Although the holiday season is a time of joy and celebration, it’s also a time to think about sustainability at your business. During the holidays, energy consumption and the environmental impact of packaging increases drastically.

 

As a business owner, taking a proactive approach to sustainability can help you lower your carbon footprint, present an eco-friendly image, and enhance your reputation to consumers. This holiday season put a few of these sustainable business practices into effect and reap the benefits.

1. Use Sustainable Packaging and Shipping

Even if you have a brick-and-mortar store, e-commerce can drive sales throughout the holidays. However, much of the packing used to ship goods often creates more waste, which goes straight into landfills.

 

Instead of opting for single-use packaging materials, choose biodegradable or recycled alternatives. And when you’re driving to UPS, FedEx, or the post office to ship your goods, try to do it all in one trip — lowering emissions while also saving you money on gas.

2. Decorate with Energy Efficiency

Studies have shown that Christmas decorations make customers happier and feel at home. It’s a minimal-effort activity that can drive sales, especially if you see an uptick in revenues during the end of the year.

 

The only downside is that many of these decorations consume absurd amounts of energy. But you can still offset the increase in energy usage by opting for energy-efficient decorations. Whenever possible, use LED or low-voltage decorations. Both of these may have a higher upfront cost, but you’ll save money in the long run due to lower overall energy usage.

3. Get an Energy Audit

If you haven’t had an energy audit recently, you could literally be letting your money fly right out the window. An energy audit from an experienced green energy consultant shows you what parts of your building suffer from poor energy efficiency, as well as options to improve upon them.

 

At the very least, have your HVAC system serviced to ensure optimal performance, caulk around your windows, insulate, and upgrade to a smart thermostat. These simple DIY jobs can make all the difference in terms of sustainability — and increase your bottom line.

4. Promote Sustainability with Other Local Businesses

The power of sustainability lies in awareness. Rather than trying to tackle sustainability on your own, collaborate with other local businesses. Despite the slight increase in the cost of sustainable business practices, the benefit of reputation enhancement is usually enough for other businesses to get on board.

 

You can give your sustainability promotion a snappy name and take the idea one step further with giveaways such as branded water bottles or reusable bags. Use your creativity to guide you.

Turn Sustainability into a Year-Round Practice

You don’t have to wait until the holidays to become a sustainable business owner. Even the most minor changes can make a huge difference in your power bill and eco-friendly reputation. 

 

So, switch out your incandescent light bulbs for LEDs, change your air filter regularly, and get the helpful advice of a green energy consultant. You might be surprised how much money you save — and help the planet while doing it.

 

Contact your us at 3 Phases Renewables to discuss all the options available for your business.