Today marks the 46th year of Earth Day celebrations! What exactly is it? Earth Day is a national day to focus on the environment, meant to spark conversation and promote environmentally-safe, sustainable practices into every day life and industry. Why should you care?
Here are 3 significant ways Earth Day can boost your business:
-
It saves money
Taking sustainable initiatives to reduce your footprint is a win-win. We save our planet, and you save some money. Discover your Personalized Plan to get started!
Before you go out and spend a major chunk of the company’s budget on redesigning a solar panel run, green building, there are simple, low-cost and no-cost changes that can have an impact. Are bathroom lights turned off? Do employee computers get shut down at night? Are electronics and lights turned off at the end of the day? Do you recycle? Are you spraying harmful chemicals from air fresheners into the air? Do you have washable mugs available for employee use, rather than disposable cups? Take a look around your building and pick out small actions you can take to make big changes – I promise they are there!
14-year-old Suvir Mirchandani found a way to save our government $30 million annually, by simply switching to a new font! Read more about this change.
-
It increases your company’s credibility and strengthens your brand
Most of the Fortune 500 companies issue an annual CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) report. By implementing sustainable and socially responsible programs, companies are able to show their customers that they care. Sure, you want to make money, but you also care about your impact on the planet we all call home. You are aware of your footprint and, furthermore, you are taking actions to address a major global issue. This builds trust in your employees and customers. Keep in mind, sincerity is important here. Make sure you take on initiatives that you can sustain for a long period of time and ones you truly care about. Greenwashing can turn ugly fast and actually have negative effects on your company.
-
You can gain a competitive advantage
Today, humans are using about 1.6 planet earths to live the way we are. What that means, is that it takes one year and six months to regenerate the resources we use in one year. And this number is rising! It might not be in sight right now, but the thought of losing the resources we need for survival can be a chilling thought. People appreciate companies that are aware of their impact and actively working to reduce it. Some customers will seek out those sustainable, responsible companies to give their business to. When your company and your competitor have a close list of advantages, a green initiative can top off the list to put you ahead!
Take Earth Day Network’s Ecological Footprint Quiz! Figure out how to reduce your own footprint (and how to save some money) by taking the quiz!
Take it upon yourself this Earth Day to research sustainable initiatives you can implement into your business and personal life. It could be as simple as picking up a new recycling bin!
Have an iPhone? From now until April 24th, when you purchase the Earth Story, 100% of the proceeds go to WWF. Search Apps for Earth to learn more!
Three Square Market 