June 26th, 2018 by Chris Chapman

In the modern age, we all have a responsibility to make ourselves as eco-friendly as possible. This is especially true of businesses. While you might think taking your business in an eco-friendly direction is more trouble than it’s worth, going green can really help your brand. Studies have shown modern consumers, especially millennials, are more attracted to eco-friendly businesses, so advertising yourself as an environmentally aware company is a sure-fire winner. So how can you make your business eco-friendlier? Luckily, it doesn’t take much! Being eco-friendly doesn’t mean you have to make big changes, you can make a bunch of little changes and the effect will add up over the course of a year! Read on for quick and easy advice that proves it is easy being green!

Recycle Old PCs

Upgrading your PC? Don't let it go to waste Pretty much every business uses at least one computer these days, and they’ll eventually need upgrading or replacing. When they do, don’t throw your old PC out! Many manufacturers have buyback schemes that will let you recycle your old PC and make a bit of money back into the bargain. The parts from your old PC can be recycled and used in any number of things, which is a much better option than leaving your computer in a cupboard somewhere!

Allow Staff to Work from Home

Working from home can be a great way to help out the planet every now and then, and good for staff morale, too! If you’re an online-focused business, as we are, it’s wise to let your staff work from home from time to time if possible. This will reduce your business’ carbon footprint as your staff won’t have to burn fossil fuels driving in to work! Naturally, for a lot of businesses, this isn’t always possible, but if there are jobs that can be done remotely, consider allowing that on occasion. Properly kit out your own home office to take advantage of the online age and do your bit for the environment!

Replace Old Appliances

Your old radiator could be costing you - and the planet You might think a new appliance, like a fridge, radiator, or a fan, is something you don’t need if you already have one that’s working well. However, updating these old appliances to new energy-saving models could net you massive savings on your running costs and really help out the planet over the course of the year. You’ll notice this much more during winter time when you’ll need to have your heating on throughout the day. Getting a smart radiator with a thermostat and timer, as well as open door detection, will help cut down on waste and will keep you warmer for less!

Drink Green

A catering urn like the Mylek Xpresso could help you be greener and save money! Everyone loves a tea or coffee at work but try and encourage your staff to leave as little waste as possible. Coffee machines that make use of single-use espresso pods are expensive and create a lot of waste. A catering urn and a large tin of coffee will massively reduce this problem. You should also encourage your employees to bring their own mugs, cups, and water bottles rather than have them use plastic or paper cups.

Green Web Hosting

Web servers use a lot of power and need to be constantly cooled Hosting a company website is something that most business owners don’t think about too much – chances are it’s handled by some company with servers on the other side of the world, and that’s all you need to know. However, few people actually connect the dots and work out that it can use quite a lot of electricity to power a web server! If you really want to make an effort to go green, you should consider green web hosting. This involves using a web host who powers their servers using renewable energy, or who plant trees and try to carbon offset to balance out the carbon footprint that’s left when you power a web server.