5 Ways Your Organization Can Reduce Its Carbon Footprint

Many organizations today are aware of the need to reduce their carbon footprint. Most employees and C-Suite level executives are on the same page regarding the impact the corporate world has on the environment and our communities and are actively looking for ways to reduce it.

While some progress has been made, many companies are still struggling to become carbon neutral. This is mainly because most of the signals they receive come in abstract directives that are hard to be translated into actionable strategies. For instance, most carbon calculators measure the number of employees in a facility and the amount of energy that they use, then tell them how many trees they should plant or offset to become carbon neutral.

This might be a feel-good way to make us think we´re off the hook by performing a one-off deed, but it is still not an accurate way to measure or offset the true impact your company has on the environment.

Fortunately, there are objective and truly sustainable ways to reduce carbon emissions and make your employees proud of wearing your brand logo in their ID badges. Let´s go through at least 3 of them.

Reduce Energy Use

This one is a no-brainer. Most of us have been doing this for the last few decades, at least individually. However, when it comes to organizations and businesses, things inevitably start falling through the cracks.

Experts calculate that energy use represents at least half of an organization´s carbon footprint. Here, little changes can make a big difference. Installing motion sensors in the parking lot, turning off lights and computers when not in use, using LED bulbs instead of traditional ones, taking shorter showers (it may sound stupid but you´re actually wasting more water than you think), wearing your sweater at work - all these small changes will be accounted for and make a difference.

These will not only help your company become more sustainable in the long run but will also cut costs on energy bills.

TIP: Also, stop idling your car for more than 30 seconds when waiting for someone or leaving the office at night. You just waste gas and pollute the air!

Invest In Green Office Equipment

This goes hand in hand with our previous item. Sustainable equipment usually does the same amount of work while using less energy and resources.

Office equipment is constantly evolving, and it just makes sense to go green. Investing in energy-efficient office equipment will help your organization use fewer resources while getting the same results.

Here are a few examples:

• Invest in printers that offer double-sided printing - this will help you use both sides of the paper thus cutting down on deforestation and the need of cutting trees.
• Be smart about your office equipment: if you don´t think you will need to photocopy a document anymore, ask yourself why. Maybe it could be sent by email instead of being photocopied?
• Replace your kitchen appliances with high-energy rating ones.
• Install LED lighting (and get rid of your old lighting fixtures)
• Install motion sensors (you will be surprised how many lights are left on in buildings at night - even when no one is there! This happens all the time).

Use Renewable Energy Sources

Most companies are pretty efficient when it comes to powering up their facilities, not wasting energy on lights or infrastructures that have already been paid for years ago. However, many refuse to acknowledge the fact that electricity can be produced with clean and sustainable sources of energy, such as solar power.

While green energy can be more expensive to install, many utilities are starting to offer ways for companies to offset the initial cost through tax deductions. Solar panels are all the rage right now, and they can provide enough energy to power most of your office equipment.

Offer Flexible Schedules

Organizations have always considered transportation-related pollution as an externality they could not control. After all, the way their employees got to work was considered to be none of their business. However, after the events of 2020 many businesses made the transition to remote working and were able to measure the impact this had on pollution reduction.

Cutting down on transportation, be it private or mass, for meetings, office work, and corporate events, not only saves staff commuting times and expenses, it is a great way to reduce the impact of fossil fuel-based (and electric) vehicles.

Make Sure You Deal With Sustainable Suppliers

When it comes to your suppliers, make sure you choose ones that are mindful of your company's goals and environment. Not only the products they provide should be green, but also how they treat the environment when doing their job.

It is vital for companies to do both: reduce their carbon footprint at home and practice sustainable purchasing habits when buying the materials they need. For example, here at Imprint Plus we offer companies and organizations eco-friendly products such as reusable name badge holders or name tags, and have taken concrete steps to limit our environmental impact.

If you want to learn more about how we can help you reach your sustainability goals through our products and processes, feel free to contact us.