It is essential people across the world start living up to their environmental responsibilities, which should be on both a domestic and business level. At present, landfills are growing in size, and the world’s oceans are filling with harmful materials, which are impacting the planet and its sea life.

If you are running a business, it is imperative to develop a greener mindset to have a positive impact on the Earth, and to encourage both companies and individuals to reduce their carbon footprint. To get started, here are five clever ways to create an eco-friendly business.

1. Change Your Office Supplies

Nations across the world are needlessly damaging planet Earth, as US companies alone are responsible for throwing away more than four million disposable pens each day.

If you want to have a positive impact on the environment, you should focus on changing your office supplies. For example, you should replace disposable pens with reusable alternatives. This will not only help to protect the planet, but it could also save your business money.

2. Switch Your Lighting

Your business will most likely use a considerable amount of lighting each day. For example, if you’re the owner of a business park, the chances are you’ll need to install both indoor and outdoor lighting. You must switch from indoor incandescent lighting or metal halide lights to LED options. Find out more about the best exterior LED lighting from Sompor.

3. Green Procurement

Practice green procurement to create a more eco-friendly business. For instance, you should choose a supplier that offers products or services that are sustainably produced and do not feature excess packaging. It’s also important to choose goods that do not include any toxic or harmful substances that can damage the environment, and the products should be recyclable, reusable, and created from renewable materials. Also, aim to find a supplier near you to reduce your company’s carbon footprint.

4. Eco-Friendly Postage

While the digital era has transformed many business operations, there will be still be a time when your company will need to send out letters, which will require the use of envelopes. You can, however, help to protect the environment by investing in reusable envelopes, which a recipient can simply reverse to send a letter or document back to your business. It can ultimately help to reduce waste while providing an easy, eco-friendly experience that your customers will appreciate.

5. Office Furniture

Billions of pounds of office furniture is sent to landfill each year. The waste usually accumulates due to business renovations, branch closures, or relocating to a new office. It’s important to realize the impact throwing away an item of furniture will have on the planet. For example, an average office chair has been created using many different materials and chemicals. While other furniture will be created from wood, plastic or metal that have a long lifespan and could potentially be repurposed for another product. So, ask yourself whether you can save, upcycle or repurpose an item before placing it in the trash.