In 2025, businesses need to be both profitable and eco-friendly. Gone are the days when corporations could get away with not considering the environment simply to boost their bottom line. Customers are now more socially aware than ever and will often only buy from brands that are a force for good, along with increasing government penalties for environmental harm.
Thankfully, it’s entirely feasible for even small businesses to make a positive impact on the environment. In fact, there are many eco-friendly processes you can implement that can reduce your operating costs and allow your enterprise to function more efficiently. If you’re an entrepreneur looking to implement more environmentally friendly processes in your small business, you’ve come to the right place. In this article, we’ll give you some tips that are good for both the environment and your bottom line.
Use High-Yield Ink Cartridges
While it’s good to reduce paper usage, it’s impossible to completely eliminate it. Documents like customer invoices, employee contracts and tax records often need to have hard-copy versions. Because of this, it’s essential to invest in the right ink cartridges.
These days, it’s not hard to secure the exact printing supplies you need, no matter what sort of printer you’re using. If you need Epson ink cartridges, for example, you can simply hop on the internet, find a nearby supplier and place an order. Many providers also give you the option to order cartridges on a subscription basis, which saves you the trouble of having to manually replenish your supplies every time you run out.
We highly recommend investing in high-yield cartridges. While these have higher initial costs than low-yield alternatives, they allow you to save money on a per-page basis. Larger cartridges are also good for the environment since you’ll be disposing of empty cartridges less often than you would when using smaller ones.
As a small business, you should always look for ways to save money and reduce your environmental footprint. Using high-yield ink cartridges is an easy way to do this.
Switch to Renewable Energy
Renewables are on the rise. Energy sources like solar and wind are providing businesses with alternatives to traditional forms of energy like fossil fuels. While there’s a common misconception that renewable energy is only viable for the largest of companies, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Even SMEs can use renewable energy efficiently.
For most businesses, the easiest way to get into renewable energy is to install some solar panels. By harnessing the sun’s power, your business can reduce reliance on traditional sources of electricity, which is a plus for the environment. What’s more, generating your own energy saves you lots of money in the long run.
While transitioning to solar power involves significant initial costs, there are plenty of funding options available for businesses looking to make the switch, including green loans. These borrower-friendly agreements are usually offered by the government in an effort to protect the environment by incentivising eco-friendly practices.
Renewable energy isn’t just for big corporations. By investing in solar and other green sources of power, your small business can get a leg up on the competition while contributing to the fight against climate change.
Source Locally
Today, supply chains are more complicated than ever. Even a product as simple as a shirt often requires both labour and raw materials from all over the world. As you can imagine, this can get quite pricey. Plus, utilising such complex supply chains takes a toll on the environment.
These are major reasons why many businesses are going back to sourcing from local suppliers. When you buy locally, you can be sure that your raw materials don’t need to be shipped halfway around the world. This reduces the pollution that would have been caused by plane or ship fuel.
Besides being good for the planet, partnering with local suppliers is also a great way to monetise your sustainability efforts by saving on international shipping fees. What’s more, you can also work more closely with your partners, have faster communication and receive orders much faster which helps with quality control and efficiency.
Build an Eco-Friendly Corporate Culture
Among the most effective initiatives a small business can take to become more eco-friendly is to revolutionise its corporate culture. This means creating a common set of environmental values and practices that your entire team follows. Building a corporate culture that prioritises sustainability can start with encouraging recycling. Educate your team on what types of disposable waste go into the recycling bin. Then, set up posters around the office reminding everyone to throw their rubbish away responsibly.
Another green office initiative is to allow employees to work from home on certain days of the week. While in-person work has its benefits, plenty of tasks can be done from anywhere. Allowing members of your team to do their jobs from the comforts of their own homes means they don’t need to ride cars or public transport to the office every day. This reduces the amount of emissions that are released into the atmosphere.
Becoming a greener business begins with your culture. For smaller enterprises in particular, the actions taken by individual employees have a massive impact on the entire company’s level of sustainability. Start your journey towards building a business that’s a force for good for the environment by making changes to your culture.
Going green isn’t just good for the environment: when done correctly, adapting sustainable business practices can save your enterprise plenty of money and help you operate more efficiently. What’s more, green initiatives can benefit any business, no matter its size.
If you’re the leader of a small business, there’s plenty to gain by going green. In this article, we’ve provided some practical steps you can take to make your enterprise more eco-friendly. Begin implementing them today to reduce your ecological footprint and drive your business forward.
