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As individuals become more aware of the environmental impact of global warming and climate change, there is more onus on everyone to increase their sustainability efforts.

The great thing about placing more importance on sustainability is that it can have many benefits for everyone. Whether trying to sell a home, lower energy bills, or run a business more responsibly, the small efforts you make now can have a large positive impact long-term.

For new startup businesses, positioning sustainability efforts as a top priority can play an important factor in helping a venture to succeed. Thankfully, there are a number of practical ways you can help your startup take more responsibility for reducing its carbon footprint.

Practical Steps Your Startup Can Take to Improve Its Sustainability Efforts

1. Assess Your Current Environmental Impact

As a startup business, the first thing you’ll want to understand when looking for ways to improve sustainability is that every organization is unique. What may be an impactful adjustment to one company may not be as effective as another.

In order to get a sense of where your efforts are best served, you’ll want to evaluate your business model and the potential environmental impact it can produce. 

For example, manufacturing companies may want to consider how their production and assembly lines are powered while looking for effective ways to reduce their energy consumption. However, simply running an office building can have certain environmental impacts that should be considered.

In any event, once you’ve identified potential areas for improvement, then you’ll be able to start creating new sustainability initiatives that make a real difference in your industry.

2. Set Clear and Measurable Goals

Once you have established a list of potential sustainability goals, it’s important to document and incorporate them into your business’s mission statement. This helps solve a couple of objectives.

First off, by making sustainability a part of your company’s mission to some degree, it shows potential customers that your values as an organization are more than just financial stability and growth.

Secondly, when you document your goals and make them publicly accessible to employees and customers, it helps you to stay accountable for achieving them. 

3. Explore Ways to Reduce Your Energy Consumption

When most people think of reducing their environmental impact, one of the first things that comes to mind is energy consumption. And this makes sense, considering that commercial business settings can use a considerable amount of energy resources yearly.

The good thing is there are a number of energy-saving measures startup businesses can implement. Using smart thermostats and lighting features is a great way to cut down on energy costs when there is little traffic in the office. 

Another thing to consider is the possibility of redesigning kitchen spaces and other communal areas with energy-efficient appliances or better insulation to help optimize heating and cooling in the building.

4. Reduce the Waste You Produce

Most businesses create an abundance of waste throughout the year to support their operations. Whether throwing away extensive amounts of paper and plastic products or when discarding office supplies and kitchen garbage, it’s important to find ways to incorporate responsible garbage and recycling practices.

Depending on the size of your business, you may want to invest in various recycling services and partner with local composting facilities to help dispose of your waste more responsibly and avoid being overly reliant on landfills.

5. Prioritize Relationships with Sustainable Suppliers

Part of your sustainability obligations as a company aren’t just restricted to the best practices you put into place but also to the type of partnerships you maintain. The vendors and suppliers you choose say a lot about your organization’s values and gain, which positively or negatively impact your brand reputation.

When choosing suppliers, take the time to thoroughly research your options. It’s important to support other businesses with a similar passion for their sustainability efforts. This is especially the case when working with larger commercial organizations that can considerably impact the environment, especially if they don’t have responsible policies in place.

6. Consider More Sustainable Forms of Transportation

Carbon emissions are another important consideration for businesses that rely on vehicle transportation. An example of this would be businesses that rely on shipping and receiving processes or organizations that manage their own vehicle fleets.

If your startup business has a need for these, it’s important to think about certain initiatives you can put in place to help reduce the carbon emissions you contribute to. This could include making investments in more eco-friendly company vehicles or working with freight providers who have already done the same.

7. Educate Your Employees on the Importance of Sustainability

Your employees should play an equal part in helping you to achieve your business’ sustainability goals.

Getting your employees on board with your company initiatives all begins with your hiring processes. You’ll want to carefully vet the staff you bring in at the early stages of your company’s development. This will help minimize the need to regularly remind your team of the importance of following through with important company policies surrounding environmental responsibility.

Still, you’ll want to make sure your team has access to the awareness it needs to take company sustainability efforts seriously. This can be achieved by hosting workshops that cover the various ways the organization can work together to help improve their waste reduction and conserve resources.

Take Your Business’s Commitment to Sustainability Seriously

When you’re trying to grow a startup business, it can be hard to keep sustainability efforts as a top priority. This is especially the case when confronted with growing competitors and trying to move the needle on your sales and marketing initiatives.

However, it’s important to take your business’ commitment to implementing best practices that reduce its impact on the environment seriously. By holding yourself accountable and continuously looking for ways to improve your sustainability efforts, you can create a lasting positive impact on the planet and your brand’s reputation.

Written by Dalip Jaggi

 

About the Author

Entrepreneur, technologist, and passionate business leader sum up the core of Dalip Jaggi, co-founder of Revive Real Estate, a PropTech company with a goal to democratize house flipping. Since its 2020-inception, Revive has since become the smartest solution for homeowners to maximize their home’s sales value across the nation.

 

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