environment

04/03/2023 By Jason Bean Leave a Comment

How To Promote Sustainability as a Small Business Owner

When you start a business, you should ensure that its practices reflect your values. If sustainability is important to you, you can take steps to reduce your company's environmental impact while maintaining profitability and building a positive reputation. Today, Bnpositive Communication and Design shares some tips and resources to help you get started.

Prioritize Sustainability From the Start

You can make environmental responsibility central to your business from the beginning. When developing the idea for your business, research various sustainable options. For example, you can open a shop that sells eco-friendly household goods or start a company that offers green landscaping services. Look into your local market and find a niche that matches your skills and interests.

When creating your business plan, include a mission statement describing the purpose and goals of your company. A business plan should also describe the structure of your company. Forming an LLC is a good idea because you can limit personal liability while still being a flexible small business with simpler taxes and manageable paperwork.

You should research your state's unique regulations because the rules can vary. Save money by filing your own paperwork or using a formation service instead of expensive legal services. However, not all formation services are the same, so check reviews to make sure you’re getting the best deal.

Create an Eco-Friendly Workspace

Whether you work from home or operate your business from a separate building like a store or office, you should try to create a green work environment. For example, research shows that leaky faucets and running toilets can waste gallons of water daily, so you should not procrastinate repairs in the washroom and kitchen.

Also, if you’re involved in ecommerce, it’s obviously very important that your customers be able to browse and purchase from your site with ease. Luckily, you can try this platform and help to streamline the process for all involved, thus increasing customer satisfaction while maximizing efficiency.

In addition, you can encourage recycling by placing bins in convenient locations, such as near the printer or copier. You should also invest in reusable office supplies, like pens that you can refill. When buying furniture, look for second-hand and refurbished pieces. You can even use recycled materials and indoor plants to make your decor reflect your values.

Digitize and Reduce Paper Use

Paper may not seem expensive, but it has a significant environmental impact. Your business can take steps like using double-sided printing and unsubscribing from mailing lists to reduce paper waste. Digitizing documents and records can also help you use less paper. You can find digital alternatives for tasks like bookkeeping, maintaining records and sending faxes. You can also use paperless billing and invoicing. Select a pre-made invoicing template and add custom colors and a logo. Make sure you include your business's name and any relevant text. Then, you can create an invoice template that is consistent with your brand.

Improve Energy Efficiency

Making energy-efficient upgrades is good for the environment and your business's finances. You should shut down electronics and other energy-drawing equipment when not in use. Furthermore, consider replacing your lighting with more efficient LEDs. You can also significantly reduce your heating and cooling costs by fixing windows, sealing leaks and adding insulation. Keeping your HVAC system clean and well-maintained is a good idea, too.

Promote Your Green Values

Surveys show that customers value sustainability and look for companies with eco-friendly values. Featuring your green practices in your marketing and branding efforts can help you reach consumers whose environmentalist values align with your own. You should use recycled and sustainable materials when possible. Communicate the steps you take to reduce consumption and lessen your impact. Finally, listen to feedback and be willing to look critically at the entire supply chain that impacts your business.

Sustainable business practices, from energy-efficient building upgrades to paperless digital invoices, allow your company to make a difference. You can make eco-friendly changes while growing your business and your brand.

Bnpositive Communication and Design has been helping businesses and individuals with their technological needs for over 25 years. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!

11/05/2019 By Jason Bean Leave a Comment

6 Ways to Make Your Coffee More Eco-Friendly

Hot Cup of Coffee on Whole Beans

For many people, drinking several cups of coffee a day is a lifestyle choice. So, considering how much java is gulped down on a daily basis, it makes sense to try and make this habit more eco-friendly. The good news is that it is absolutely possible to do this! For the best results, follow these suggestions below:

1. Keep Your K Cups Green

K cups have enjoyed quite a bit of popularity in the past few years. Not only does this product make it easier to brew your money cup, but it has so many different flavor options to choose from as well. Despite all the positive elements associated with K cups, there was one glaring issue. This, of course, was the fact that single-use containers weren’t green at all.

The good news, though, is that manufacturers have listened to these concerns and responded accordingly with the introduction of eco friendly Biodegradable K Cups. There are now several brands that offer containers that naturally break down with time. These fall into two categories – biodegradable and compostable. Thus, you can select a K cup that is especially suitable for your type of eco-friendly techniques.

Of course, when selecting these containers, try to make it a point to read the labels carefully. While some are fully biodegradable, this isn’t true for all K cups. Others have certain compartments that need to be separated and sent off to specialized recycling centers. Thus, you will need to select one that is easiest for you to dispose of in a responsible manner.

2. Buy Coffee Makers with Reusable Filters

Most people would look at single-use coffee filters and imagine that they would break down rather easily. After all, they are rather flimsy and are sure to decompose in a landfill. Well, what most people aren’t aware of is the fact that these filters are bleached. So, when they do break down, they release harmful chemicals into the soil.

This is why you should buy a coffee maker with reusable filters. As the name suggests, these can be rinsed out and used continuously. Thus, you can considerably cut down on just how much waste you create every day. In case you aren’t in the market for a new coffee maker, there is another option for you.

You can purchase a separate reusable filter for your machine. All you need to do is to check that the filter is the right shape and size for your coffee machine model and you will be good to go.

3. Keep it Local

The distance your coffee has to travel to get to you can play a huge role in whether or not it is eco-friendly. Whether your coffee reaches you by ship, plane, or truck, there is quite a bit of pollution involved in the transportation process. This alone is enough for the coffee to leave behind a significant carbon footprint.

To cut down on this, look for local brands that grow and process the beans closer to you. Naturally, these beans will not have to travel nearly as far to get to a store in your town or city. As a result, it will be a great deal safer for the environment.

4. Buy Coffee Grown with Minimal Environment Impact

It is important to keep in mind that going organic isn’t just good for your body. Organic farming is safe for the environment as well. By its very definition, organic farming cuts out the use of pesticides and other harmless toxins. Thus, there is no chance for these chemicals to seep into the surrounding soil and contaminate it.

If you don’t mind taking it one step further, look for other stamps on your coffee such as Rainforest Alliance and bird-friendly. This means that the processing system is eco-friendly and that the beans are grown in a sustainable manner.

5. Have Reusable Mugs on Hand

A number of people take their coffee to go each day. This is why it is so important to take a reusable mug with you each time you leave the house. Such a practice naturally cuts down on how much waste you create. Not to mention, you also get to keep your coffee warmer for longer.

If possible, adopt this practice when getting your brew from a local coffee shop. Rather than pouring the java into a disposable cup, have it poured into a reusable mug. This, too, can make a significant impact in reducing how much waste you produce on a regular basis.

6. Compost Your Beans

If you bought a 2 lb bag whole bean colombian coffee, don’t ditch your used coffee grounds into your trash once you are done with them. They still have some uses. In particular, coffee grounds are excellent for both composting as well as fertilizing. So, if you have a garden, these leftovers should be going there instead.

The grounds can add nitrogen to the soil and make it easier for plants to grow in your garden. At the same time, they are a natural solution to ward off snails and slugs. There is even some evidence to suggest that grounds can prevent your cats from using your garden as a litter box. Last but not least, they can help to feed any worms in your worm bin.

If you want a guilt-free cup of java, these are the steps that you need to take. For the best possible impact, make sure to follow all these suggestions. Within no time at all, you will be able to significantly reduce the environmental impact of every cup of coffee you drink.