How Businesses Are Going Green and Lowering Their Carbon Footprint
People are always trying to find ways to lower their carbon footprint by doing what is right for the environment. However, people doing their part for the environment is not enough. It’s also important for small and big businesses to do their part to go green. Some companies are coming up with unique and creative ways to lower their impact on the environment.
Zero-Waste Policies
In some cases, it becomes necessary for companies to use some resources. However, some big companies, such as Asian Agri, have come up with zero-waste policies to make sure that they make the most out of all the resources they use. This company, which is owned by Sukanto Tanoto, has come up with water treatment and renewable energy programs to make themselves even more sustainable.
Turning Off Equipment When Not in Use
This seems like a small thing to worry about, but studies have shown that turning off equipment, such as computers, at the end of the day can reduce a company’s energy usage by nearly 25 percent. The less amount of energy a company can use, the better it is for the environment. Of course, going green isn’t the only reason why companies should do this. It will also save them a lot of money in power bills and having to buy new equipment because it runs all the time.
Encouraging Electronic Communications
This is the era of technology, but some businesses still find it necessary to do all of their communications with employees and consumers on paper. Trees are being cut down to make this paper. Instead, most communications can be handled via email or phone. With many big companies providing employees with phones and email accounts, there is no reason why a memo has to go out on paper.
Stop Dripping Water
This is another thing that most people don’t even consider. However, companies that have physical addresses usually have some kind of washroom with sinks. A sink that has a tap that drips just one drop per second wastes nearly 10,000 liters of water per year. With millions of companies around the world, that is a lot of wasted water. Thankfully, many companies actively check their washrooms to make sure that they are running smoothly and water is not being wasted.
Renewable Energy
Perhaps the biggest thing that a company can do is produce its own energy. Companies are doing this by installing solar panels on their roofs. In cases where this is not enough energy to run all of their equipment, some companies actively seek out energy suppliers who are using renewable energy, like the energy produced from wind farms.
While it’s important for individuals to do their part for the environment, it’s just as important for companies to do theirs. By using a few of the policies and methods above, companies around the world have started to lower their impact on the environment. The overall goal for these companies is to eventually make themselves self-efficient. This is not something that can happen overnight, but it’s great to see some companies starting to work toward this goal.