Many Canadian companies have set a shining example by adopting environmentally friendly business practices that do not take away from their bottom line. What strategies have these Canadian businesses adopted? What can your small business learn from this?
Numerous Canadian companies have discovered ways to 'go green' that benefit their business. Accenture was selected as one of Canada's Greenest employees of 2015, reducing employee emissions by 36% since 2007. Not only did Accenture setup environmentally friendly strategies, they also economized in the process. Accenture established the 'Smart Work' program so as to promote better work-life balance and reduce participating employees' carbon footprint, by encouraging them to work off-site for one or more weeks every month. Accenture also eliminated unnecessary business travel, requesting employees use web conferencing plus other offsite collaboration technologies for their meetings. As a small business, you may not need to have a permanent office space. Physical offices use a lot of electricity, air conditioning as well as other outputs. Over time, the impact on the environment amalgamates and so does the price of all the overheads. With a virtual office energy outputs and costs are reduced significantly.To further benefit the environment and your pocket, encourage your staff to work from home, or use a virtual assistant. This way you eliminate employees' daily commute, which significantly reduces their carbon footprint. Using a virtual office entails a reduced impact on the environment plus lower costs.
There are many other ways of aiding the environment through wise choices. The Insurance Corp. of British Columbia (ICBC) was also selected as one of Canada's greenest companies in 2015. At little cost, the company operates a thorough recycling program, which ensures that styrofoam, toner cartridges, fluorescent bulbs, office and home batteries are recycled. It is very easy for your small business to implement a similar scheme at minimal cost. Make sure you have the recycling boxes in place, and even a composting box. Most provinces will pick up recycling as part of the weekly garbage. If not, it is usually easy to find somewhere close-by where you can drop off recyclables.
KPMG in Toronto, has gained recognition from Canadian environmentalists by dramatically reducing its paper consumption by 45 percent since 2009. The company decreased the number of printers in its offices, compelling employees to work using electronic documents almost exclusively. KPMG continually measures paper consumption and sets new reduction targets. For your small business, making sure you and your employees prioritize the use of electronic documents can be an easy way to minimize your company's impact on the environment, furthermore you will save money on paper and printer ink!
Lush Handmade Cosmetics also made it on the list of Green Canadian companies. The company has set about 'greening' its retail locations, by opening 'green concept shops'. These feature LED lighting, reclaimed wood flooring and furniture, recycled glass for fixtures and tiling, plus no VOC paint finishes. If your small business plans to set up a new venue not only will you help the environment, but you might even save money by using LED lights. Even if they cost more upfront, they save you money in the long-term. You can also cut costs and reduce your impact on the planet by using reclaimed wood and upcycled furniture to furnish your space. Reclaiming or recycling wood can save you money plus often results in finding more beautiful wood than you can afford to purchase.
