Think your consumers don’t care about sustainability? Think again.
According to GreenBiz:
- At least 75% of consumers report sustainability to be moderately to extremely important to them.
- 71% of consumers would pay more for brands that are sustainable.
- 57% of consumers say climate change has caused them to reassess their purchasing habits
The events that conspired in 2020 have expedited consumer sustainability trends in every industry. With fires burning millions of acres of forest across the globe, Arctic sea ice melting to its second-lowest level since the late 1970’s, two-thirds of the world’s wildlife having gone extinct in the last 50 years, and 1 million plant and animal species on track for extinction (many within decades), consumers are calling for sustainability like never before; and 86% of businesses are anticipating an increase in sales over the next year due to a greater focus on sustainability.
With this heightened awareness of sustainability, consumers are looking to their favorite retailers to act accordingly. Here are some things you can do to turn your small business into a sustainable brand:
Sustainability in the Office
Reduce:
- Swap out plastic and disposable with glass and ceramic alternatives wherever possible (think: cups, plates, utensils, coffee pods).
- Use non-toxic cleaning products to keep toxins out of streams and landfills.
- Choose sustainable packaging options like recycled cardboard and paper. Compostable packaging is another option that results in zero waste.
- Reduce your carbon footprint and your energy bill with energy-efficient appliances, LED lighting, and smart thermostats.
Reuse:
- Use both sides of printer paper in the office.
- Repurpose boxes.
- Keep functional furniture out of landfills by purchasing secondhand office furniture pieces.
Recycle:
- Promote the recycling of products whenever possible and make it easy for your employees to toss plastic bottles and other recyclables in the recycling bin.
- When it comes to paper products, opt for sustainable, recycled products like toilet paper and printer paper made from post- or pre-consumer waste.
- Implement a compost program to turn leftover lunches into soil for parks and gardens.
Sustainability Out of the Office
- Offer Remote Work: Offer employees the option to work from home to decrease carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, save money on workplace utilities, and reduce your business’s overall carbon footprint.
- Promote Public Transit: Provide commuter benefits for public transit when employees do need to be in the office.
- Support a Green Supply Chain: Go green in your supply chain working with carbon-neutral vendors.
- Choose Green Web Hosting Services: Your website’s server is always on, meaning it uses up a ton of energy. Offset that energy usage by going carbon neutral. Choose your data storage options wisely. For instance, Google’s cloud services produce zero net carbon emissions
- Purchase Carbon Offsets: Buy carbon offsets for the portion of your carbon footprint you aren’t able to reduce. Here’s a list of credible carbon offset companies, complements of GreenBiz:
Going Sustainable? Get Support from TTG!
Work with a TTG Mentor to conquer your sustainable small business goals!
