Aware strives to assist companies in meeting their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability goals while preserving the Earth for generations to come. Not sure how you can change your day-to-day and make a positive impact toward a more sustainable future? Here are some ideas to help your business become more eco-friendly.
Eco-Friendly Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Ideas For Sustainable Businesses
Donate to a Sustainable Cause
Consider giving a recurring donation to an environmental charity. The following charities are dedicated to solving some of the most challenging environmental problems of our time and are consistently recognized for operating with high levels of transparency and integrity:
- Union of Concerned Scientists
- Natural Resources Defense Council
- Environmental Working Group
- Greenpeace Gund
- Friends of the Earth
- Rainforest Alliance
- Earthjustice
- Ocean Conservancy
- Earth Island Institute
- The Sierra Club Foundation
You can also use Charity Navigator to do a quick background check on any charity and learn more about its history and operations before you donate.
Take a Look at Your Packaging
If you are an e-Commerce business, take a look at the packaging your products come in. If your packaging is plastic, uses a lot of greenhouse gasses, or increases pollution, you may want to rethink your packaging strategy. There are many alternative options that are much better for the environment.
Go Green with Your Web Hosting
Green web hosting refers to the web hosts that actively try to carry out eco-friendly initiatives to mitigate the impact on the environment. The primary means by which web hosts give back to the environment is through renewable energy or carbon offsets.
Renewable energy is produced using naturally occurring resources such as sunlight, wind, or even water. These are replenished naturally, and their conversion for use doesn’t require the burning of fossil fuels, resulting in highly efficient, clean energy.
Add Recycle Bins Around the Building
This is an easy one that’s often overlooked. You can make a simple, positive daily impact by adding a few recycling bins throughout your office building or workplace. Place a large bin on each floor, then smaller bins in conference rooms and offices. Businesses that promote recycling have been shown to save money through cost savings in janitorial fees, become aware of how they are disposing of trash, and attract community and environmentally-conscious employees.
Look at Energy Consumption & Strategize Ways to be More Sustainable
The quickest way for your business to make a long-term eco-friendly impact is to examine your energy consumption. You can make big investments – like looking at solar, energy-efficient windows, or wind energy – or you can start with very small investments and make minor improvements to your building that will pay off in the long run. Here are some energy-saving tips:
- Lighting: encourage employees to turn off lights when they’re not using them, or better yet, invest in a motion sensor lighting system. Utilize the natural lighting of your building as much as possible. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps, and install LED (light-emitting diode) “EXIT” signs.
- Heating & Cooling: establish a preventative maintenance program for your heating, venting, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment and systems. Ensure that you regularly:
- Change or clean all air filters, preferably every month.
- Clean all heat exchanger surfaces, water, and refrigerant coils, condensers, and evaporators.
- Repair leaks in piping, air ducts, coils, fittings, and at the unit(s).
- Replace defective equipment insulation, ducting, and piping.
- Temperature Control: In winter, encourage employees to bring a sweater to the office. Save energy by setting the office thermostat offices between 65 and 68 degrees during the day/business hours and turning it down during unoccupied times. Vice versa in the warmer months.
- Office Equipment: to conserve energy and reduce internal heat gain, turn off computers, monitors, printers, and copiers during non-business hours. To save energy during periods of inactivity, ensure that your office equipment’s built-in power management system is active.
Another Way to Give Back
Aware is a sustainable clothing brand created by friends, women, mothers, and sisters with the vital mission of positively impacting our earth and giving back. We help businesses of all sizes give back and meet their CSR goals. Learn more about partnering with us to give back.
