Building environmentally-friendly business practices is a must for today’s business owners. Customers demand that their money is used to invest in improving the business’ impact on the environment. You can strategically increase revenue by prioritizing the environment in your business plan. Let’s look at some ways to build green strategies into your business plan.
Recycle Electronic Waste
E-waste consists of old electronic equipment that is either no longer functioning or out-of-date. There are recycling programs for many electronic components – glass, plastic, or copper. Specialized recyclers extract recyclable and reusable components from electronic equipment. Former DaVita, Inc. CEO Kent Thiry spearheaded a recycling program that kept over 350,000 pounds of e-waste out of landfills. Thiry incorporated many environmentally-friendly strategies into a business plan that led DaVita, Inc. out of near bankruptcy and put them on the Fortune 500 list.
Encourage Telecommuting
By allowing employees to work from home, you are limiting their impact on the environment and limiting the impact your business makes on the environment. When your business requires smaller facilities, you lower utility demand, reduce paper use, and decrease energy consumption. Decreasing your building’s physical footprint can lower rent and utility expenses. Many business owners lease a portion of their existing buildings to other companies, giving them an additional revenue source.
Hire A Green Consultant
Green consultants work with you to build environmentally-friendly strategies that save your business money. They analyze your current building and equipment situation. They develop a comprehensive system to improve your environmental impact with that information. As with any consultant, the financial savings for your business typically outweigh the consultant's cost.
Care For Water
Stormwater runoff collects pollutants from the buildings and ground as it moves toward creeks, streams, and underwater rivers. This introduces toxins such as heavy metals and pathogens into the water source. These toxins can transmit physical illnesses to people or kill fish and other aquatic life. Work with an engineer to develop a stormwater runoff plan that benefits the environment. Invest in materials that allow stormwater flow into the ground, not across the pavement. Collect water from the roof to water plants or use it for cooling machinery.
Develop a Green Thumb
Your landscaping plan can have many environmental and financial benefits. Install a green roof to limit your dependence on heating and cooling systems. Greenery absorbs the sun’s rays, decreasing the heat island effect. Landscaping areas dedicated to native plants reduce the need for watering. A native design can decrease your need for landscape maintenance expenses.
Reduce Pollution
While implementing recycling options is a must in today’s business culture, preventing pollution before it enters your product's life cycle is the key to minimizing waste. Invest in sustainable raw materials. Purchase machinery that reduces your carbon footprint. Avoid using depletable chemicals. Green chemistry is the science behind developing chemical products that do not use hazardous substances through the product life cycle.
Incorporating green initiatives into your business plan can make environmental and financial sense. Developing and communicating your green design plan helps build a positive relationship with your customers.
