Small Steps Small Businesses Can Take to Make a Big Impact on Sustainability
April 22 is Earth Day, a day of recognition for over one billion people globally, which serves as an important reminder for businesses to reflect on their part in protecting the environment. Small businesses have a unique opportunity to make a positive impact on the environment and contribute to building a more sustainable future.
Consumers, stakeholders, and businesses alike are responding to the growing demand for sustainability. Recent data shows that 70% of business leaders report climate change will significantly impact their business strategy over the next three years, up from 61% in 2023. Two-thirds of Americans express the view that businesses aren't doing enough to mitigate climate change impacts. Unfortunately, many business owners feel unequipped due to a lack of the right skills, funding, or time to properly address sustainability issues. However, introducing small, incremental changes to operations can help small businesses reduce their carbon footprint and attract eco-conscious consumers.
The business benefits are clear: 80% of consumers prefer sustainable brands and businesses that adopt sustainable practices can reduce operating costs by up to 60%. From cost savings to customer loyalty, businesses benefit from building operations that address sustainability in a meaningful way.
Environmental and Sustainable Practices Businesses Can Implement
Collectively, even the smallest of actions can have a big impact. Small businesses can play a pivotal role in shaping a sustainable future. By optimizing operations, businesses can streamline costs, improve their bottom line, and contribute to a greener future.
Circular Economy Approach: Move beyond single-use products toward systems that minimize waste through redesign, reuse, and recycling to create closed-loop systems.
Supply Chain Transparency: Small businesses that document their environmental performance gain competitive advantages when serving larger clients.
Energy-Efficient Measures: Replace traditional lighting with cost and energy-efficient LED lights, install programmable thermostats, and analyze highest-consuming processes.
Waste Reduction: Conduct waste audits, implement recycling and composting programs, and eliminate single-use plastics. About 28% of waste that reaches landfills could be composted.
Water Conservation: Install low-flow faucets, efficient plumbing, and fix leaks promptly to make a big difference.
Climate Resilience Planning: Protect business operations from climate impacts by addressing short-term challenges like shipping disruptions and long-term issues like changing weather patterns.
Digital Sustainability Tools: Use carbon calculators, utility monitoring apps, and software that identifies sustainability opportunities in operations.
Local Supply Chain: Consider options for reshoring, nearshoring, and insourcing to reduce carbon footprint and gain efficiency.
Adoption of sustainable practices can lead to not only environmental conservation, but also cost savings, increased customer loyalty, and positive brand image. Consumers are increasingly recognizing sustainability as a fundamental value, and businesses that go beyond Earth Day to adopt sustainable practices are earning goodwill. Implementing sustainable practices not only safeguards our planet's natural resources but also enhances the long-term viability and resilience of businesses.