The environment matters. More and more customers are starting to understand the impact they have on the natural world. They buy products with environmental benefits, exercising their voice and power through the things that they acquire. Most importantly, they expect organizations to be engaged in the process of making a positive impact when it comes to environmental matters. Over the long term, customers are more likely to be concerned about the natural world than they were just a couple of years ago.
This growing concern for the environment and sustainability had led to the rise of new trends in terms of eliminating waste. People have started to bring recycled bags to grocery stores and using less paper in offices. If you want to win over customers, express empathy in customer service. Empathy and understanding automatically lead to greater communication and greater service. Make your customer service better. Make it green. Your business stands to gain a lot from becoming environmentally-friendly.
Create and maintain an eco-friendly business
Opting for more environmentally-friendly business practices is great for the planet. Plus, it could help your brand reputation and your bottom line. People are increasingly demanding green companies. The good news is that it’s not difficult to boost your overall environmental impact. Here are some steps you can take to transition to a greener economy.
Think differently in terms of recycling
People care if you recycle. So, there is a need for change to address environmental issues such as the climate crisis. Recycling, in particular, lessens the flow of materials into landfills where anaerobic decomposition produces methane. When recycling took off in the early years of 2000, the eco-friendly workers were instructed to sort their recyclables into separate bins. While there’s no denying that sorting trash is important, it’s necessary to compact the by-products and send them over to a specialised recycling centre.
Your company has to take meaningful action on climate change. Sort, bale, and prepare for onward transport. In Australia, for example, they use certain types of machinery called balers. They are meant to compress recyclable and waste materials into small bales which are more manageable. In a world that’s all about technological innovations, the value of traditional waste balers often gets overlooked. The most important materials to recycle are cardboard and paper. The loose materials won’t take up too much space, so you don’t have to worry about storage issues.
Reduce your energy consumption
To establish credibility with your current and potential clients, make efforts to reduce your energy consumption. One thing you can do is say “yes” to renewable energy. Using renewable energy can decrease your financial risk. You’re not exposed anymore to price volatility or fossil fuel power. Here are some of the main renewable energy sources:
Biomass energy
Biomass energy refers to the energy stored by the sun. What happens is that plants take in the energy in a process that is called photosynthesis. Organic matter such as wood and straw can be converted into energy. A biomass system will start to pay off in about 12 years. Unfortunately, it gives rise to controversy. Some say that biomass energy is produced from healthy trees and not waste wood.
Wind energy
The wind is clean, free, not to mention readily available. Tech companies, for example, fully embrace wind energy. Examples include but aren’t limited to Google. The corporation purchases wind power from farms in South California. More and more companies are choosing to produce their own electricity supply by taking advantage of wind turbines. If you want to install wind turbines, pay attention to the fact that you need planning permission. Another aspect you need to consider is how much wind you get in your area – in other words, wind performance.
Solar energy
Why not leverage solar energy? Companies like Walmart, IKEA, and Apple use the sun for power. Install solar panels on the roof. The process takes about a week. It takes this long to wire up the electrical systems that derive energy from the sun. Soon, you’ll be able to see your carbon footprint shrink. Utilizing solar power can also cut your electricity bill in half. You don’t have to worry about interruptions either. These systems operate silently and require minimal maintenance.
Green marketing goes a long way
You have to commit to your organisation’s campaign to save the environment and the nature of your efforts has to be authentic. In the digital age, it’s easy for customers to find out if you’re true to what you say. A business needs to stay true to its marketing promises. Promotion isn’t about telling people what you can offer and why they should buy your products or services. It’s about fulfilling the promise you made and making people feel good about the decision of doing business with you.
Try to educate your customers about the dangers of using too much plastic, in addition to packaging materials. This is part of the consumer service. To educate customers on making better choices for the surroundings and letting them take part in the effort to save the planet. Customer education translates into customer empowerment. Increasing each person’s experience leads to better engagement. The likelihood that people will spread positive word-of-mouth is high.
Become a B corporation. In case you didn’t know, B corporations are the ones that meet the highest standards when it comes to social and environmental performance. It doesn’t matter if you have offices in the United States or Australia. You can obtain this certification. The right time to become a B corporation is when your business is growing. You can reach out to other companies for advice based on experience. There are numerous working groups you can join. Don’t join just to prove to your customers that you’re ethical and sustainable. Do it for the greater good.
All in all, there is a good reason for your company to go green. Take the plunge already. Acting sustainable can even help spread the word to other countries. The bottom line is that consumers will be more likely to buy your products and services if you show that you care for the environment.
