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DQ News: Staying Ahead Of Competitors by Establishing Your ‘Green’ Footprint

Running a business in the 21st century is something that you’ve got to get right. 50 Years ago ‘ethics’ was a county in the south of England if you had a lisp. Now it’s impossible to do anything without thinking about the ethical implications, whether that be racial, sexual or environmental.

Easier Than You Think

The thing is that people think that living up to your social responsibilities is going to be difficult or expensive yet, in most instances, the opposite is true. If you have a business which produces a lot of waste you have to pay for every bag of refuse that goes to landfill yet you can actually get paid for your trash when people come to collect your recycling.

Putting together a socially and environmentally responsible best practice template which all staff should observe can lead to other savings too. Observing the practice of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle can save you money and lead to initiatives which help your community and the world at large, and every-one loves having a positive reputation.

Give Your Company a Green Edge

If you operate in a competitive market there might be little difference between you and your competitors so finding the edge over them can be a very important issue, differentiating yourself from your competition by being the ‘greenest,’ having the smallest carbon footprint and delivering the most ecologically sustainable service might look like you’re just ticking boxes for the most current buzzwords but if you do it seriously, not just covering your business in a little ‘greenwash’, your clients and business partners will know. And with so many people being interested in green issues today, they often only want to work with other environmentally friendly concerns.

Even McDonalds is creating advertising espousing its environmental and ethical conscience not withstanding its detractors blaming it for everything from poverty and obesity to deforestation and animal welfare issues.

If you’re able to implement a policy where everything you do conforms to the latest thinking on environmental responsibility and advertise that as one of your USPs you’ll demonstrate that you’re headed in a positive direction, that you’re thinking of the future, not just as a business but as an environmental ambassador and that you’re committed to addressing current Industry expectations.

Don’t Just Develop – Implement!

The only problem is that many businesses get to the point of developing a strategy and no further. They lose impetus, run out of time or get overtaken by other concerns and the greening strategy gets pushed to the back burner. But there are ways you can avoid stalling at the first thing that stands in your way.

For a start you can subscribe to the newsletter and briefing from Environmental Protection UK, (United States Environmental Protection Agency newsletter here)not only does it deal with issues concerning air and water pollution but noise, waste and soil quality. Receiving notifications about what activities are ongoing should serve as a constant reminder that you need to get your green in gear!

Set the Example

Secondly, lead by example. Check out your own suppliers green credentials and change wherever appropriate. When you buy paper, pens, toner, furniture, whatever, make sure it’s as recycled and recyclable as possible. Companies such as The Green Office not only supply office consumables but the whole gamut of catering, cleaning, travel and warehouse supplies.

Encourage employee engagement. If your staff engage with the process of creating a greener working environment it takes pressure away from management when it comes to implementing the strategies.

Offer incentives and awards to the department producing the least amount of waste or recycling the most. People on the floor will probably see things that the upper echelons wouldn’t even consider when it comes to the Three ‘R’s of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Encourage them to get involved with 10:10 to see how even small improvements can make a big difference.

About the Author: Peter is a business writer who covers topics that explore methods of improving business efficiency using matrix management techniques, cross cultural training and virtual teams.

Photo Credit: Didier Vidal

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