Unseasonal rains, rising temperatures and the most heart breaking one! Not getting a chance to wear your favorite warm jacket because it’s not that cold yet! One word – Global warming!

Global warming and climate change are an issue that is very relevant in today’s world. My 5-year-old neighbor defined it for me. Governments and individuals are making a conscious effort to reduce the impact of their day to day lives on the environment by switching to more sustainable products and practices. Businesses have also taken the initiative to help save our environment.

The average age of the workforce is decreasing as millennials are replacing retiring baby boomers. These major corporations are facing challenges in hiring and retaining 20 – 30 year old staff as they are competing with the new fun start-up work culture. Studies show that “76 percent of this millennial generation is somewhat to extremely concerned about the environment and the future of our planet.” The influencers seem to be doing their job well.As a result, a business making a conscious effort to reduce their carbon footprint by adopting more sustainable practices will not only help reduce climate change but may also win over the new generation and customers.

Below are a few changes businesses can make to help save the environment

Provide Clean, Filtered Drinking Water

In the rush of today’s life sometimes we tend to forget a few things – a water bottle for instance! On your way to work, you will mostly grab a packaged drinking water bottle. These plastic water bottles take over 100 years to decompose if they make their way to landfills and are not recycled. Of course many companies have recycling bins but why not eradicate this issue at the root? A company could have a water filtration system and each employee can be issued a re-usable cup once they join the company. This way the company can be more sustainable and help make the employees hectic life a little easier.

Facilitate Telecommuting

Telecommuting a new method companies are adopting. It is when employees work from home and make use of services such as the internet, email and telephone. Younger professionals prefer to have flexible working arrangements. Adapting your business to allow employees to telecommute has huge environmental and financial benefits. Smaller offices will be needed, thus reducing energy consumption and the businesses carbon footprint. Carpooling can also be used as an alternative when employee have to come into office.

Power Off Appliances When Not In Use

The general belief that appliances in stand-by mode do not consume electricity is faulty. Logic dictates that for an appliance to be on sleep mode and woken-up whenever needed, some electricity will be needed. Businesses can make it mandatory for an employee to power off his appliance after finishing work for the day. Moreover someone –maybe be the last one to leave work for the day – can take a round to ensure all computers, printers and other electrical appliances are off – the savings and positive impact on the environment will be considerable.

Use indoor plants

With today’s open office system becoming more and more prevalent, lots of open spaces are available. These can be filled with indoor plants. Plants are not only aesthetically pleasing, they also improve the air quality by providing fresh oxygen during day time

Switch to LED lights

Traditional incandescent halogen bulbs consume a lot of electricity and give off a lot of heat at the same time. On the other hand, LED bulbs consume lesser electricity. To compare, 12W LED bulb will produce the same amount of light intensity as a 150W halogen bulb – that’s a 92 percent reduction in electricity consumption! Moreover, LEDs run much cooler than halogen, thus producing lesser heat which will make the air-conditioning in an office much more efficient.

Reduce Paper Waste

Traditional methods of doing business involved a lot of print-outs stored in multiple files and folders. Millennials prefer doing everything electronically. Storing documents on the cloud is not only cheaper, but also environment friendly. Employees can also be asked not to print e-mails unless necessary. Moreover, many a time when meeting with new clients to expand a business, paper business cards are handed out. Studies show that 90 percent of these land up straight in the bin – a huge waste of paper and money. Why not switch to a Digital Business card? Try the Sailax digital business card and never let your business card go to waste!