If you are looking to being a more sustainable business, communication and consistency are key. Small green steps with a commitment to environmental principles as you are moving forward, can keep all of your employees and management working together as business decisions are made. Here are seven ideas for making your company a greener, more sustainable business:
1. Make Recycling Easy: This may seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes access to workplace recycling is not easily accessible in all departments throughout a company. Placing recycling bins next to each trash can will make it just as easy to throw it in the recycling as the trash. Businesses with a lot of recyclables can bale their own materials with recycling equipment instead of paying for waste hauling.
2. Encourage Ride Shares and/or Telecommuting: Opportunities for employee ride share programs are 
appreciated by employees and help reduce the carbon footprint. Some employers can save office space and energy consumption by offering flex-time or telecommuting.
3. Reduce Office Paper Waste: By putting more emphasis on online and digital communications, you can avoid printing excessive paper, and minimize part of your company’s waste stream.
4. Reduce Consumption of Water and Power: Offer guidelines and best practices so your staff can increase efficiencies and reduce waste of water and electricity in their office, work area, or commons area.
5. Tie in a Company Wellness Program: Company wellness programs are a great way to combine sustainability and social responsibility together with each employee’s well-being. With an emphasis on natural foods and products, commuting or exercising while reducing the carbon footprint, and environmental philanthropy and education, the benefit will go beyond the employee and the company.
6. Partner with Sustainable Companies and Individuals: Choose vendors and suppliers who are making the same (or better!) green efforts as your company. Hire people who will help keep your sustainability goals a priority.
7. Evaluate your Products and Services: Think about how your core products or services can be made more environmentally-friendly with green parts, processes, or options. For instance, Harmony Enterprises has recycling equipment, available with an EFO (Environmentally Friendly Option) that reduces energy consumption by 60-70%.
How are you taking steps to integrate sustainability and social responsibility into your company’s day-to-day tasks and mission? Please share your ideas, insight, or questions below.
