak of Covid-19 we have been struggling with since the beginning of the year forced a lot of office labor to relocate and perform work obligations from home. Various researches have noted the environmental benefits of this admittedly forced situation. So, we can expect to see at least a portion of the remote workforce to stay home and continue with this eco-friendly practice. But, even beyond this topic, we can see a growing number of examples in which businesses provide incentives for employees that travel to work by public transport or ride a bike.
Creating eco-friendly communities
This is one of the very popular moves aimed at creating an efficient office space that doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the very design, layout, or the items that inhabit the space. One of the most efficient ways in which companies reduce their environmental impact is by simply spreading the eco-friendly culture amongst the staff. This, in turn, is usually performed through education, seminars, and green incentives. The workers should also be encouraged to populate the workspace with plants as well as maximize the use of natural lights.
These few mentions are far from the complete story, but they provide some general insight into the moves the modern businesses are taking to join the eco-friendly conversation and reduce their environmental impact. The good thing is that virtually all of these strategies are producing considerable financial gains. That is absolutely necessary for any change to take strong roots.
Images:
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1: https://www.rawpixel.com/image/1581/free-photo-image-architect-office-writing
2: https://www.rawpixel.com/image/899174/free-image-rawpixelcom
