There is an ever-growing following for the eco-warrior movement. Many influencers and businesses are proud to state their new found dedication to the Zero Waste lifestyle. For those who haven’t heard, Zero Waste is a concept whereby individual lifestyles and community or business practices follow a guide for sustainable natural cycles in an effort to make all discarded material available and useful as resources. For some individuals, they may find themselves in a unique position of perseverance and luck to become completely Zero Waste. But for the vast majority of not only people, but businesses, it is dramatically impossible to be Zero Waste. So how can you accept that it doesn’t exist, but pursue it anyway?
A great example of a first step into being more environmentally conscious is to do something like buy water bottles in bulk- ethically made bottles of course. Buying in bulk does a few things, both in your favour and, in the favour of fighting the environmental crisis. The first thing it does, is ensure it that you are contributing to the economy responsibly by supporting others who are trying to do the right thing. Secondly, to buy water bottles in bulk orders means that you are reducing the amount of packaging that is required per shipment. Thirdly, and this is a factor not often thought about in starting an eco-friendly approach, you are reducing the number of times a delivery truck needs to drive out to you – thus reducing emissions.
Although it seems like a trivial change, imagine if just 10{50448b9ee8808ace0940482606e8cba4bc5aa69342d7bc3513fe6f9117735e48} of all businesses took one small step in a greener direction. It isn’t about a handful of people or companies going 100{50448b9ee8808ace0940482606e8cba4bc5aa69342d7bc3513fe6f9117735e48} Zero Waste, but rather a mass effort of small, simple and conscious actions towards a sustainable cycle.
Try approaching your waste management and environmental efforts with set goals. Audit your current state of affairs and set this as the baseline for your future progress. Approach your Zero Waste goals with a project management approach to ensure things stay on track and changes are being made. Perhaps appoint a cross-team committee or an individual waste management champion. As you come to understand where your business sits, it can be easy to identify items that could be eliminated right away. For example, ensuring employees are aware of recycling bins and what goes in them. Another easy first step is to reduce energy consumption by ensuring lights are turned off when not in use or doors and windows are closed to increase the efficiency of heating or cooling systems. Start small and start at an attainable goal.
If you are transport or delivering items, say you have an e-commerce website, it’s well worth searching for more sustainable packaging options. Many companies are on-board with a more eco-conscious way of running their day-to-days. It sit swell with consumers and it could bring a whole new group of potential customers your way when word gets out that you, as a business, is making strides in the direction of Zero Waste operations.
