Examples of Sustainable Business Practices
1. Partner With Nonprofit Organizations
Many organizations interested in embracing sustainability stop short of implementing concrete initiatives simply because it’s new to them, and the learning curve can be extensive. An employee or sustainability board tasked with generating a sustainability plan for the organization can quickly become overwhelmed, leading to inaction.
One way around this, especially for businesses new to the world of sustainability, is to form partnerships with nonprofits in the space that interests them. Many such organizations exist and have the resources and experience necessary to help you get your efforts off the ground. Even those that can’t help you conceptualize or implement policies in your organization will be happy for support, which can help you make an impact even while you’re first getting started.
Whether you’re interested in racial or gender equity, labor concerns, environmental issues, or something else, a nonprofit likely exists that aligns with your organization’s specific goals.
2. Educate Your Employees
Often, the businesses with the most impactful sustainability initiatives are successful because they educate their employees about the issues and include them in the process.
This is important for multiple reasons. First, educating your employees increases buy-in throughout the organizational chart, making it less likely that you’ll slip back into old ways. Second, it empowers your employees to do their part, which can go far in boosting morale and helping everyone realize they have a role to play.
Exactly how you educate your employees about the issues your organization cares about will depend on your situation. Some options include weaving language around sustainability into company addresses, organizing webinars, lectures, or lunch-and-learns for employees to attend, or even purchasing corporate social responsibility training.
3. Encourage Volunteerism
Another excellent way to involve your employees in the sustainability process is to encourage volunteerism. There are many strategies you might pursue to achieve this goal.
For example, you might provide paid time off for employees who wish to volunteer, sometimes known as volunteer time off (VTO). Even providing as little as one or two days of VTO per year can go a long way in empowering your employees. Similarly, you can consider organizing a company-wide volunteer drive or day of giving, wherein your employees are encouraged to volunteer at local charities or for causes they’re passionate about.
4. Rethink Your Supply Chain
If your business produces and sells a physical product, analyzing your supply chain has the potential to illuminate significant opportunities to embrace sustainability, such as:
- Sourcing materials responsibly: If you source raw materials or individual components from outside vendors, do you know how these materials are procured? The simple act of ensuring that your partners follow fair labor practices, such as disavowing child labor or embracing fair-trade agreements, can have a lasting impact on your company’s social footprint.
- Reducing consumption of natural resources: While it may not be obvious at first glance, there may be significant opportunities to reduce the number of natural resources your company consumes as a part of doing business. You might, for example, rethink your packaging or streamline your manufacturing process to reduce plastic waste.
- Reducing carbon emissions: Likewise, there are many ways you might reduce your organization’s carbon emissions. Installing smart sensors within your facilities can ensure that heating, cooling, and electricity are automatically shut off when it isn’t necessary. Moving the production of physical goods closer to the end customer can significantly reduce transportation-related emissions. On-site solar- or wind-power installations can allow you to replace some, if not all, of your electrical needs.
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