By protecting the environment many organizations are growing and saving money. But, what are the ways businesses can protect the environment? Is it too difficult or expensive to do so?

Let’s look at 5 simple tips on what companies can do to preserve the environment.

1. Save on electricity consumption

One of the most common ways in which companies show their commitment to the environment is by reducing energy consumption. Some, even look for alternatives to generate the electricity the company will consume.

Tips we hear often, but are worth remembering are:

• Use lighting and appliances that are energy efficient. Even when you could find them costly when buying them, you will see the savings over time.
• Turn off lights and electrical or electronic appliances when not in use.
• Keep air conditioning or heating, at the most comfortable and optimal temperature possible

2. Reduce, reuse and recycle – simple ways businesses can protect the environment

The well-known three Rs of waste management: Reduce, reuse and recycle.

Let’s start with reducing waste generation. When you reduce the amount of waste your company produces, as you are sending less waste to landfills, you are having a positive impact on the environment. In addition, this mindset helps to create a corporate culture of awareness against “use and throw” products.

About the second R, organizations can reuse when they look for ways to maximize the useful life of the machines or electronic equipment they use. This involves making good use of them and carrying out preventive maintenance. By doing this, they also reduce the waste generation too.

Other way of reusing is by selling or donating equipment to organizations that can refurbish them and give them a second life.

Finally, to recycle, there are two ways that can be applied in companies. One is through the proper segregation of waste, so that it can be recycled later. The other is by analyzing how the company can take advantage of what may seem to be waste or by-products of its industrial processes, at this point we could also say we are talking about reusing.

3. Mitigate environmental impact (greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, among others)

Between the actions that companies take to protect the environment are to obtain inputs locally, or as close as possible. The purpose is to reduce the carbon footprint. In coutries where it is easier to use electric transportation and/or there are regulations that benefit its use, it is becoming more common to use it in logistics and goods transportation.

There are actions that focus on reducing the environmental impact on other fronts, such as carrying out reforestation or decontamination projects.

You may be interested in Revegetation project in Palermo, Magdalena

4. Becoming certified in sustainability

An important step in achieving a sustainable business model is by obtaining a sustainability certification. Certification programs are the best way to measure and prove how commited the organization is to environmentally friendly practices. On the other hand, a sustainability certification will serve to reach customers who support environmentally responsible businesses.

5. Allocate resources for research and development

The fifth way in which a company can protect the environment is through innovation. That requires the allocation of resources for research and development. Organizations that invest in this field can find novel strategies or different uses for technologies that lead the company to position itself as eco-friendly.

For example, it could find new ways to save or supply the demand for electricity and other resources, or to reduce its carbon footprint in a way that has not been thought of before.

An interesting case occurred with Nestlé. They created a chocolate that uses a sweetener made from cocoa pulp. For years, the pulp was considered a waste product, but today, they market it as a healthier and more environmentally friendly option and have a patent on the formula.

The ways businesses can protect the environment are how companies will lead the industry

The way businesses are managed today is increasingly related to how they treat the environment and work towards a sustainable economy. In the future, it is possible this issue will be a determining factor in the survival of companies.

It is therefore not surprising that the role of eco-friendly practices, the importance of environmental consulting and sustainability certifications are increasingly recognized by many companies.

The above are just some of the things that companies do to protect the environment, there are many other ways to show their environmental responsibility. But at the end of the day, what really matters is to act, because companies that are taking the time to consider the impact they have on the environment benefit themselves, their customers and society in general.