The world is facing a growing waste crisis, and retail businesses need to reduce their impact on the environment. And the waste that has to be dealt with isn’t limited to what can be seen by the naked eye.
We now know that our oceans are filled with microscopic litter that ends up in the food we eat. It also doesn’t help factories routinely discharge wastewater and other chemicals, which affects our water supply. These problems can be mitigated if companies took their ecological responsibility more seriously.
Even if you run a small retail store, you need to exert an effort to minimize the waste you produce. For instance, instead of using plastic bags, you can switch to eco-bags in the USA. It also helps to have an action plan that ensures all the waste you produce is disposed of sustainably.
Some brands offer discounts for customers that use reusable bags.
The market has changed so much in recent years, and consumers are more conscious of the state of the environment. Here are a few pointers for making your brand more green and sustainable.
1. Foster a culture of sustainability
I think we’re all aware of our impact on the environment. Our quest for profit and growth has directly led to environmental abuse. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, virtually every industry, from construction to textile manufacturing, produces waste and pollution. Anyone involved in commercial and industrial activities needs to take steps to minimize their impact. One way to do that is to adopt a zero-emissions model.
The concept simple: any waste produced must be canceled out by an initiative that provides a net benefit. For instance, investing in sustainable sources of energy such as solar and wind, allows you to return power to the grid. You can also make offices and stores more eco-friendly by minimizing paper use and replacing disposable cups with reusable bottles.
2. Take it slow
While we all need to make sacrifices and transform our habits somehow, it’s unrealistic to expect that changes will happen overnight. Every organization that tries to change itself finds that inertia can put a damper on its plans. Systems can change, albeit at a slow pace. Understanding this will allow you to manage the growing pains better.
Focus on one thing at a time and finish it before moving on to the next thing. For instance, if you want to reduce waste in the workplace, start by minimizing paper use. Once your office has gone completely paperless, you can then proceed to other initiatives. It also helps to make everyone feel like they’re contributing to the project if only to speed things along.
3. Include your customers
All your efforts can be magnified if you include your customers in your action plans. For starters, announcing your plans to make your business more efficient and sustainable allows you to incur some goodwill with your customer base. You can start by investing in a marketing campaign that highlights all your conservation efforts. It’s also important to walk the talk, so make sure that your retail outlets have made the necessary changes as well.
4. Know your metrics
Once you’ve got the ball rolling, it’s important to measure your progress so that you know where you are at any given moment. Sustainability is not a one-time thing, and it’s important to know that you’re consistently hitting your goals. Identify your problem areas and work on them. If you don’t have the data to back your claims, you can’t honestly say that your business has improved.
Make sure that you’re collecting data and have identified your markers for success.
It could be as simple as measuring the amount of paper your office uses monthly. The numbers will tell you whether your efforts are making a difference.
If you run into any problems, you can easily look at the data and see where you’re stuck. It’s also important to audit your numbers every quarter to ensure you’re on track to meet your goals.
A final word
Many companies treat sustainability as a passing fad that they have to deal with, but if we want to leave a better future for our children, we need to make sure that everything we do today contributes to their future success. Change starts at the local level, and if more businesses band together to make their communities cleaner and more sustainable, we can expect better results in the future. After all, it’s our waste, and we need to clean it up.